Flow cytometer, position calculation method, and program

A position calculation method for detecting a depth position in a flow cytometer, the flow cytometer including:

• a microfluidic device including a flow path through which an observation object is able to flow together with a fluid;
• a light source configured to irradiate the flow path with illumination light;
• a photodetector configured to detect, in time series, an intensity of signal light emitted from the observation object when the observation object flowing through the flow path is irradiated with the illumination light;
• an information generation device configured to generate optical information indicating any one or more of a shape, form, or structure of the observation object based on the intensity of the signal light detected by the photodetector;
• a flow path position control device configured to control a position in a depth direction of the flow path;
• and
• an arithmetic device configured to detect the depth position, which is a position in the depth direction of the flow path where the observation object passes through the flow path, based on time series changes in the intensity of the signal light detected by the photodetector,
• the position calculation method comprising:
• a procedure of acquiring electronic data of temporal changes in the intensity of the signal light detected at a detection position predetermined in the flow path to detect the depth position;
• a procedure of performing a scan process to move the flow path in the depth direction via the flow path position control device and acquire the electronic data at different depth positions;
• a position calculation procedure of calculating the depth position based on the electronic data;
• and
• an output procedure of outputting position information indicating the depth position calculated in the position calculation procedure.

A program for a flow cytometer, the flow cytometer including:

• a microfluidic device including a flow path through which an observation object is able to flow together with a fluid;
• a light source configured to irradiate the flow path with illumination light;
• a photodetector configured to detect, in time series, an intensity of signal light emitted from the observation object when the observation object flowing through the flow path is irradiated with the illumination light;
• an information generation device configured to generate optical information indicating any one or more of a shape, form, or structure of the observation object based on the intensity of the signal light detected by the photodetector;
• a flow path position control device configured to control a position in a depth direction of the flow path;
• and
• an arithmetic device configured to detect a depth position, which is a position in the depth direction of the flow path where the observation object passes through the flow path, based on time series changes in the intensity of the signal light detected by the photodetector,
• the program causing the arithmetic device that performs a position calculation process for detecting the depth position in the flow cytometer to perform:
• a step of acquiring electronic data of temporal changes in the intensity of the signal light detected at a detection position predetermined in the flow path to detect the depth position;
• a step of performing a scan process to move the flow path in the depth direction via the flow path position control device and acquire the electronic data at different depth positions;
• a position calculation step of calculating the depth position based on the electronic data;
• and
• an output step of outputting position information indicating the depth position calculated in the position calculation step.