Cellular astronomy - A foreseeable future in cytometry

Advances in electro-optic technology within the past 2 years, notably the development of high-intensity fight-emitting diodes and highly efficient charge-coupled device cameras, have made it feasible to produce small, simple, rugged, automated fluorescence image cytometers, with selling prices well below US $10,000, that can make measurements previously the exclusive domain of flow and scanning cytometers costing many times more. it should be feasible to apply the new cytometric technology in scientific and geographic areas for which a previous generation of instruments was too complex and too expensive, e.g., to problems of diagnosis and management of infectious diseases prevalent at critical levels in resource-poor areas, such as the human immunodeficiency virus, malaria, and tuberculosis. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.