Abstract: A method of reducing peak width in flow-through analytical instrumentation measurements, comprising introducing a sample into an analytical instrument; recording the time required for a plurality of individual analytes within the sample to travel a known distance between a first point and a second point within the analytical instrument to produce a plurality of travel times; recording the time required for a plurality of individual analytes within a sample to travel a known distance between a first point and a second point to produce a plurality of travel times; dividing the travel times into a plurality of groups comprising a fixed number of travel times; assigning a ranking to the travel times within a group; selecting from each group at least one travel time to produce a set of selected travel times; and producing from the set of selected travel times an output signal in the form of a peak.

Abstract: An integrated fluorescence analysis system enables a component part of a sample to be virtually sorted within a sample volume after a spectrum of the component part has been identified from a fluorescence spectrum of the entire sample in a flow cytometer. Birefringent optics enables the entire spectrum to be resolved into a set of numbers representing the intensity of spectral components of the spectrum. One or more spectral components are selected to program a scanning laser microscope, preferably a confocal microscope, whereby the spectrum from individual pixels or voxels in the sample can be compared. Individual pixels or voxels containing the selected spectral components are identified and an image may be formed to show the morphology of the sample with respect to only those components having the selected spectral components. There is no need for any physical sorting of the sample components to obtain the morphological information.