Introduction A: recent advances in cytometry instrumentation, probes, and methods--review.

Cytometric techniques are continually being improved, refined, and adapted to new applications. This chapter briefly outlines recent advances in the field of cytometry with the main focus on new instrumentations in flow and image cytometry as well as new probes suitable for multiparametric analyses. There is a remarkable trend for miniaturizing cytometers, developing label-free and fluorescence-free analytical approaches, and designing "intelligent" probes. Furthermore, new methods for analyzing complex data for extracting relevant information are reviewed.