An EPROM-based programmable contour generator for use in flow cytometry.

An erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) contour generator has been fabricated to produce contours for use in flow cytometry. Contours are analog waveforms representing the fluorescence or light-scatter intensity distribution along a cell or object. The generator has particular utility in the development and testing of slit-scan instrumentation and analysis algorithms. Contours are generated without the requirement of specimens or full operation of the flow instrumentation. The generator provides control of contour height, width, offset, and rate. The EPROM may be custom programmed to produce contours for specific test applications or for reproducing "real" contour events. The generator is useful in situations where constant repetitive contours of predetermined characteristics are required.