FlowCam^® - Flow Imaging Microscopy Blog

One of the many reasons we at Fluid Imaging Technologies were excited to join the Yokogawa family of companies in 2020, is their commitment to sustainability and the environment.

The FlowCam was invented in the 1990s to study plankton in ocean water and quickly expanded its applications to drug development and life science. Our commitment to science and the health and safety of our planet and global community is the thread that has held our company together since its founding.

Last week, The-Scientist.com introduced their new Research Products blog. Their very first post discusses the capabilities of the FlowCam Nano:

Researchers Quigg et al. have published a study in Marine Pollution Bulletin summarizing their research on phytoplankton in the Gulf of Mexico, and how these communities were affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The study sought to bring together new insights into the influence of oil and dispersant on phytoplankton, and to make recommendations to curtail negative impacts from future events.

Researchers Karnan et al. have recently published the results of a study performed from 2013-14 in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. Their paper, titled "Implications of micro-plankton and micro-detritus on the food web in the largest monsoonal estuary along the west coast of India" tested the hypothesis that flooding would increase the quantity of available detritus in the Kochi Backwaters (KBW). 

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) publication, Opflow, has featured another story this month on the benefits of proactive algae monitoring in eliminating taste and odor (T&O) complaints for water utilities. 

The cost of monitoring equipment can seem daunting and funding is not always attainable to small utilities. But solutions are available.

The FlowCam has been used in marine and freshwater applications since its invention in 1999. Since then, it has been found to be valuable across many industries to evaluate microparticles of importance in medicine, manufacturing, and environmental disciplines. Rarely do we see these applications cross paths - where man-made particles are being analyzed in marine and freshwater environments. One example of this intersection is the study of microplastics, and the problems they cause for our oceans and marine life. 

An interview with Steve Bowen, Director of Sales, Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies

What is particle analysis?

Particle analysis involves taking a sample of a substance and analyzing the individual particles of the sample. The basic goal is to determine the constituents of a mixture and to differentiate between particles in the sample. Typical measurements of particles that are of interest include: particle size distribution, particle count, various measurements of particle shape, and particle concentration.

Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies was recently named as one of the 2020 Best Places to Work in Maine. This list is made up of 84 companies in three size categories: small (15-49 U.S. employees), medium (50-249 U.S. employees) and large (250+ U.S. employees).

An article featured this month in the American Water Works Association (AWWA) publication Opflow describes the challenges currently facing water utilities across the country, and lays out a strategy to proactively monitor for cyanobacteria and taste & odor causing algae.

This year, in lieu of their annual conference and exhibition, Powder & Bulk Solids hosted a virtual conference: The Powder Show: Digital Flow.

Steve Bowen, Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies Director of Sales, presented a short webinar at this event, titled "Measuring Sphericity & Aggregates of Powders Dispersed in Fluids". The talk is still available to view, alongside other presentations, on The Powder Show website.