Apparatus for determining radiation beam alignment

1. A radiation beam aligning apparatus, comprising:

(a) a flow chamber;

(b) a screen having a mirrored surface interrupted by one or more pin holes passing through said screen;

(c) a means for directing a radiation beam from said flow chamber to said screen; and

(d) a means for detecting said radiation beam reflected by said mirrored surface, wherein said detecting means determines a position of said radiation beam relative to said pin hole.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said mirrored surface comprises a planar surface.

3. The radiation directing device of claim 1 , wherein said pin holes are disposed at a substantially non-orthogonal angle b with respect to a planar surface of said screen.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said mirrored surface is placed to reflect a radiation beam at an angle 2 times b.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said screen having a mirrored surface is interrupted by 2 or more pin holes passing through said screen.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said means for changing the direction of propagation is placed to direct said radiation beam passing through each of said 2 or more pin holes orthogonal to a forward direction of propagation of said radiation beam.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a means for changing the direction of propagation for radiation beams passing through said one or more pin holes, said direction changing means and said pin holes being juxtaposed.

8. The radiation directing device of claim 7 , wherein said means for changing direction is juxtaposed at an angle β with respect to a line intersecting said pin holes.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said direction changing means further comprises one or more prisms.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said one or more pin holes have an elliptical shape.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said radiation detecting means further comprises an image detection device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a means for collimating radiation reflected by said mirrored surface, said collimating means placed to direct radiation to said radiation detecting means.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a means for directing radiation reflected by said radiation reflecting means to said radiation detecting means.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said radiation directing means comprises a lens.

15. A flow cytometer comprising the apparatus of claim 1 .

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said pin hole comprises a material transparent to radiation in the UV, VIS or IR regions of the spectrum quartz.

17. The radiation directing device of claim 16 , wherein said material comprises quartz.

18. The radiation directing device of claim 16 , wherein said material comprises glass.

19. An automated system for aligning a radiation beam, comprising:

(a) a screen having a mirrored surface interrupted by one or more pin holes passing through said screen;

(b) a means for directing a radiation beam to said screen, said directing means attached to a positioning device;

(c) a means for detecting radiation reflected by said mirrored surface, wherein said detecting means determines a position of a radiation beam relative to said pin hole; and

(d) a computer system controlling movement of said positioning device, said computer system receiving signal from said detection means and sending a processed output signal to said positioning device, wherein said output signal directs the movement of said positioning device.

20. The automated system of claim 19 , further comprising a flow chamber, said flow chamber attached to said positioning device.

21. The automated system of claim 19 , further comprising a means for directing radiation from a radiation source to a flow chamber, said means for directing radiation from a radiation source to a flow chamber attached to said positioning device.

22. The automated system of claim 19 , wherein said pin hole comprises a material transparent to radiation in the UV, VIS or IR regions of the spectrum quartz.

23. The radiation directing device of claim 22 , wherein said material comprises quartz.

24. The radiation directing device of claim 22 , wherein said material comprises glass.

25. An automated system for aligning a radiation beam, comprising:

(a) a screen having a mirrored surface interrupted by one or more pin holes passing through said screen;

(b) a flow chamber, said flow chamber attached to a positioning device;

(c) a means for directing a radiation beam to said screen;

(d) a means for detecting radiation reflected by said mirrored surface, wherein said detecting means determines a position of a radiation beam relative to said pin hole; and

(e) a computer system controlling movement of said positioning device, said computer system receiving a signal from said detection means and sending a processed output signal to said positioning device, wherein said output signal directs the movement of said positioning device.

26. An automated system for aligning a radiation beam, comprising:

(a) a screen having a mirrored surface interrupted by one or more pin holes passing through said screen;

(b) a flow chamber;

(c) a means for directing radiation to said flow chamber, said means for directing radiation to said flow chamber attached to a positioning device;

(d) a means for detecting radiation reflected by said mirrored surface, wherein said detecting means determines a position of a radiation beam relative to said pin hole; and

(e) a computer system controlling movement of said positioning device, said computer system receiving a signal from said detection means and sending a processed output signal to said positioning device, wherein said output signal directs the movement of said positioning device.