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I am wondering about the origin of the term PLATFORM as applied to flow
cytometers. I first heard the term when visiting a major flow cytometry
manufacturer: an engineer pointed into a room full of instruments and said:
"This is our platform". I suspect that the term has been borrowed from
computing and this suspicion is shared by Howard Shapiro, to which I first
asked the question, although he also thinks that the usage may come from
the military. Howard also notes that the term probably refers as much to
the computer software and hardware supporting a given product line as to
the cytometer itself.
Anyway: could anybody out there help trace the origin and use (past and
present) of the term "platform" in relation the production of flow
cytometers?
Thanks!
Alberto
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
\ Alberto Cambrosio | Associate Professor /
/ Social Studies of Medicine | \
\ McGill University | Tel: (514) 398-4981 /
/ 3655 Drummond St. | Fax: (514) 398-1498 \
\ Montreal, Quebec | E-Mail: CYCO@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA /
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