Instrument Upgrades and Acquisitions For Flow Cytometry Core Facilities
Francis L. Battye
The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical research
The tasks to be performed in the operation of a flow cytometry core facility include scheduling, data preservation, provision of data analysis systems and software, instrument maintenance and provision of instrumentation that can cope with all required flow cytometric applications of the institution. Since the latter task presents a moving target, the solution may include upgrade of existing instrumentation as well as new acquisitions.
Upgrades that may be possible, depending upon instrument structure are:
- Detector replacements, particularly for increased red and infrared sensitivity.
- Optical filters: making use of modern optical filter design, band widths can be increased and offsets from laser wavelengths can be reduced.
- Detector arrays: in combination with optical filter upgrade, the layout of detectors, traditionally in rectilinear pattern, can be revised.
- Added lasers: solid state lasers now span the visible spectrum. Useful wavelengths are determined by the facility’s applications.
Important considerations in the acquisition of new Instruments:
- The number of detectors and the number and colours of lasers will be decided by the set of present and predicted future applications:
- Immunofluorescence (how many colours will be analysed?).
- Immunofluorescence plus DNA and fluorescent proteins.
- Immunofluorescence plus DNA and fluorescent proteins plus “side populations”.
- Immunofluorescence plus DNA and fluorescent proteins plus “side populations” plus intracellular chemistry (e.g Ca++, pH, etc.).
- Sensitivity and detector array geometry (rectilinear vs. octagon).
- Flexibility of the instrument configuration.
- Digital vs. Analog electronics.
- Required floor space and services.
- Service support.
- Future upgrade capability.