Unified Flow Cytometer Setup

The calibration of flow cytometers in the clinical laboratory is of primordial importance for the interlaboratory comparison of quantitative and classification results.

Brightly fluorescent alignment beads are used to control the overall optical and electronic performance of a flow cytometer.

The measurement of a mixture of typically four fluorescent beads with known amounts of antibody binding sites or bound antibodies permits the calibration of the fluorescence scale of a flow cytometer in "bound fluorescent antibody molecules". A non fluorescent bead characterizes the assay noise level of the flow cytometer.

Besides the determination of the number of cell bound antibody molecules, the "sample window" of flow cytometers can be determined in absolute i.e. instrument independent terms (e.g the lower and upper threshold of displayed fluorescences may range from 200 to 2.000.000 molecules in a four logarithmic decade instrument).

Suitable calibration beads are available from different commercial sources. The characteristics and performance of various beads are displayed in the following chapters:



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For problems or comments, please contact:
G.Valet E-mail: valet@vms.biochem.mpg.de , Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Am Klopferspitz 18a, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany, Tel: +49/89/8578-2518, -2525, Fax: +49/89/8578-2563, INTERNET address: http://www.biochem.mpg.de/valet/cytorel.html
Last Update: May 5, 1997