Instrument no longer used. For archival purposes only.

The Cytomics™ FC 500 is a sophisticated benchtop flow cytometer equipped with the most advanced technologies provided by Beckman Coulter. (Material abstracted from BC brochures)

Lasers

- Air-cooled Argon ion laser, 488nm (20mW output)

- Air-cooled Helium - Neon ion laser, 633nm (20mW output)

- Argon laser beam spot size: 10 microns high by 80 microns wide (elliptical)

- Helium - Neon laser beam spot size: 9.5 microns high by 85 microns wide (elliptical)

Detectors

- Forward Scatter Side scatter detectors are photodiodes

- Five photomultipliers with spectral sensitivity from 185nm-900nm collect the fluorescence signals centered approximatively at:

- FL1 = 525 nm
- FL2 = 575 nm
- FL3 = 620 nm
- FL4 = 675 nm
- FL5 = 755 nm

Flow Rates

- A continuous pressure is applied to the sample tube based on user selected flow rates.

- Three flow rates are available:

- Low (around 15 microl/min)
- Medium (around 30 microl/min)
- High (around 60 microl/min)

Sensitivity - Resolution

- Particle size range: 0.5µm to 40µm diameter
- < 600 MESF for FITC* and APC**
- < 300 MESF for PE*

* measured with Spherotech™ Rainbow Calibration particles and IsoFlow™ Sheath Fluid
** measured with Linear Flow Beads from Molecular Probes

Acquisition Rate

- Maximum acquisition rate: 3,300 events/sec

Sample Handling

- Glass or plastic tubes (12x75 mm)

- Single-tube sampling mode

- Multi Carousel Loader (up to 32 tubes)

Spectral Cytometry

We have also added our own 32 Channel Spectral detector system onto the FC500.