Method and materials for calibrating flow cytometers and other analysis instruments
First Claim
1. A method for calibrating a flow cytometry instrument for using said instrument to obtain at least one light-related signal from particles passing through the instrument for analysis comprising:
- passing calibration particles, having characteristics of like nature to particles expected to be tested, in a liquid flow stream so that each calibration particle passes, substantially one at a time, through an incident beam of light;
detecting a light signal from the calibration particles passing through said beam of light;
detecting a noise signal from the calibration particles passing through said beam of light;
determining the ratio of the level of detected light signal to the level of detected noise signal;
reporting said ratio as a measured separation value between the light signal and the noise signal;
comparing said measured separation value to a predetermined separation value which represents a threshold for minimum instrument performance; and
adjusting, if the predetermined separation value has not been attained, the operation of the instrument, while the calibration particles are passing therethrough, until the measured separation value reaches said predetermined separation value whereby the instrument is calibrated for subsequently analyzing particles.
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Abstract
A method for calibrating an instrument for using that instrument to obtain at least one light-related signal from particles under analysis comprises directing an incident beam of light at calibration particles having one or more known characteristics related to the particles expected to be analyzed. Both a light signal and a noise signal from the calibration particles are detected. A measurement is made of the ratio of the detected light signal to the detected noise signal, and that measurement is reported. The measured ratio is then compared to a predetermined ratio which represents a threshold for minimum instrument performance. This method further includes adjusting, if the predetermined ratio has not been attained, the operation of the instrument, while the calibration particles are within the incident beam of light, until the measured ratio reaches the predetermined ratio whereby the instrument is calibrated for subsequently obtaining the light signal from particles to be analyzed. A kit of reagents for use in calibrating an instrument for performing two-color analysis of particles and particle standards for calibrating fluorescence analysis instruments are also part of the instant invention.
97 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for calibrating a flow cytometry instrument for using said instrument to obtain at least one light-related signal from particles passing through the instrument for analysis comprising:
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passing calibration particles, having characteristics of like nature to particles expected to be tested, in a liquid flow stream so that each calibration particle passes, substantially one at a time, through an incident beam of light; detecting a light signal from the calibration particles passing through said beam of light; detecting a noise signal from the calibration particles passing through said beam of light; determining the ratio of the level of detected light signal to the level of detected noise signal; reporting said ratio as a measured separation value between the light signal and the noise signal; comparing said measured separation value to a predetermined separation value which represents a threshold for minimum instrument performance; and adjusting, if the predetermined separation value has not been attained, the operation of the instrument, while the calibration particles are passing therethrough, until the measured separation value reaches said predetermined separation value whereby the instrument is calibrated for subsequently analyzing particles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for calibrating an instrument for using said instrument to obtain at least one light-related signal from particles under analysis comprising:
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directing an incident beam of light at calibration particles having one or more known characteristics related to particles expected to be analyzed; detecting a light signal from the calibration particles; detecting a noise signal from the calibration particles; measuring the ratio of the level of detected light signal to the level of detected noise signal and reporting same; comparing said measured ratio to a predetermined ratio which represents a threshold for minimum instrument performance; and adjusting, if the predetermined ratio has not been attained, the operation of said instrument, while the calibration particles are within the incident beam of light, until the measured ratio reaches said predetermined ratio whereby the instrument is calibrated for subsequently analyzing particles. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A method for calibrating a flow cytometry instrument for using said instrument to obtain at least two different fluorescence signals from particles passing through the instrument for analysis comprising:
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passing substantially spherical calibration beads in a liquid flow stream so that each bead passes, substantially one at a time, through an incident beam of light, said beads being labeled with two different fluorochromes and provided in substantially equal amounts in a carrier liquid which is used to form said flow stream; detecting each of the two fluorescence signals from the beads passing through said beam of light; detecting noise signals associated with each of the two fluorescence signals, the unlabeled beads providing the noise signal for each of the two fluorescence signals; determining the ratio of the level of detected fluorescence signal to the level of detected noise signal for each of the two fluorescence signals; displaying said ratio for each of the two fluorescence signals as a measured separation value between each respective light signal and the noise signal, said displaying step utilizing a log scale relationship in which the ratio of signal to noise is expressed by the mean channel linear difference between the light signal and the noise signal; comparing said measured separation value for each of the two fluorescence signals to predetermined separation values each of which represents a threshold for minimum instrument performance; and adjusting, if the predetermined separation values for either of the two fluorescence signals has not been attained, the operation of the instrument while the calibration beads are passing therethrough until each measured separation value reaches the predetermined separation value, whereby the instrument is calibrated for subsequently obtaining said two fluorescence signals from particles to be analyzed.
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Specification