The Naked FlowCytometer

The last two days Ariel from Merkel Technologies Ltd installed an upgrade to the logic boards of our Flow Cytometer (FACS). The new logic boards, made by Cytek, will allow us to collect data using a newer acquisition station, which will solve compatibility issues with the HyperCyt loader. They also are the basis for the next upgrade of the lasers and the sensors (that will come in few weeks, depending when we are ready).

The upgrade involved replacing all types of boards inside the FACS, and for a whole day the lab looked like an electronic workshop rather than a biology lab.

In the process, Ariel also uncovered the lid off the laser part of the unit, which gave us a chance to peak into the working of the machine. The main lightpath

involves a laser on the left. The laser beam passes through two prisms and then onto the flow chamber on the right, and then from there to sensors (The cylinders beyond).

The flow chamber, has a two input the first is a sheath fluid and the other is the sample. The sheath fluid is flowing much faster and thus creates a thin stream of cells form the sample.

(source: http://www.abcam.com )

In our configuration we have the same setup but the flow is from below:

At the end of the day the device was closed up, assembled, and working.

Tonight was the beginning of the independence day celebrations and so we got to see some fireworks.