The BD FACSCanto™ is a flow cytometer that analyses light intensity and scatter patterns produced when cells (or particles), aligned in fluid stream, passes one by one through beams of laser light. Accordingly, information on size, internal granularity, surface and intracellular matrix of every cell in suspension are relayed and the data rapidly available for further statistical analyses.
The BD FACSCanto™ flow cytometer is a research and validated in vitro diagnostic instrument and is housed at the Tygerberg campus of Stellenbosch University
 BD FACSCanto™ Performance Characteristics:
- A set up of 3 lasers: 405nm (violet), 488nm (blue) and 633nm (red)
- Channels of detection: Forward Scatter (defines cell size),
Side Scatter (defines granularity) and
8 fluorescent channels (can define up to 8 cellular parameters of interest)
- Data collected can be analysed via histograms or bivariate dot plots
- Automation: Analyse up to 40 sample without intervention
- Research specific software: BD FACSDiva™
- Clinical specific software for in vitro diagnostic applications: BD FACSCanto™
- Automated calibration and setup using beads
- Samples acquired from 12 x 75-mm polystyrene test tubes
Applications:
Diagnostic (in vitro): Identification and enumeration of immune cells
Research: Analyses of cells or particles (>500 nm) suspended in solution, ie. from single cellular (e.g.bacteria) to multicellular organisms (e.g. human stem cells), protein tagged beads etc.
Examples include:
Immunophenotyping
Cell cycle analysis
Apoptosis assays
Oxidative stress analysis
Viability assays
For more detailed instrument specifics, please see Specification_sheet_BD_FACSCanto_II.
For more information, please contact us.