Area or height??

From: Zucker.Robert@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV
Date: Fri Feb 23 2001 - 13:00:12 EST


At a local flow cytometry users group ( RTCA)  on Feb 22 2001, we heard a
about the  BD DIVA digital electronics. It was impressive and like all new
developments in flow cytometry it is a welcomed addition.
BD is now measuring area on all pulses instead of height that is normally
used on previously versions of BD  equipment.  For you BD users,  there is
one board in the machines currently that can yield area measurements which
are required for DNA measurements using Doublet discrimination. Now I
remember that our old Ortho 50H yielded area measurements on all signals
and this is the way we always ran our machine. We reluctantly  gave up this
measurement to use the User friendly BD FacsCalibur  with their CellQuest
program.

My questions are the following:
How is our Flow data going to change by  using area instead of peak height
measurements
It should be more accurate with area but how bad is the height measurement
that we have obtained for many many years..
This Question  was raised at the meeting but it was not adequately answered
by anyone in the audience. How bad is height measurements?. Is it only bad
( inaccurate) for linear measurements like DNA??? Let's discuss this. I
think it is important.
Bob



Robert M. Zucker, PhD
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
MD 72
National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 27711
Tel: 919-541-1585; fax 919-541-4017
e-mail: zucker.robert@epa.gov



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