From: janet dow (jldow@unity.ncsu.edu)
Date: Fri Feb 21 2003 - 13:14:42 EST
here go the replies: If you want names to go with responses-email me directly 1) Hello, We don't have one on site...just yet. But we have spent a lot of time at BD testing the new Aria for speed, sensitivity, viability, and ease of use in a core facility. Overall, we have been very impressed. The mostly all digital hardware is solid...maybe BD's best design innovation since the FACScan. It comes with a solid state 405 laser, not UV, so applications using Indo (calcium) don't work well, but we have sorted chromosomes with Hoechst, cells with DAPI, etc. It has a flow cell and new PMT layout so optical sensitivity and dynamic range across the visible spectrum are slightly better in a comparison with the MoFlo sorter. I'd be happy to discuss what we've done and our concerns, hopes and dreams. 2) I don't have one but I was there at the unveiling to the public. It's awesome. Fast, easy, no alignment, no room req's, lots of colors, easy delay setup, pretty much a sorter without all the things that make operators bonk their heads into walls. Get one so you can tell us all about it! I'm working on getting funding. Definitely consider the FACSAria. It makes other models look really old. 3) The instrument was released on December 4th. I was able to try one out at BD just before that and it looks to be a very well designed unit. It has excellent engineering behind it and I would expect it to outperform the Vantage. It is, however, only for the research market at this time. They are working on a clinical adaptation but I expect that will be a year or so further out, in case that makes a difference in your planning. 4) Hi Janet, I just went to BD last weekend to check out the Aria. Our lab is getting a grant together for this machine as well. It's really top of the line. I was very impressed. From what they told me there won't be any in place until this summer. I believe core facilities at UCLA and a lab at UCSF will be the first. 5) I was able to demo one of these at the ASH meeting in December and I was very impressed. I have operated most sorters on the market and this is quite a step for a sorter. Very automated, very user friendly and very capable. My company is looking at buying two sorters and I am pretty sure we will be going with the Aria. If you have any specific questions feel free to e-mail and I will try to answer what I can. 6) Hi Janet, I was recently in Basel at the BD demo site and I have seen the Aria. Besides the benchtop and self-supporting properties this machine shows an unbelievable sensitivity for a high-speed cell sorter, even better than our Facscalibur. The results of our tests were impressive to me. Sorting speed is comparable to a Moflo. The new PC based software (Symphony) looks stable and handling is OK, we didn't got computer crashes during a whole day. Best regards, 7) Hi Janet, The Aria holds great promise. I will be purchasing one of the first few Arias built (have been told of a May delivery assuming there are no problems as they scale up for production). I am very excited about this new platform for our small company. I can train 4 scientists to use it and free up so much of my time, I can hardly wait to get it! This will be the next big step in cytometry technology. I am pushing hard for a UV (violet diode) but it may be a while before they can get that done as they need to concentrate on getting a dozen or so out in the field. As far as I know, none have been placed as of yet but orders have been taken. It combines revolutionary sorting with the best digital components from the LSR II. It should be amazing. I hope to go to CA to try it out for real, if that happens I will let you know how it goes. 8) Hi Janet, in addition to my impresions (see below) I'll also forward a few letters I've been receiving during the last days (I'm not sure whether all people responded to both of us...) As I told you, yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the first FACSAria in Europe at the BD center in Basel. I'm not as experienced as most of the guys at the website obviously are in cell sorting (I have only been working many years on a FACScan)- so its not a specialist's opinion. But I should say that I was really impressed. It's probably the kind of sorter for users like me. It looks like a big FACScan, and it seems to be quite similar in handling either. After turining on, the FACS drop delay and everything were easy to perform, there was kind of sort master which was helding everything very stable during the whole day. And sorting was done very nicely. The software looked quite easy, although there are (and "should be" in a version 1.0) several bugs (as also admitted by the BD people). In addition to the drawbacks as listed in the letters from all the others (no UV, max. 100 µm nozzles) there was one things we did not like: The liquid pumps are really loud- so it may be necessary to put them and the containers into a little cupboard or dislocate them into another room. To sum up, we are quite decided to take the Aria instead of the DiVa. One important reason: We won't have the money to have a bioingenieur for running the sorter. The Aria, however, looks (and is built for that) as it could be supported by a expereinced technician. It's so much easier. I am interested to hear from those who are the first to get them to see how they work in real life. hope this helps. Janet Dow -- Janet Dow Research Technician and Manager Flow Cytometry Facility North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine Room C-314 Raleigh, NC 27606 (919)513-6364
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