As most researchers know, all instruments have some variability and over time settings continue to drift. Obviously, instrument variability is “bad” because it can unwittingly impact your data – forcing you to re-run experiments to determine what caused data anomalies.

To eliminate instrument variability, Sony cell analyzers include a new Standardization function that sets Sony systems to a global specification with one simple click.  Behind the scenes, Sony Standardization Mode automatically sets universal parameters for laser alignment and calibration; detector correction and dark noise elimination. This ensures high reliability. When working with a single instrument, standardization ensures you’ll get the same specification from day to day. When working across multiple instruments, standardization ensures all instruments are set to the same specification.  Simple as that.

In conventional flow, instrument QC is performed to verify instrument performance.  Beads determine bandpass filter settings and laser alignment and laser calibration are performed manually.  Although a comprehensive validation is performed, there is no way to verify that settings from one instrument match another and no guarantee that the operator has setup the instrument correctly.

To demonstrate the capabilities of the standardization function, we gathered data from six SA3800 spectral analyzers located in the United States, Europe and Japan. To see how standardization produced reproducible results, download the technical note, Standardization capability on a Sony spectral flow cytometer.