Patent ID: 6542833
Filing Date: 2003-04-01
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method of checking the performance of a flow cytometer instrument (10), in which flow cytometer instrument the number of particles or cells in a fluid flow are counted by providing data representing a PHA diagram (Pulse Height Analysis) of registered pulses, the method comprising the steps of:providing a lot of standard samples, having a standard fluid, including only one type of substantially uniform microbeads, providing optimal data representing an optimal (desired) PHA diagram (PHA0) of the pulses registered, when measuring a standard sample from said lot on a reference flow cytometer instrument, said optimal data representing an optimal (desired) PHA diagram (PHA0) being stored in one of the means of the group consisting of: a memory in the flow cytometer instrument to be checked (10) itself, a memory in data processing means connected to the flow cytometer instrument to be checked (10), means from which the optimal data may be imported into the flow cytometer instrument to be checked (10), and means from which the optimal data may be imported into a data processing means connected to the flow cytometer instrument to be checked (10), measuring a standard sample on the flow cytometer instrument (10) to be checked, providing sample data representing a PHA diagram (PHAS) for the pulses registered during the measurement of the standard sample on the flow cytometer instrument (10) to be checked, comparing the sample data to the stored optimal data, and analysing and/or evaluating said sample data and stored optimal data in order to determine any poor or faulty operation of the flow cytometer instrument to be checked.