
Chapter 1 Overview of the CytoFluor System
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Applied Biosystems
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1.2 How Does It Work?
The CytoFluor software uses a Microsoft Windows interface to
provide features that make the system easy to use. For
example, you select commands and options from menus and
buttons using the mouse. If you prefer, use keyboard
equivalents to access many of the functions.
The software initially displays the CytoFluor main setup
screen. This screen contains the scan set up parameters and
menu options. You can access options to assign plate
parameters to reflect your actual assay plate and experimental
setup. You can also access options to save, copy, or print your
data. (Chapter 2, Getting Started, contains more information
on the CytoFluor main setup screen.)
The scan setup parameters include identification information,
excitation and emission filter pairs, gain, number of scans and
cycles, and other run-specific information. You can edit them
at any time, before you acquire data. Once you acquire data,
you can only change the comments information in a file.
You start collecting data by selecting the Start button from the
main setup screen after you enter the scan setup information.
The software directs the scanner to move the plate into the
detection chamber. The scanner mechanism then aligns the
probe to read all selected wells, row by row. A run for a single
plate may have up to 200 cycles, with up to four different filter
pairs and sensitivities per cycle. Each group of filter pairs and
gain represents a scan.
After the system reads the final well, the plate transport
mechanism presents the plate back to the load position. The
detector is set to a low gain setting and the lamp remains on to
minimize warm-up time for successive runs. The system has a
timer that turns the lamp and detector off if no runs have been
initiated for 60 minutes. You can change this value using the
Maintenance menu as described in Chapter 6, Customizing
the CytoFluor System.
The system stores scanned information and the setup in a
CytoFluor data file. You can save and export file data from
within the application.
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