What should be recorded as part of Quality Assurance for a flow cytometer?

Recording data from different bead sets as part of Quality Assurance for a flow cytometer is fundamental because bead sets are critical for standardizing instrument performance and ensuring accurate results. Bead sets are specifically designed to provide known values for various parameters such as size, fluorescence intensity, and intensity distribution. By regularly analyzing data from these bead sets, laboratory personnel can monitor instrument performance, validate calibration, and confirm that the cytometer is functioning correctly over time. This practice helps identify any deviations or drifts in performance that could affect experimental outcomes, ensuring the reliability of results generated by the flow cytometer.

The quality assurance process is comprehensive and should ideally include various aspects of instrument performance, but focusing on the data from different bead sets is a key element because it provides a quantitative benchmark for assessment.