BD unveils world's first spectral cell sorter with high-speed imaging technology that sorts cells based on visual characteristics

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, introduced its new cell sorting technology at the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC) CYTO 2022 conference June 3-7 that enables researchers to see and sort cells at speeds never before possible, which creates the potential to transform research and cell-based therapeutic development across a range of fields such as virology and oncology, as well as numerous disease states.

The new BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter features the breakthrough BD CellView™ Image Technology profiled earlier this year on the cover of the journal Science. It is the first cell sorter to combine advanced spectral flow cytometry with sort-capable image analysis that will potentially enable researchers to yield more accurate data and sort cells that previously could not be identified.

"This advancement in cell sorting fills a longstanding gap in biomedical research by enabling scientists to perform high-parameter experiments while rapidly viewing and sorting cells with specific, visualizable traits of interest," said Dr. Xin Maggie Wang, director of scientific operations, Westmead Institute for Medical Research. "For researchers doing spectral flow cytometry, actually seeing the cells you're interacting with gives you greater confidence in results and enables you to see cells in a way never possible before, and answer questions that may have been previously inconceivable."

Cell sorting through spectral flow cytometry is a cutting-edge technique that captures the full spectrum signal emitted by sample preparations instead of specific bands as with traditional flow cytometry, letting scientists sort cells using more parameters to better understand human health, disease, and treatment.

The BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter combines advanced spectral flow cytometry with the novel BD CellView™ Image Technology, which captures images of individual cells flowing through the system and sorts them based on detailed microscopic image analysis of each one at high sort speeds. This combination enables scientists to gain more accurate insights on cell populations and characteristics that can be visually confirmed in real-time, and interrogate and sort cells that could not be identified before, all in a simplified experimental workflow. The BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter is the first BD instrument to feature BD CellView™ Image Technology.

"By combining the power of high-parameter spectral flow cytometry with this unprecedented picture of a cell and its inner workings, we are defining a new standard in cell sorting and putting the power of the cell in the hands of the researcher," said Puneet Sarin, worldwide president of BD Biosciences. "The BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter with BD CellView™ Image Technology represents the next chapter in the BD legacy of flow cytometry innovation and leadership, and together with complementary tools like our new spectrally optimized BD Horizon RealYellow™ and RealBlue™ Reagents, we are excited to see how the scientific community will use it to achieve breakthrough discoveries in less time and with greater confidence, as well as uncover new applications that can help shape the future of health."

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