Question

How long does the sorting procedure take?

Answer

Approximately 1 hour is required for each working day for the operator to prepare the instrument, stabilize the fluidics, and complete quality control (QC) checks.
This is followed by 15–45 minutes to set up the sorting strategy, and about 15 minutes for post-sort analysis.
The actual sorting duration mainly depends on how many cells need to be analysed and sorted.

Theoretically, the BD FACSAria III can process up to 20–30 million events per hour.

Other factors that influence the overall duration include:

• The quality of the cells
• The percentage of the target population
• The number of cells needed after sorting
• Whether yield or purity is selected
• The concentration of the sample

The more diluted the cells are, the more time is required.
For dilute samples, volume also can affect the time of the experiment. Typically, 1 mL of sample (up to 20–30 million cells) can take about 2 hours to process.