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Helios, a CyTOF System

The highest-resolution profiling of cell phenotype and function available

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Discover Your Inner Cell

Whether investigating therapeutic response in a human subject or a mouse model of disease, getting the most information from every precious sample is a priority in clinical and research studies alike.

Mass cytometry with Helios™ uses CyTOF® technology to enable deep profiling of translational and clinical research samples across a range of cell surface and intracellular markers.

Designed to significantly reduce signal overlap, mass cytometry empowers researchers to simultaneously interrogate cellular phenotypes, function and signaling status in higher dimension than traditional fluorescence methods.

Comprehensive

Accelerate insight into mechanisms of health and disease with the most comprehensive view of cell phenotype and function.

Powerful

Obtain the most actionable information from precious samples.

Proven

Trusted by translational and clinical study researchers around the world to power life changing insights in human health.

Hear what researchers are saying about the power of mass cytometry

Technology

Mass cytometry uniquely combines time-of-flight mass spectrometry with Maxpar metal-labeling technology to enable breakthrough discovery and comprehensive functional profiling applications. Cellular targets are labeled with metal-tagged antibodies and detected and quantified by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The high purity and choice of metal isotopes provide minimal background noise from signal overlap or endogenous cellular components. And 135 available detection channels ensure an ongoing ability to add more parameters, enabling you to fully study the functional complexity of biological systems at the single-cell level.

Workflow

  1. Design
  2. Build
  3. Stain
  4. Acquire
  5. Analyze

Design

Optimize your panel using the Maxpar Panel Designer.

Build

Assemble your high-dimensional panel with Maxpar reagents.

Stain

Stain cells using Fluidigm-validated protocols, buffers and barcoding reagents.

Acquire

Load prepared cells into Helios, which ionizes and releases the metal tags from individual cells, separates them by mass and counts the number bound to each cell.

Analyze

View and analyze high-dimensional data sets through a convenient cloud-based platform, Cytobank.

Support

CyTOF & Helios Support

Browse frequently asked questions, download technical documents, review training programs and service plans and locate the right IFCs, kits and reagents for your research. Still need help? Reach out to one of our support specialists here. 

components

IFCs, Assays and Reagents

Maxpar Direct Assays

Easily quantify 37 immune cell populations using a simple single-tube workflow with automated 5-minute results reporting. Learn more about the Maxpar Direct Immune Profiling Assay.

Maxpar Metal Labeling Kits

Conjugate metals to antibodies or other proteins in as little as two and a half hours with our Maxpar labeling kits, optimized for use with CyTOF systems.

Cell-ID Cell Labeling Reagent

Identify nucleated cells with dead cell discrimination and detect cells in S phase of the cell cycle with our Cell-ID labeling reagents.

Cell-ID 20-Plex Pd Barcoding Kit

Improve data quality, increase throughput and collect more exciting data with a set of unique palladium barcoding reagents and advanced debarcoding software.

Maxpar Sample Prep Buffers

Optimize your mass cytometry staining with our sample prep buffers, which can be used in surface, intracellular, nuclear and DNA staining protocols.

Maxpar Metal-Conjugated Antibodies

Achieve comprehensive functional and phenotypic profiling of cell samples with antibodies validated for functionality and compatibility.

Maxpar Panel Kits

Analyze a variety of proteins in cell populations with our ready-to-use kits containing up to 17 metal-conjugated antibodies. Areas of inquiry include stem-cell development, cell cycle, signaling and immunology.

Helios

Gain greater understanding of cell phenotypes, functions and relationships through comprehensive profiles of cells inside and out with the world’s most advanced mass cytometer.
  1. Maxpar Direct Assays
  2. Maxpar Metal Labeling Kits
  3. Cell-ID Cell Labeling Reagent
  4. Cell-ID 20-Plex Pd Barcoding Kit
  5. Maxpar Sample Prep Buffers
  6. Maxpar Metal-Conjugated Antibodies
  7. Maxpar Panel Kits
  8. Helios

Software

CyTOF Software

CyTOF® Software v7.0 offers support for imaging and cell suspension-based sample analysis to Hyperion™ Imaging System and Helios™ system users. The software has the built-in capability to switch sample introduction modes, providing users the flexibility to configure hardware as required.

Maxpar Pathsetter

Maxpar® Pathsetter™ is a fully automated reporting and data analysis solution that automatically identifies 37 immune cell types in FCS files from samples processed with the Maxpar Direct Immune Profiling Assay.

Developed using probability state modeling, a proven high-parameter analytic approach, the software eliminates the variability of manual gating and provides an efficient and reliable solution for data analysis in longitudinal and multisite studies.

FCS Express

FCS Express™ is a fully integrated analysis, statistics, graphing and reporting tool for turning cytometry data into presentation-ready and publication-ready results. Full support for Fluidigm cytometry instruments ensures an enhanced analytical workflow and complete data acquisition-to-report experience for users.

New purchases of the Fluidigm Helios™ mass cytometer or Hyperion™ Imaging System will come with a free one-year license for FCS Express 7 Flow. Contact us to claim this offer.

Fluidigm Cytobank Analysis

Cytobank cloud-based data analysis software turns high-content data into high-impact knowledge by providing tools optimized for mass cytometry, including clustering (SPADE and viSNE), heat maps, dot plots, histograms and statistics, along with the ability to share your data with colleagues and collaborators.

  1. CyTOF Software
  2. Maxpar Pathsetter
  3. FCS Express
  4. Fluidigm Cytobank Analysis

Specifications

Helios System

Channels 135
Mass range 75–209 amu
Abundance sensitivity 0.3% for 159Tb
Instrument response 600,000 counts/pg 159Tb
Detection limit 350 antibodies/cell
Dynamic range 4.5 orders of magnitude
Calibration Automated
Operating system Windows® 7 Pro 64-bit
Data storage 7.2TB HDD RAID (mirrored)
Sample introduction Pneumatic single tube loader with agitation, up to 5 ml volume
Peak throughput 2,000 (events/sec)
Flow rate 30–45 (µL/min)
Replicate sample CV (normalized) <3%
Height 52 in (132 cm)
Width 41 in (103 cm)
Depth 35 in (87 cm)
Weight 705 lb (320 kg)

Chiller

Height 25 in (64 cm)
Width 15 in (38 cm)
Depth 27 in (69 cm)
Weight 178 lb (81 kg)

Workstation

Operating system Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
CPU Intel® Core™ i7
Hard drives 2 x SSD, RAID 1
Data storage 7.2TB HDD, RAID 10
Monitor 24 in (61 cm) LED
Height 18 in (46 cm)
Width 8 in (20 cm)
Depth 23 in (58 cm)
Weight 77 lb (35 kg)

Data File Size

IMD 0.3 MB/sec/channel
FCS 12.4 bytes/event/channel
TXT 2.4 bytes/event/channel