FCS Express will read .FCS data files from any instrument and supports a broad range of file formats used for storing flow and imaging cytometry data.

 

Flow Cytometry File Formats

 

FCS Express can read listmode (FCS and LMD) data files from all manufacturers. FCS Express currently supports FCS version 1 to FCS version 3.2.  Simply transfer the files to the computer on which you are running FCS Express (either via the network, flash drive, CD or other method) and FCS Express will be able to load the data. FCS Express also supports some specialized data formats native to manufacturers instruments. These specialized formats include Cytek and Sony Spectral data files, BD Accuri C6 and C6 Plus files, and Miltenyi MacsQuant .mqd files.

 

In addition, FCS Express can also import the analysis/acquisition settings (gates, plots, markers, quadrants etc) from flow cytometers running the BD FACSDiva and the BD Accuri C6 software.

 

File Type

File description

File format

Sample-based

Listmode files

*.fcs; *.lmd

BD AccuriTM C6 / C6 Plus files

*.c6; *.cfl; *.ci;

Sony Spectral Data

*.sraw and *.fcs

Cytek Spectral Data

*.fcs

Miltenyi MacsQuant files

*.mqd

Nexcelom Cellometer® Vision

*.nxdat (only numerical data)

Thermofisher Attune

*.tmo

Plate-based

BD AccuriTM C6 / C6 Plus Plate files

*.c6; *.ci;

FCS Plate folders*

FCS Plate Folder (folder directory - see below*)

Importers

BD FACSDivaTM Experiment files

*.xml

BD AccuriTM C6 file

*.c6

 

* The FCS Plate Folder format allows users to load individual .FCS files derived from plate based experiments:

oBio-Rad ZE5 and YETI

oBD instruments with HTS add-on

oGuava

oCoulter Quanta

oSony

oBD Accuri

oMACSQuant

 

Plate based data files may be used in conjunction with the High Content Heat Map add-on.

 

 

Image Cytometry Formats

 

FCS Express Image Cytometry allows access to images, numeric analysis results, and image segmentation masks from various instruments and image analysis tools.

In some cases import compatibility with a single image analysis packages enables compatibility with many image formats (e.g. CellProfiler using Bio-Formats). In other cases, direct import of analysis results or links to imaging databases have been developed with specific vendors.

 

File Type

Product Name

File format

Images

Numeric Data

Data Base Link

 

Sample-based

CellProfiler

*.cpout

Y

Y

NA

Chemometec

*.acs

Y

Y

NA

ImageJ files

*.ijout

Y

Y

NA

Amnis® IDEAS® Software

*.daf and *.fcs

Y

Y

NA

Countstar

*.ice

Y

Y

NA

Nexcelom Cellometer® Vision

*.nxdat or *.ice

Y

Y

NA

Perkin Elmer Vectra® / InForm Software

*.tif /*.txt

Y

Y

NA

Thermo ScientificTM Attune CytPix

*.acs

Y

Y

NA

TissueGnostics

*.ice

Y

Y

NA

 

Plate-based

Thermo ScientificTM HCS StudioTM 2.0 Software

*.ice

Y

Y

NA

YokogawaTM CQ1

*.ice

Y

Y

NA

Perkin Elmer® - Opera®, Operetta®, Acapella®, Harmony®, ColumbusTM

PerkinElmer® Acapella® Folder

Y

Y

Y - ColumbusTM

 

 

Other file formats

 

FCS Express 7 supports loading data stored as Comma Delimited files in the format of (*.csv). Please refer to the Importing External Documents and File Types chapter of this manual for further information.

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