Frequent Hyperion instrument issues?

[gemmaw]

Hello,
I have been optimising a panel for IMC for over a year now, however the Hyperion I have access to malfunctions so often and requires visits from the engineer to fix it, which is really delaying progress on my project. Do other people experience this with their Hyperion? / Is it normal for it to have this many issues? I am not across what the issues are specifically as I don't look after the instrument myself but it seems the issues are different each time. I am just interested to know as a user whether our instrument is particularly prone to problems or whether this is a shared experience.
Thanks so much

[idurei]

We have lots of instrument breakdowns on ours too, unfortunately! Major parts and detector replacements. Weeks/months downtime waiting for service. Since we are paying quite a lot for service, it is very frustrating. That said, I have heard of Hyperions that are running 24/7.. Maybe it varies from instrument to instrument, and we have both just been unlucky with the ones we've gotten. The Core facility staff are spending so much time getting our Helios/Hyperion to run and keep running. It is by far the most untrustworthy piece of machinery we have in our core.

[gemmaw]

Yes I have also heard other machines running 24/7 with little to no issues! Can I ask is your Hyperion frequently switched to solution mode? Some researchers have suggested this may be the cause of many of the issues. Apparently 'Hyperion only' machines have less downtime.

[idurei]

Yes, we are switching between solution and imaging on our unit. But we have separate cones for Hyperion runs. We've also had Hyperion unit specific downtime, which should not be related to switching modes.

[desireeBCRT]

Hi,
we switch Hyperion and Helios mode quite often. We have a CyTOF2 upgraded to Helios and the Hyperion module. We use the same cones for both. We have to change the detector quite often (appr. every 300 hours of IMC ablation time), which is a bit annoying. But otherwise no major problems.
Best
Desiree

[alex123]

Thank you for the transparency in your experience with the mass cytometry systems for flow cytometry and tissue imaging applications. We understand your laboratory is working closely with our field service and support teams to respond, and they are highly committed to helping you realize the value of these technologies. You are correct that leading scientists around the world are running Hyperion systems to conduct translational studies at a very high rate. The number of peer reviewed publications has exceeded 150. However, we also acknowledge that not all users have the same experience, due to a variety of internal and external factors including the global supply chain crisis and pandemic travel restrictions.
I personally would appreciate the opportunity to videoconference or to visit your facility and learn how we can improve our products and services to meet your current and future needs. I will be in touch!

On a side note, Fluidigm is now Standard BioTools Inc. and our mission is to unleash breakthrough tools for human health and our first priority is our customers and quality.

Sincerely, Alex Cherkassky, VP/GM, Cytometry and Tissue Imaging, Standard BioTools