Abbott i-STAT 1, System Manual

Page: 233 / 658

7 Art: 723270-00A Rev. Date: 20-Apr-12
ampule to room temperature for 4 hours prior to use. If P O
2
is not being measured,
equilibrate the ampule for approximately 30 minutes at room temperature.
Procedure
STEP ACTION
1 Access the Cal Ver option under Quality Tests in the
Administration Menu. Enter the required information. The
handheld allows 15 minutes (or the customized timeout) to
insert the cartridge after the last data entry.
2 Immediately before use, shake the ampule vigorously for 5 to
10 seconds to equilibrate the liquid and gas phases.
To shake, hold the ampule at the tip and bottom with forefinger
and thumb to minimize increasing the temperature of the
solution. If necessary, tap the tip of the ampule to send
solution back into the bottom section of the ampule.
3 Protect fingers with gauze, tissue or glove, or use an ampule
breaker to snap off the tip of the ampule at the neck.
4 Immediately transfer the solution from the ampule into a
capillary tube or syringe, and then immediately transfer the
solution into a cartridge.
5 Immediately seal the cartridge and insert it into a handheld – it
is important not to expose the solution to room air since this
will alter the results.
Note:
Since aqueous based solutions such as control
materials lack the buffering capability of whole blood,
the transfer process from ampule to cartridge must be
more expedient than with a patient sample.
Transfer with Capillary Tube
Plain capillary tubes are recommended to transfer an aqueous calibration verification
solution from the ampule to the cartridge. When using a capillary tube (fresh capillary
tubes with sufficient fill capacity are recommended), fill from the bottom of the ampule
to avoid drawing air into the capillary tube. Avoid drawing solution from the surface by
placing a finger over the far end of the tube as it is inserted into the ampule. Once the
open end of the tube rests at the bottom of the ampule, uncover the other end to allow
filling by capillary action.
Transfer with Syringe
Plain syringes (fresh 1cc or 3cc sterile syringe with 16 – 20 gauge needles) are
recommended to transfer aqueous calibration verification solutions from the ampule to
the cartridge. When using a syringe, slowly draw approximately 1mL of solution from
the bottom of the ampule.