3
Step 3
Place the A/D port loading guide (blue lettering) flat on top
of the sensor cartridge. Orient the port loading guide so the
letter ‘A’ (Figure 3) is in the upper left-hand corner. Use your
fingertips to hold the outside edges of the port loading guide
to stabilize during loading and to prevent pipette tips from
dislodging the port loading guide (Figure 5).
Figure 5
Dispensing Injection Solutions using the port loading guide.
Figure 6. Injection Port Mechanism and Proper Port Loading Techniques- (a)
Cross section of a single XF injection port. Note the open orifice at the bottom of
the port. Injection solutions are retained in the ports via surface tension.
(b)
Pressurized air is used to force the solution from the port during an injection.
(c)
Do
NOT insert pipettes tips fully into the ports if not using a loading guide.
(d)
If using the XF Port Loading Guide, place the pipette tips vertically into the Port Loading
Guide holes as shown.
(e)
If not using the XF Port Loading Guide, then allow the pipette tips to gently touch the inside of the ports, resting the side of the pipette
tips on the port rims.
(f, g)
Acceptable positions of injection solution in port after loading.
(h)
Unacceptable position of injection solution in port after loading.
Figure 4
XFe96 Sensor Cartridge Port designations.
If you are not using a port loading guide, port A is the upper-
left port in each well quadrant (Figure 4).
Step 4
Using a multi-channel pipette, first ensure tips are securely
fitted onto the pipette before pipetting injection solutions.
Position the pipette tips (filled with your injection solutions)
into the desired column in the port loading guide, and orient
the tips at a very slight angle less than 5° (Figures 5 and 6d).
Insert the tips as far as they will go without resistance into the
holes and dispense the injection solutions. Do not force the
tips completely into the holes of the port loading guide
(Figure 6c).
Seahorse
A
C
E
G
B
D
F
H
A
B
C
D
Port designation
for each well
e
f
g
h
a
Injection
Port
Without
Loading
Guide
5º
OR
d
With
Loading
Guide
Injection
Manifold
Injection
Port
Orifice
b
c
Figure 3
Orienting the A/D port loading guide.
1
A
A
C
E
G
B
D
F
H
3
5
7
9
11
2
4
6
8
10
12
1
A
D
C
E
G
B
D
F
H
3
5
7
9
11
2
4
6
8
10
12
When not using a port loading guide, position the pipette tips
as shown in Figure 6e. Do not fully insert the pipet tips into
the port as this may result in accidentally forcing injection
solutions through the port orifice (Figure 6c).
