Chapter I
– The BAX® System X5 Instrument
BAX® System X5 User Guide
13
Instrument Maintenance
The BAX® System X5 instrument does not require any regular maintenance procedures. If desired, basic cleaning
and upkeep can be performed by following the instructions below.
Check the area around the BAX® System X5 instrument to ensure that the air flow is unrestricted.
Cleaning the Instrument Casing
Remove dust and debris by wiping the instrument surfaces with a lint-free cloth. If needed, the casing can be wiped
off with a damp cloth using mild soap or common disinfectants, such as 70% ethanol. Do not use cleansers
containing iodine or acetone.
Cleaning the Sample Wells
1. Use a lint-free swab soaked in 70% ethanol to gently clean the inside of the wells.
2. Dry the wells with a lint-free cloth of dry swab and remove small particles with an air duster.
Instrument Decontamination
When samples undergo PCR, the amplification process produces billions of copies of a specific DNA sequence from
the targeted bacteria. If tubes are then unsealed, these copies can travel throughout the lab via aerosols, liquids and
surface contact.
The BAX® System avoids this problem by processing only sealed tubes. However, as with any PCR technology, the
risk of contamination cannot be completely eliminated. If the tubes are not properly sealed or are inadvertently
opened after amplification, contamination of the lab should be assumed and care should be taken to minimize
aerosols.
Follow these procedures to remove known amplicon contamination or as instructed by Diagnostics Support.
Decontaminating Sample Wells
1. Dilute a commercially available 5% bleach solution with pure water to create a 1% sodium hypochlorite
solution.
2. Use a lint-free swab moistened with 1% sodium hypochlorite solution to thoroughly wet each sample well.
3. Let the solution sit in the sample wells for 10 minutes.
4. Use a lint-free swab moistened in pure water to wipe each sample well. Be sure to remove the sodium
hypochlorite solution completely.
5. Wipe each sample well with a lint-free swab soaked in 70% ethanol.
6. Dry the wells and remove small particles with an air duster.
