88
iQue
®
Screener PLUS Hardware Manual: Part Number 11811 Rev A, Maintenance: Clog Prevention and Management
Clog Prevention
Obviously, it is much better to prevent clogs in the first place. There are several parts to clog prevention.
The Instrument
•
Keeping your instrument in good working condition is the first step in clog prevention. This involves:
•
Proper system startup and shutdown;
•
Proper daily, weekly and monthly cleaning and maintenance;
•
Running Daily QC to monitor instrument performance.
The Sample
Having a properly prepared sample at the proper target concentration is the next step in clog prevention. For rapid
sampling using common suspension cell lines, IntelliCyt recommends a final cell concentration of between
1-3 x10
6
cells/mL
. Use of higher cell densities may clog the instrument.
Certain sample types are prone to aggregation so it may be necessary to include small amounts of an additive, such
a QSol buffer concentrate or cell detachment reagent, in the sample buffer to minimize this effect.
The Buffer
Insufficient or improper buffering is the leading cause of probe and tubing clogs. It is essential to use either
IntelliCyt’s original Buffer (PBS + .1% BSA) or IntelliCyt’s new and improved QSol buffer in the Buffer station. Other
solutions, such as water or pure PBS, do not properly coat the probe and tubing and are not effective at preventing
aggregation and clogging.
The Protocol
Adding rinse steps during the plate run is the last technique for preventing clogs. To configure an on-plate rinse,
switch to the Protocol tab in ForeCyt
®
and check the
Enable Mid-Plate Clean
checkbox in the Clean box and set the
frequency.
