Chapter 2: Setting Up the Instrument
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4. Hold the new filter by its edges and gently place it in the slot. Excitation and emission
filters are different sizes to prevent installation on the wrong type of filter slide.
Note:
Some excitation filters have a heat reflecting coating on one side that must
face the light source. An arrow printed on the filter ring indicates the correct
direction of light flow through the filter.
To install this type of filter, hold the excitation filter slide vertically by the tab with
the gear teeth on top, facing to the left of the instrument. Place the filter in the
slot with the arrow pointing from left to right.
When you install a filter in a slot that houses a polarization filter, use tweezers to gently
slide the polarization filter back in position over the filter.
5. Use the 1.5 mm hex key to gently tighten the hex screw until the filter is secured to the
filter slide.
CAUTION!
Do not over tighten the screw. Over tightening can damage the filter
and degrade measurement performance.
6. When a new filter changes the slide configuration, note the following information to edit
the slide definition in the SoftMax Pro Software before you use the slide in
measurements:
The wavelength and type of filter. Both are printed on the filter.
The slot where you installed the filter. The slot closest to the slider tab is slot 1, and
the slot furthest away is slot 6.
The filter slide identification number printed on the slide.
7. Update or create the slide configuration in the SoftMax Pro Software. See the
SoftMax
Pro Data Acquisition and Analysis Software User Guide
or the application help.
Note:
You need to modify the slide configuration in the software when the software
does not recognize the slide and when you change the filters installed on the slide.
Removing and Installing Polarization Filters
Note:
Slides that house polarization filters are designed for use with the FilterMax F5
instrument only.
The acetate polarization filters you use for Fluorescence Polarization reads slide into place
over the excitation and emission filters. Acetate filters are fragile and you must use tweezers
to handle them with care. Only experienced users should change polarization filters.
To help ensure that you install polarization filters with the polarization axes oriented
correctly, filter positions on the slide are grouped in pairs. The positions in a pair have
different height and width dimensions. You can only install a polarization filter with the same
dimensions as the desired position in that position. This prevents you from installing two
filters with the same polarization axis next to each other.
