6
Sample collection and preparation
Sample material, collection and volume
Sample
material
Sample
volume
Sample collection
Fingertip whole
blood
20 μl
Prick the clean and dry finger with a lancet and discard the first drop.
Wipe the finger and collect 20 μl of blood from the second drop in
a capillary.
Anticoagulated
whole blood
20 μl
Whole blood collected in a tube containing heparin or EDTA can be
used. Mix the whole blood by inverting the tube several times and
take 20 µl with a capillary or pipette.
Plasma
20 μl
or
12 μl *
Whole blood collected in a tube containing heparin or EDTA can be
used. Avoid haemolysed samples. Mild haemolysis in samples will
not affect the test results.
Serum
20 μl
or
12 μl *
Avoid haemolysed samples. Mild haemolysis in samples will not
affect the test results.
*If you want to use sample volume 12 μl in order to have a wider measurement
range, you have to change the settings of the QuikRead go instrument. Please see Instrument
manual:
Settings
→
Measurement flow
→
Test parameters.
Sample dilution
Whole blood
Do not dilute whole blood samples.
Plasma/serum
Plasma or serum samples may be diluted with a 0.9% NaCl
solution before adding the samples to the cuvettes.
Dilution ratio is 1+3 (1 part of volume 3 parts of volume 0.9% NaCl).
Take 20 µl of the diluted sample into a cuvette,
analyse the sample and multiply the result by 4.
Sample storage
Sample material
Short-term storage
Long-term storage
Fingertip
whole blood
Not more than 15 minutes
in the heparinised capillary
Do not store
Anticoagulated
whole blood
2...8°C for 3 days
Separate plasma and
store below –20°C
Plasma
2...8°C for 7 days
Below –20°C
Serum
2...8°C for 7 days
Below –20°C
Sample (whole blood,
plasma, serum) in buffer
18…25°C for 2 hours
Do not store
Allow the samples to reach room temperature (18...25ºC) before testing. Frozen samples
must be thawed completely, mixed thoroughly and brought to room temperature prior to
testing. If the thawed plasma samples contain clots the samples shall be centrifuged.
Samples should not be repeatedly frozen and thawed.
7
Procedure
Materials required but not supplied
Material
Cat. No.
QuikRead go
®
Instrument
Capillaries (20 μl) 50 pcs
Plungers 50 pcs
QuikRead CRP Control
QuikRead go CRP Control High
Fingertip lancets
133893
67962
67966
68296
137071
Supplied with 135171
Supplied with 135171
Recommended for quality control
Recommended for quality control
Assay procedure
Discard the foil pouch of the cuvette rack and mark the opening date on the rack.
Sample collection (Fig. 1–5)
Glass capillaries (20 μl) and plungers are recommended for adding the sample into a
prefilled cuvette. Capillaries (Cat. No. 67962) and plungers (Cat. No. 67966) can be
purchased separately, whereas the QuikRead go CRP kit (Cat. No. 135171) contains them
already.
1
A prefilled cuvette must reach room temperature (18...25ºC) before use. This will take 15
minutes for an individual refrigerated (2...8ºC) prefilled cuvette. Do not touch the clear
flat surfaces in the lower part of the cuvette (the optical part). Remove the foil cover
from the cuvette. Beware of splashing the liquid. Condensed buffer on the foil cover has
no effect on results. The test must be performed within two (2) hours from opening the
cuvette. The liquid surface should lie between the two lines marked on the cuvette.
2
Insert the plunger into the capillary at the end with the blue stripe.
3
Fill the capillary with the sample up to the white stopper. Ensure that there are no air
bubbles in the capillary. Use a soft tissue to wipe away any residual sample from the
outside of the capillary.
4
Place the sample capillary into the buffer solution in the cuvette and dispense by
pressing down the plunger. Make sure that the capillary is completely empty.
5
Close the cuvette tightly with a CRP reagent cap. Do not press down the blue inner part
of the cap. Once the sample is added to the buffer, it may be held for up to two (2) hours
prior to running the assay. Keep the cuvette in an upright position, do not shake.
Analysing the sample (Fig. 6–8)
See the QuikRead go Instrument manual for detailed instructions. The display guides you
in performing the test.
6
Choose
Measure
on the display of the QuikRead go instrument.
7
Insert the cuvette in the measurement well of the instrument. The bar code should be
facing you as shown in the Figure 7. The instrument recognises the sample type. The
display shows how the measurement is proceeding. First the instrument measures the
sample blank. After that the instrument measures the CRP concentration within one
minute.
8
When the measurement has been completed, the result will be shown in the display and
the cuvette will rise up from the measurement well automatically.
Analysing the control (Fig. 7–8)
Please see the instructions for use provided with each control vial. Analyse control samples
as patient samples but choose
Quality Control
on the display of the QuikRead go instrument
(Figures 7–8). The result will be stored as the control measurement.
8
Quality control
Regular use of QuikRead CRP Control (Cat. No. 68296) and/or QuikRead go CRP Control
High (Cat. No. 137071) is recommended.
QuikRead CRP Controls:
QuikRead CRP Control and QuikRead go CRP Control High are
ready-to-use.
The control value has been determined for the QuikRead go instrument with
the same instructions for use as for plasma/serum samples. The sample volume is 20 μl.
If you want to use sample volume 12 µl, you have to change the setting of the QuikRead
go instrument. See Instrument manual:
Settings
→
Measurement flow
→
Test parameters.