3Brain BioCAM X, Руководство пользователя

Страница: 18 / 45

18
Cleaning procedure for BioChips
Normal cleaning
It is a good practice to clean the BioChips immediately after the experimental recordings both for cell
cultures as well as brain tissues. First, rinse abundantly the BioChips with Double Deionized Water
(DDW), then fill the chambers with a detergent as WPI-Enzol (WPI) or Terg-A-zyme (Alconox) and gently
pipette for few seconds. Leave the detergent for few minutes (typically 3-5 min) and then pipette again.
After the use of detergent, rinse the BioChips abundantly with DDW, then leave the chamber filled with
DDW for 1-2 minutes and repeat this operation 3-4 times in order to assure to wash out completely the
detergent.
Intense cleaning
In case the chips are very dirty, users can mechanically remove cellular debris with a soft brush. Be
aware that this operation can damage the sensing area of the chip, so it is suggested only if, after a
normal cleaning procedure, the chips still present dirtiness and in any case it has to be performed very
mildly and carefully.
Finishing and storage
Biochips can be dried by using a gentle flux of Nitrogen air (do not directly expose the recording area to
the flux to avoid potential electrode damages). Alternatively let the BioChips dry on a bench by covering
them with a plastic petri dish to avoid dust deposition on the recording area.
The Biochips area out of the chamber can be cleaned with a tissue soaked in ethanol 96%. It’ a good
practice to manipulate chips always wearing gloves.
Once the BioChips are dried they should be stored in a closed box in order to protect them from dust
and dirtiness.
As a general rule, avoid sterilizing or using ethanol in the BioChip chamber without having preventively
cleaned the chip from cellular debris of previous experiments. Alcohol can fix biological materials on the
recording area of the chips, resulting in a degeneration of the signal recording performances.