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Section 5: Preventative Maintenance and Safety
5.4 Cleaning the Stainer and Carousels
WARNING!
All cleaning procedures should be performed in a well-ventilated room by authorized and trained
personnel wearing appropriate protection equipment.
1. Clean the outside of the instrument with 70 to 100% ethanol or methanol or SS-029 nozzle cleaning
solution.
2. Clean the carousel and lid with 70 to 100% ethanol or methanol or SS-029 nozzle cleaning solution.
NOTE:
Freshly prepared (< 24 hours old) 10% bleach solution can be used as well. The 10% bleach
solution helps clean the stained areas.
Cleaning Liquid Spills
Remove any liquid spilled on the instrument immediately to avoid damage to the instrument.
WARNING!
If potentially infectious liquid is spilled on the instrument, the instrument must be disinfected
in accordance with all applicable local regulations. Refer to Decontaminating the Stainer and
Carousels (below) for instructions.
Cleaning Broken Slides
Take stringent precautions if a slide breaks inside the instrument during a staining cycle, especially if the
instrument has been processing dangerous specimens. Always use protective gloves, safety glasses, and
forceps when removing broken glass from inside the instrument.
• Glass shards embedded in the walls of the bowl can cause serious cuts and pose a risk of infection.
• Always remove embedded shards with a scraper before attempting to remove loose glass.
• Use a vacuum or adhesive tape to pick up loose glass inside the stainer bowl.
Cleaning External Bottle
1. Unscrew the cap and remove the level detect from the external bottle containing the acid alcohol
wash.
2. Pour any remaining reagent from the external bottle into the bowl of the stainer.
3. Open a new SS-051F bottle.
4. Pour approximately 10-15 ml of the new bottle of acid alcohol wash (SS-051F) into the external bottle,
swirl the external bottle, and pour the rinse into the bowl of the stainer.
5. Reposition the cap on the new SS-051F bottle.
