Instruction Manual – 17
10. Pipettor Maintenance
Depending on the applications and intensity of use,
the pipettor requires periodic maintenance. The
components exposed to corrosive vapors, such as shaft
elements, should be regularly checked and cleaned.
Do not use sharp tools for pipettor maintenance.
It may cause damage to the device and affect the user’s
safety.
Cleaning
External surfaces of the pipettor such as the pushbutton,
ejector pushbutton, handgrip, shaft nut, and adjustment
knob may be cleaned using a cloth dampened in isopropyl
alcohol. The remaining parts removed from the pipettor
during pipettor disassembly may be washed with distilled
water or isopropyl alcohol.
NOTE:
Before using cleaning agents other than those
recommended by the manufacturer, check the compatibility
charts and consider chemical resistance of the following
plastics which form components of the pipettor: PP, PC,
POM, PA, PPS, PVDF.
Sterilization
Sterilization using an autoclave
The pipettor can be sterilized in an autoclave at 121°C
for 20 minutes. Sterilization under other conditions may
cause damage to the pipettor. It is recommended to:
• Unscrew the shaft nut slightly in the P3960-2A
to P3960-1000A pipettors, and unscrew the shaft
slightly in the P3960-5000A and P3960-10000A. After
autoclaving these parts should be screwed tight again.
• Sterilize the pipettors using an autoclave with an initial
vacuum and drying cycle.
• After sterilization, the pipettor should be dried and
cooled to room temperature.
• The shaft of the P3960-5000A and P3960-10000A
models should be autoclaved without the filter.
Precision and accuracy should not alter if the pipetting
processes including autoclaving are carried out as
described in this manual. If a change in accuracy occurs,
it is recommended to:
•
Check the calibration of the pipettor after the first,
third, and fifth autoclaving cycles and then after every
10 autoclaving cycles.