T o u c h g e n e G r a d i e n t O P E R A T O R ’ S M A N U A L
PAGE 10
Voltage
The units marked 100V will work at any voltage between 90V and 110V.
The units set to 120V will work at any voltage between 110V and 130V.
The units set to 230V will work at any voltage between 210V and 260V.
(See page 14 for setting the voltage.)
However, the performance may not meet the above specification at the extremes of voltage.
Working conditions
The Touchgene Gradient is designed to work safely under the following conditions:
Ambient temperature range
5°C to 40°C
Humidity
Up to 95% relative humidity, non-condensing
Note:
The control specifications are quoted at an ambient temperature of 20°C. The specification
may deteriorate outside an ambient temperature range of 10°C to 30°C.
Radio frequency interference tested and passed to EN50081-1.
Immunity Tested and passed to EN50082-1
Uses of the Touchgene Gradient
The Touchgene Gradient has many scientific laboratory applications, including DNA
sequencing and PCR. Aspects of the PCR process are claimed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,683,195,
4,683,202, and 4,965,188. Use of the Touchgene Gradient in such processes does not convey a licence
to practice the processes themselves.
Tubes or Reaction Vessel
Techne does not recommend any specific tube or reaction vessel other than those described
in this Manual. We recommend using reaction volumes between 10 and 50µl. The tubes must
withstand a pressure of 1 atmosphere at 100°C.
To test your tubes, put 25µl of water in each of 5 tubes and subject them to a typical
thermal cycling protocol. At the end of the cycle, measure the volume remaining, using a micropipet.
A loss of more than 1 or 2µl indicates a vapour leak.
The amount of volume loss you observe and the change in reactant concentrations you can
tolerate determine the minimum volume that can be used. Typical volume losses of 1µl in 30 cycles
allow the use of samples of 10µl or less.
During the final cooldown, a ring of condensation may form above the liquid level but
below the top of the sample block. This is not usually a cause for concern, as the condensation does not
form during cycling.
