Thermo Scientific mDrop, Руководство пользователя

Страница: 16 / 30

2
Low-volume measurements with SkanIt Software
Placing the samples
10 Thermo Scientific μDrop and μDrop Duo Plates User Manual Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Sample specific blanks
• Previously made blanks
Placing the samples
Before starting the measurement, make sure that the μDrop or μDrop Duo Plate is clean after the
previous measurement. For instructions, refer to
“Cleaning the μDrop and μDrop Duo Plates” on
page 19 .
The samples are pipetted to the sample area using either a single or a multichannel pipette. The sample
volume must be between 2 and 10 μl, 4 μl recommended.
Possible air bubbles present in the liquid can cause severe errors to the results. It is particularly
important to follow good pipetting practices. The use of an 8-channel pipette is recommended. The
reverse pipetting technique is strongly recommended to avoid bubbles.
Because of the very small sample volumes, evaporation is an important issue concerning the reliability
of the result. Therefore, it is important to pipette the samples into the small wells as fast as possible and
perform the measurement as soon as possible after pipetting, especially when using a single pipette.
With smaller sample volumes, a larger evaporation effect can be observed due to changes in
concentration.
1. Open the lid covering the dotted sample area (see Figure 2 on page 3 and Figure 4 on page 4 ).
2. Pipette the samples into the small wells. You can simultaneously measure a maximum of 16 or 32
samples when using the μDrop or μDrop Duo Plate, respectively.
3. Carefully close the lid.
4. Check that each well contains an evenly distributed sample and that there are no visible air bubbles
or superfluous particles present.
5. Tilt the μDrop and μDrop Duo Plates shortly upwards to remove possibly remaining air bubbles.
Cleaning
Clean the low-volume area after each measurement. A dry silicon-free lens tissue or soft cloth can be
used to wipe down the samples.
For cleaning instructions, refer to “Cleaning the μDrop and μDrop Duo Plates” on page 19 .
Cleaning verification
The cleanliness of the μDrop or μDrop Duo Plate can be verified by a simple measurement using
distilled deionized laboratory water.
1. Pipette at least 2 μl of distilled deionized laboratory water into each well. Check that there are no
air bubbles in the sample.
2. Measure the absorbance in each well with the daily routine measurement wavelength.