98 | Chapter 3: Operation
Optimize Performance
Here are some guidelines to ensure optimal performance and to prevent problems.
Keep the devices clean and the tubing wet
The most critical factor for ensuring optimal performance is to adhere to the
Recommended Maintenance Schedule on page 176. Enable AutoPrime to keep tubes
from clogging.
Prime the tubing to remove air bubbles
l See Recommended prime volumes for the Peri-pump on the facing page
l See Recommended prime volumes for the Syringe dispensers on page 101
l See Recommended prime volumes for the Strip Washer on the facing page
Best Practices for all MultiFlo FX Devices
l Fill the supply bottles with sufficient fluid.
l Make sure the bottles, solutions, and tubing are clean and do not contain any particles or
mold. Solutions that are recycled over several days will grow algae, bacteria, molds, or
other undesirable organisms.
l Prime before dispensing. Priming the tubing is the most critical factor in assuring optimal
performance.
l Check the external tubing connections for kinks and clogs.
l Put microplates on the carrier with well A1 in the left rear corner as you face the
instrument, and firmly seat the plate in the carrier.
l To more quickly dispense to 384- and 1536-well plates, use the Instrument Utilities to
change the Dispense Pattern to Row. If precision is more important than speed, keep
the pattern set to Column.
Before using the Peri-pump
l See Release the tension on the dispense cassette on page 154.
l For top performance and to preserve precious fluids, Purge the fluid at the end of a
dispense run and Prime the tubing before dispensing. The tubing is permeable to air.
When 20 minutes or more have elapsed between dispenses, or less than 20 minutes
when using 1 µL cassettes, it is important to thoroughly prime the tubing before
dispensing.
l Use the priming trough insert to capture expensive reagents for reuse. The Peri-
pump’s insert can hold up to 12 mL.
l Filter the dispense fluid to 50 microns before dispensing with the 1 µL cassettes. The
dispense tips are very small. Filtering the fluid helps prevent clogging.
MultiFlo™ FX Multi-Mode Dispenser
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