68 | Chapter 4: Preventive Maintenance
Cleaning the Optical Probes
The optical probes should be cleaned at least quarterly. They should also be cleaned
if reagent has spilled and/or if an unusually high background signal has been
flagged by the assay controls (typically blanks or negative controls).
Contaminated probes can lead to a loss of sensitivity (e.g., instead of being able to
meet the 10 pg/mL concentration detection limit, the instrument may only be able
to meet 20 pg/mL). Another indicator is the %CV in the Corners liquid test—it
may increase due to the “Noise” in the chamber from any spilled fluorescing
compounds.
• To access the optical probes, the first step is to unplug the reader and
remove its shroud (cover). If you haven’t already done this, turn to page 62
now for instructions.
• We recommend cleaning the internal tubes and injector heads along with
the optical probes. Instructions for removing and cleaning these
components are provided on pages 64 through 67.
• Before starting this procedure, gather some supplies:
Small container of isopropyl alcohol
Small container of deionized or distilled water
Lens-cleaning tissue
Cotton swabs
BioTek Instruments, Inc.
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