MicroCal VP-ITC - Page 6

VP-ITC MicroCalorimeter User’s Manual
Operators Safety
! The points below are intended to enhance your safety awareness and to draw your attention to risks
which only you, the operator, can prevent. MicroCal has set high standards for ourselves in
developing and constructing the VP-ITC. Each unit constructed is fully tested to operational and
safety standards. It should be noted that no amount of design or constructed safeguards can anticipate
or prevent improper handling. It is intended that this instrument be operated only by responsible
people trained in basic laboratory protocol in procedures and safety techniques. This product is
intended to operate from a power source that does not apply more than 260 V rms between the
supply conductors or between either supply conductor and ground. A protective ground
connection, by way of the grounding conductor in the power cord, is essential for safe operation
! To avoid any hazard, use only a fuse of the correct type, voltage rating and current rating as
specified on the back of the VP-ITC. This is a 1 Amp 250 Volt Time-lag (Time Delay) fuse.
! Repairs, alterations or modifications must only be carried out by specialist personnel. The
MicroCal Service Department will be happy to serve you for any repair work or operational
questions.
! This device is not designed to the Medical Devices Directive 93/42/EEC and should not be used
for medical purposes and/or in the diagnosis of patients.
! When using volatile or hazardous solutions in the cells, the operator should always follow proper
laboratory procedures in handling (e.g. wear safety glasses and protective clothing) and
disposing of such materials and allow the internal cells to cool down to room temperature before
removing any solutions from the cells.
! All solutions in the cells must be cooled down below 50 ºC before removing from the cells to
prevent the glass syringes from breaking due to the hot liquids.
Product Safety
We have used all means to design and produce the VP-ITC to prevent any damage to the instrument during
normal usage. The instrument is solidly built using the latest in micro-technology in its components and
design, but of course, this cannot prevent damage due to physical mistreatment. The attentiveness of the
operator to the identification of materials which could corrode the Hastelloy® Alloy C-276 cells, the
prevention of freezing solutions in the cells and the responsible handling and usage of the instrument
should ensure a long service life for the VP-ITC.
! The VP-ITC cells are constructed out of Hastelloy
®
C-276. Hastelloy is extremely resistant to
corrosion by strong bases, but strong acids should be avoided. Please refer to the accompanying
booklet “Hastelloy
®
Alloy C-276” for further information.
! The freezing of solutions in filled cells will cause irreparable damage to the cells due to the
expansion of the solution in the cells.
! When moving the VP-ITC the instrument should always be in its normal operating or its vertical
position. The instrument should never be moved in a sideways position, due to the nature of the
crystal detectors used for the instruments thermal sensing, which are strong in a compression
mode but weak when subjected to shear stresses.
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