Bio-Rad EXQuest Spot Cutter - Manual (Page 73)

10.0 MAINTENANCE
10.1 ROUTINE MAINTENANCE
• The gel tray should be cleaned after use with a damp nonabrasive cloth. Mild detergents may be
used. Do not use any harsh solvents or cleaners.
• The gel tip should be inspected prior to use. Both the gel and membrane cutting tips are made of
high-quality 303/304/316 stainless steel. If properly maintained, these cutting tips will retain their
cutting ability through repeated use. Replacement is needed if the cutting tips have been bent or
damaged in any way. If the cutting tip has jammed against any solid object, it should be inspected
and replaced if necessary. After each use, the gel tip should be washed with methanol or ethanol.
• At least monthly, inspect the wash station filter for the presence of gel plugs and clean it if
necessary. The wash station filter is cleaned by unlatching the coiled tubing, open it by rotating the
two halfs in counter clockwise direction and separating each half opening it up, removing the metal
screen and rinsing the assembly under water and then reassembling it.
• The outside of the spot cutter may be cleaned with water or mild detergent. A paper towel wetted
with ethanol may be used to wipe stains off the outside of the spot cutter, however the excess
ethanol should be wiped off immediately with a dry paper towel.
• The transilluminator should be cleaned routinely with a paper towel wetted with water or a mild
detergent to remove all particulates that may interfere with the camera image.
10.2 UV LIGHT REPLACEMENT
The UV EPI lamp should typically be replaced once a year depending on its level of use. To monitor the
lamp life, open the UV lamp log file SC_UVLightLog.txt in the directory "Documents and Settings\All
Users\Application Data\The Discovery Series\install.prm". If the UV light intensity has dropped in half from
the initial log entry, the UV EPI lamps should be replaced as described below. After installing the new lamps,
delete or move the file SC_UVLightLog.txt so a new log file can be created.
The two fluorescent UV light fixtures are located above the cutting deck and each contains two fluorescent
bulbs (See Accessories, Section 9 for ordering information). All four fluorescent tubes must be replaced at
the same time. To replace:
1. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the three screws from the front of the EPI lamp housing.
Figure 10-1. UV EPI lamp
2. Pull the UV EPI lamp end cap toward the front of the spot cutter to remove the lamp assembly.
MAINTENANCE
10-1