Bio-Rad PDQuest 2-D Analysis Software - Manual (Page 26)

2.14 Wash Well Position Calibration
The wash wells are an optional item in the sequence of spot cutting. If they are checked in the
software screen for use, the spot cutter will cut the target, move to the microtiter plate, deposit,
then go to the designated wash tube, lower, spin, eject, and raise up again, then move to the
next wash station or back to the target. This option provides additional methods to prevent any
sample contamination. The wells are designed to accommodate a 1.5 ml capless micro test tube,
such as the Bio-Rad catalog number 223-9500.
• Click "spot cutter settings" icon in setup area of the "Basic Excision Tool" dialog box.
• To calibrate the wash well position, place the cursor in either the x or y position box under
"wash well position" and press the Enter key on the keyboard. This will move the cutting
tip to the first wash well position without lowering the cutting tip into the well, to prevent
potential damage to the cutting tip in cases of severe misalignment. DO NOT use the
"Test" button until tip is centered.
• Visibly assess where the cutting tip is in relation to the first wash well (the first wash well is
the top left of the 4 wash wells). The number values in the boxes represent the x, y
coordinates on the cutting platform (1 unit = 1 mm). Change the x, y coordinates to position
the cutting tip to the center of well A1. When entering a new value, press return to move
the cutting tip to the adjusted coordinates. To move the cutting tip towards the front of the
platform, decrease the Y value; to move towards the back of the platform, increase the Y
value. In order to move the cutting tip to the right, increase the X value; to move to the
left, decrease the X value. The up/down and right/left arrow keys are used for fine adjust-
ments of the x, y coordinates (one click = 0.1 mm)
• When the cutting tip is centered over the well, click the "Test" button to assess the
clearance into the wash well. The tip will move to position 1 and 4. Once the tip is set to
the first wash well, the interwell dimensions are already in the software, so the tip is
calibrated for all four wash wells. Press the "Done" button to save the calibration changes.
Note: ProteomeWorks Fluorescent Enclosure Option
If you are installing the Fluorescent Enclosure with the spot cutter, this is the point in the procedure
that is best to add the enclosure. The following imaging steps are best performed with the
Enclosure installed on the spot cutter. If you are not adding the Enclosure, skip to Section 3.
2.15 Fluorescent Enclosure Setup
To unpack the Fluorescent Enclosure:
1. Remove any external tape or banding and lift the outer box off the top of the packing
base.
2. Remove the foam packaging from the top of the Enclosure.
3. Lift the inner packing sleeve off the Enclosure. The Enclosure should now be exposed but
still resting on the base foam.
4. Lift the Enclosure straight up off the foam base. Set it on the bench or floor.
5. Unpack the two boxes remaining in the base packaging material. The larger box contains
the UV-B light assemblies, and the smaller box contains the bandpass filter kit.
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