Bio-Rad Personal Molecular Imager™ (PMI™) System - Manual (Page 25)

5.2 Care for PMI Accessories
5.2.1 General Care of Imaging Screens
Utmost care should be taken to ensure that the protective plastic covering over the phosphor
matrix is not damaged. The phosphor crystals are hygroscopic and any holes, nicks, or
punctures in this environmental barrier will eventually cause damage to the phosphor and
render that portion of the screen unusable. For the same reason, the imaging screen
should never be directly exposed to wet gels or chemicals. Use some water-impermeable
media between a wet sample and the phosphor screen (e.g. Saran wrap).
Never expose the screen to acids, acid vapors or other organic solvents.
Never bend the screen as this may damage the phosphor matrix.
5.2.2 Radioactive Contamination Check
If you suspect that a storage phosphor screen has been contaminated, follow the procedure
outlined below to confirm this.
1. Clean (see Section 5.2.3) and erase the screen to background levels.
2. Check for complete screen erasure by scanning at 800 µm.
3. Place the screen in a dark area such as a lab drawer for 6 to 24 hours.
4. Rescan the screen at 800 µm.
5. Use Quantity One software to check the screen background counts. If no areas of high
signal (hot spots) are detected, erase the screen and use.
Any contamination will be visible as a localized region of high signal over background (hot
spots). If there is contamination, clean the screen as described below and clean the grid of
the exposure unit. Screen contamination can be minimized by using plastic wrap as a
physical barrier to separate the phosphor screen from the radioactive sample.
5.2.3 Cleaning Imaging Screens
If contaminated, the screens should be cleaned to remove any radioactive contamination,
sample residue or dust.
Caution: Do not use powder detergents to clean the screen as undissolved particles may
damage the screens coating.
Cleaning Protocol for Imaging Screen-K
1. Handle the screen only by the edges. Avoid touching the coating with anything sharp,
such as fingernails. The screen is coated with a thin layer of plastic and scratching this
protective layer could damage the screen, making that area unusable.
2. Apply a small amount of cleaner to a soft, lint-free-cloth and gently wipe the screen. It is
recommended to use Kodak Intensifying Screen cleaner and Antistatic Solution
(catalog #1064930 from Kodak).
3. With a dry section of the cloth, gently wipe the screen to remove any excess moisture.
If the screen had radioactive contamination, properly discard the radioactive cloth.
4. Erase the screen to background before use.
5. Repeat the contamination check above.
21
!