Inspections & Preventive examinations

Do you want to be sure your instrument will not let you down when you least expect it?

We do suggest regular inspections of your ABI sequencer or Real-Time PCR cycler.

 Instrument inspection order 

 

In order to ensure trouble-free operation of your instrument, we offer regular inspections aimed at verifying the current status of the instrument, functionality of the system and its components, including control units (computers), cleaning, adjustment, and calibration, if necessary.

 

The inspections include the following (the list is not complete):

 

DNA sequencers
  • Verification of the instrument and software configuration
  • Check of the functionality of the instrument moving parts and all subsystems
    • Polymer pump
    • Autosampler
    • Electrophoresis power supply
    • Oven
    • Low voltage power supplies
    • Laser power subsystem
    • Optics
    • Detection subsystem (CCD)
    • Cleaning / flushing
  • Cleaning of the instrument interior
    • Cleaning of the autosampler
    • Flushing of the polymer pump and block
    • Cleaning of the optical system without the need of performing new spectral calibrations
  • Service Protocol - After the inspection, a service protocol is issued containing all measured parameters and noting any defects discovered
Real-Time PCR instruments
  • Verification of the instrument and software configuration
  • Inspection of all instrument subsystems
    • Low voltage power supplies
    • Optics
    • Detection subsystem (CCD)
    • TC check (temp verification, ramp rates for cooling & heating, sample block uniformity)
  • Cleaning / maintenance
    • Cleaning of the instrument interior
  • Service Protocol - After the inspection, a service protocol is issued containing all measured parameters and noting any defects discovered

 

We recommend to carry out the instrument inspection (preventive examinations) according to the needs of the laboratory or based on the requirements of your SOP, at least once a year.

 

 

 

IPV – Instrument performance verification

We will verify, after the regular inspection visit, repair or simply ad hoc, that your instruments comply with their functional specifications. This not only means that they are in good technical condition, but that they provide results that you reasonably expect and require and that may not always be achieved due to the consumables and reagents used. The tests are carried out according to the standards prescribed by the manufacturer.

This test is to answer the following and similar questions:

  • Does the sample behave the same in all the capillaries of my sequencer or in all wells of the Real-Time PCR cycler?
  • Is the intensity of the measured signal always and everywhere the same, and if not, how much does it differ? In other words, does the sample detection sensitivity depend on the sample position?
  • What is the variability of the results? Does the standard deviation of the mean size of the detected allelic peaks in all capillaries of my sequencer comply with the specifications? Does my Real-Time PCR instrument reliably distinguish samples with the numbers of template copies that differ twice or less?

Reliability check of your instruments using installation standards is to guarantee results that you reasonably expect and require.

 

The instrument performance verification (IPV) includes the following (the list is not complete):

 

DNA sequencers

  • Instrument calibration (spatial and spectral calibration for dye sets as needed)
  • General functional test carried out to verify that the instrument can distinguish peaks detected at a confidence level of 99.7% (resolution - size separation), verification of the detected peak height (detection sensitivity), verification of the length of reading (LOR)
  • Protocol - After IPV, a protocol is issued for the customer containing all parameters, including any defects discovered

Real-Time PCR instruments

  • Check of the optical system, calibrations if necessary
  • TC check (temp verification, ramp rates for cooling & heating, sample block uniformity)
  • General functional test carried out to verify that the device can distinguish samples with templates the concentration of which differs twice (or within the specifications of the manufacturer) at the confidence level of 99.7%
  • Protocol - After IPV, a protocol is issued for the customer containing all parameters, including any defects discovered

 

 

 

 Instrument inspection order 

 

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