FB Artel PCS QC for Pipettes Introduction

FB Artel PCS QC for Pipettes

ISSUED BY: Forensic Biology Manager PUBLISHED DATE: 05/09/2017 VERSION: 2

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Uncontrolled Copy When Printed

Introduction

1. This procedure provides step-by-step instructions for operating the Artel PCS2 for

measuring pipette performance.

2. The PCS2 employs a NIST traceable colorimetric method and a high performance

photometer thus allowing the user to accurately, precisely, and easily measure the

dispensed volume from any pipette (from 0.1 µl to 5000 µl).

3. The volume of liquid delivered is immediately calculated and displayed for each data

point. A PCS Instrument Calibration Report and an Artel Pipette Tracker report are

generated. The reports include such information as pipette ID, Operator ID, time,

date and calibration results.

4. The Artel PCS 2 software utilizes the following reagents kits:

a. PCS Bulk Kit:PCS211

b. PCS Instrument Calibrator: PCS600

c. Micropipette Reagent 0.05 to 1.99:41817

5. This protocol is used for performance checking single channel pipettes.

Safety

1. Personal protection equipment including safety glasses, gloves, face masks, bouffant

caps, and laboratory coats must be worn when conducting this procedure.

2. No open toe or open back shoes are to be worn while conducting this procedure.

3. Make sure the surrounding laboratory bench area and pipettes are clean before and

after use.

4. All pipettes from the Amplification and Allele Detection Room must be

decontaminated with either a 30% bleach solution or a Hype-wipe towel prior to

removal from the Amplification and Allele Detection room.

5. All PCS reagents are non-hazardous aqueous-based solutions.

6. Paper waste must not come in contact with biohazard material if discarded into

garbage containers.

7. Before handling any chemicals, refer to the MSDS provided by the manufacturer, and

observe all relevant precautions.

Adding a Device (Pipette)

Note: If a new pipette is not being added to the calibration proceed to the Artel PCS 2

Instrument Calibration section.

1. Open the Artel Pipette Tracking Software .



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2. From the tool bar select the view work list and view inventory icons (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. View Worklist and View Inventory

3. Select “Set-up” from the tool bar and the select “device” from drop-down menu (see

Figure 2).

Figure 2. Device set up drop down menu

4. Select a Device ID from the list.

5. Find a similar Pipette model and volume from the device list and click copy (see

Figure 3).

Figure 3. Naming Device



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6. After selecting copy, the Device Setup box will appear (See Figure 4).

Figure 4. Device Setup box

7. Change the Device ID to the appropriate pipette name (e.g. A.1.1).

8. Fill in the description (e.g. Ranin Pipette or Gilson Pipetman).

9. Select the appropriate pipette model from the drop down menu.

10. Select Automatic-Calibration with Schedule for calibration mode.

11. Check the Report the Uncertainty in % box.

12. Check the Reschedule at overlapped intervals box.

13. Under the details tab in the Device Setup box enter the following information:

i. Location: location of pipette in lab

ii. Owner: Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

iii. Maintenance Plan: Annual Maintenance



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14. Under the interval tab (see Figure 5):

Figure 5. Interval Tab of Device Setup Box

i. For Method hit select and choose the Control Calibrations method

from the list.

ii. For test plan hit select and choose the test plan to reflect the device

volume and device model from the list then select ok (e.g.). The test

plan contains the tolerance limit for three different volumes as defined

in Table 1.

iii. For the Calibration Interval:

a. Period: 12 months

b. Reminder: 0 days

iv. Update the Calibration dates “Last” box with the current date the

pipette is being calibrated.

v. Select the box for Perform “As Found” Measurement



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Artel PSC 2 Instrument Calibration

1. Turn on the Artel PSC 2 instrument. Access the instrument calibration menu on the

PSC 2 instrument.

2. Scroll through displayed menu by selecting “NO” until the prompt for the “Main

Menu Link to Computer” prompt is displayed on the LED screen. Select Yes. The

“Computer link ready for command” will be displayed.

3. Open the Artel Pipette Tracking Software .

4. In the Artel Pipette Tracking Software Select the view work list icon then the view

inventory icon (Figure 6).

Figure 6. View Worklist and View Inventory

5. From the inventory list select the Artel PCS Photometric Pipette Calibration Standard.

6. Right click the selection and then from the drop down menu select “Calibrate

Selected Device” (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Inventory list with drop-down menu displayed for selection calibrate selected

device

7. The Calibration window will open (Figure 8).



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Figure 8. Calibration window

8. Click Start Run

9. Follow the prompts on the PCS3 intrument LED window.

10. Use the PCS Instrument Calibrator kit containing calibration vials: Cal A Vial –Cal D

Vial. Make sure to use the appropriate pipette tips.

11. Enter the PCS Instrument Calibrator kit calibrator lot code.

12. Wait for the PSC2 instrument to complete the dark reading.

13. The PCS2 LED window will then display instructions to insert the calibrator vials.

14. Insert Cal Avial.

15. When prompted remove Cal vial A. Repeat steps 14 and 15 with Cal B-D vials.

16. The LED window will display a pass or fail status.

17. The Calibration results will populate in the software window (Figure 9.)




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18. Click “End Run” in the software program to print the PCS2 instrument calibration

results. The printed results will be electronically saved to the Sero-DNA drive in the

Pipette Performance Check folder.

19. To print additional reports, choose Select from the tool bar and Report from drop

down list. Choose the report type desired.

20. If the calibration is conducted outside the normal calibration schedule, a window

populates the screen questioning whether the operator wishes to reschedule the device

now. Click “yes” or “no” as appropriate. If Yes is selected, contact customer service

at 888-406-3463 to reschedule device.

21. If the PCS Instrument indicates that it is “out of temperature range” warm the

instrument with a room heater.

22. If the calibration fails contact customer service 888-406-3463 for trouble shooting

Cleaning of the PCS Vials

1. The contents of PCS instrument Calibrator contains 4 vials (A through D).

2. To ensure that accurate and precise results are obtained during PCS instrument

calibration, all vials should be free from fingerprints and smudges prior to placement

in the vial block. Fingerprints and smudges that fall within the optical path will

introduce errors and cause inaccurate readings.

3. To clean the vials wipe with an isopropyl alcohol pad and then dry vial with a Kim

wipe.

Pipette Performance Check

1. Select inventory window (see Figure 6 above).

2. Select a Device from the inventory window. Right click on the selected device and

click on “Calibrate Selected Device” (Figure 10).

Figure 10. Inventory Window with drop dowm menu for claibrating selected device



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3. A calibration window will appear.

4. Select the appropriate PCS bulk kit lot number (e.g.“Artel PCS (6386)”) (Figure 11).


5. Click Start Run

6. The software will indicate the proper reagent range to use under the run tab (Figure

12).

4. Review the green box on the computer screen to ensure the correct reagent is being

dispensed into the reagent blank in the PCS2. The reagent used will change with each

volume change.

5. The contents of the PCS Bulk kit includes the following reagents and blanks:

i. Twelve (50) pre-filled blank reagent vials

ii. Four (4) reagent ranges:

a. Four (4) Range 1: for pipette volumes 200 to 5,000 µl

b. Three (3) Range 2: for pipette volumes 50 to 199 µl

c. Two (2) Range 3: for pipette volumes 10 to 49 µl

d. Two (2) Range 4: for pipette volumes 2 to 9 µl

iii. Cal A used for zeroing the instrument

iv. One (1) Range 5: pipette volume 0.5 to 1.99 to be ordered separately.



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Figure 12. Calibration window with reagent range

6. Select the Chart tab from the calibration window.

7. Click “expand” to enlarge the channel to be calibrated. Each Channel can be

expanded or compressed accordingly by clicking the on the channel of choice and

selecting expand.

4. Inspect vials for fingerprints or smudges. If fingerprints or smudges are present clean

vials with an isopropyl alcohol pad and then dry vial with a Kim wipe.

5. Pipette the calibration samples following the instructions listed in the Artel PCS 2

LED window readout

6. The software will generate a graph for each sample and indicate a pass or fail status.

If the sample passed calibration proceed to step 13. The tolerance limits needed to

obtain a passing result are listed in Table 1.

7. If a sample fails, click on the failed sample peak on the chart graph and click Redo

Sample. A Failed sample will be indicated by a triangle on the graph peak. Re-

pipette sample volume and continue as prompted on the computer screen. Repeats are

limited to three per channel that are conducted as a result of pipette volume failure

unless otherwise documented. Repeats performed for reasons other than for pipette

volume failure may include human error, droplets caught on the side of the vial, or

operator used incorrect reagent range. If a pipette fails to produce a passing result

after three repeats the pipette will be sent out for repair and calibration.

8. When all three channels have been completed click “End of Run” (Figure 12). Select

Print Run (Figure 13) and a detailed Calibration Report will be generated. The upper

right hand corner of the calibration report will provide the status of the run

(Pass/Fail). Save the Calibration report to the Pipette Performance Check folder on

the Sero-DNA Drive



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Figure 13. Printing reports from the calibration sceen

9. Print out a calibration label for the pipette. Click on the icon located next to the

print button (see Figure 13).

10. Highlight “Calibration Label’ from the configured reports list (Figure 14) and click

OK.

Figure 14. Printing calibration labels from the reporst list.

11. Then click print run.



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12. The Artel calibration label preview will be displayed (Figure 15). Increase the size

of the lable view to 250%.

Figure 15. Artel pipette calibration label

13. Use the Snipping tool to copy the label preview.

14. Open the Brother P-Touch Editor Software from the desk top.

15. Open the “Pipette Calibration Label- annual date” file.

16. Delete label contents and paste the new label data (Figure 16).

Figure 16. P-Touch Editor pipette calibration label

17. Print label and attach to appropriate pipette.

Interpretation of Performance Check Results

1. The Pipette Tracker software uses the “Relative Error- Inaccuracy and CV%”

tolerance limit values on the Calibration report to evaluate a pipette’s performance

(see Table 1).



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2. The established tolerance limits reflect what is reasonably achievable in a working

laboratory. The tolerance limits presume that the pipette is calibrated and functioning

properly, is used with good quality tips, and is tested by a skilled operator. When

these criteria are met, most makes and models of pipettes should test within the

established tolerance limits unless there is a mechanical defect with the pipette.

3. Inaccuracy is expressed as the deviation of the mean of ten samples from the set point

volume. The inaccuracy is expressed as a percentage on the Artel Pipette Tracking

software print out.

4. The passing tolerance limits for pipette performance checks are listed in Table 1.

5. All pipettes that do not meet passing tolerance limits will be sent to the manufacturer

for repair and/or calibration.

Table 1. Tolerance Limits

Pipette Volume,

µl Relative Error Absolute Error

Nominal Setting

Inaccuracy ±

%

CV

%

Inaccuracy ±

µl

STD

µl

10 2.0 1.0

10 5 4.0 2.0 0.2 0.1

1 20.0 10.0

20 2.0 1.0

20 10 4.0 2.0 0.4 0.2

2 20.0 10.0

200 2.0 1.0

200 100 4.0 2.0 4.0 2.0

20 20.0 10.0

1000 2.0 1.0

1000 500 4.0 2.0 20.0 10.0

100 20.0 10.0

Troubleshooting

Refer to Artel Pipette tracker v3.3 user Manual August 2011.

References

1. Artel Pipette tracker User Manual. Document number 15A5820D. August 2011.

2. Artel Lab Report. Setting Tolerances. Issue 5. 2003.

3. Artel Lab Report 5: Setting Tolerances for the Pipettes in the Laboratory. www.artel-

usa.com/resource-library/lab-reprt-5-setting-tolerances-for-pipettes-in-the-baboratory.

Accessed July 22, 2014.

http://www.artel-usa.com/resource-library/lab-reprt-5-setting-tolerances-for-pipettes-in-the-baboratory

http://www.artel-usa.com/resource-library/lab-reprt-5-setting-tolerances-for-pipettes-in-the-baboratory

Documents

FB Artel PCS QC for Pipettes Introduction