Advanced Instruments 3900 User manual

The Advanced® Osmometer
Model 3900
User’s Guide
3905 Rev20 061213

Copyright
This user’s guide is copyrighted by Advanced Instruments, Inc. with all
rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be reproduced
in any form, in whole or part, without the prior written consent of
Advanced Instruments.
© 2003 Advanced Instruments, Inc.
Windows®is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of
Advanced Instruments, Inc.
Advanced Instruments has reviewed this guide thoroughly. All material
contained within is believed reliable, but the accuracy and completeness
are not guaranteed or warranted, and are not intended to be representations
or warranties concerning the product described.
Hot-Line®Service
If you have any questions or problems regarding the proper operation of
your instrument, please contact our Hot-Line Service department:
•800-225-4034 (toll-free within the USA and Canada; after normal busi-
ness hours, dial extension 2191)
•+US 781-320-9000 (elsewhere)
•781-320-0811 (fax)
ii
The Advanced®Osmometer Model 3900 User’s uide

Table of Contents
Parts & Accessories v
Calibrators & Standards vii
Safe Use ix
Symbol conventions ix
General cautions x
Foreword: Theory and Technique xiii
Intended Use xiii
Principles of Freezing-Point Osmometry xiv
Instrumentation xv
Freezing-Point Thermodynamics xv
Definitions xvi
Chapter 1 — Installation & Setup 1
Step 1 — Find a location for your instrument 1
Step 2 — Unpack your instrument 2
Step 3 — Setup and installation 3
Step 4 — Load printer paper 7
Step 5 — Obtain additional items 9
Step 6 — Power up your instrument 9
Step 7 — Install heat transfer fluid 10
Step 8 — Run self-diagnostic test 12
Step 9 — Proceed to instrument operation 12
Chapter 2 — Instrument Operation 13
Hazardous material cautions 13
Function of major components 14
ar code scanner 18
Setup 20
iii

Operating instructions 30
Sample test procedure 32
Testing batch-numbered or bar code-scanned samples 38
Repeatability tips 40
Stat tests 41
Recall 42
Chapter 3 — Standards & Quality Control 43
Repeatability and accuracy 43
Standards and controls 43
Maintenance of standards 44
Quality control implementation 45
Chapter 4 — Calibration 47
Calibration procedure 47
Calibration notes 48
Chapter 5 — Troubleshooting & Service 51
Service & maintenance cautions 51
Obtaining service 53
Routine maintenance 55
Shutdown and storage 56
Troubleshooting 56
Test 57
Adjustment and replacement of parts and assemblies 67
Appendices 79
Appendix A: Troubleshooting Table 79
Appendix : Product Specifications 91
Appendix C: Regulatory Notices 93
Appendix D: Warranty and Warranty Duties 97
Appendix E: Supplemental RS-232 Information 101
Appendix F: Symbol Definitions 103
Appendix G: Product Disposal and Recycling 107
Appendix H: Service Log 109
Index 111
iv
The Advanced®Osmometer Model 3900 User’s uide

Parts & Accessories
v
To ord r parts and acc ssori s, contact th Advanc d
Instrum nts Custom r S rvic D partm nt:
•800-225-4034 (toll-free within the USA and Canada)
•+US 781-320-9000 (elsewhere)
•781-320-3669 (fax)
PART DESCRIPTION
Calibration Cassette
Disposable Sample Tubes, 0.2 to 0.3-mL, one pkg. of 500
Sample Tube Cassettes, #1-5
Sample Tube Cassettes, #6-10
Sample Tube Cassettes, #11-15
Sample Tube Rack
Heat Transfer Fluid, one 160-mL bottle
Cooling Reservoir Fill Funnel
Thermal Printer Paper, one pkg of 5
Evaporation Cover
Fluid Fill Plug (vented)
PART NO.
4C3040
3LA825
4C3050
4C3060
4C3070
3LA846
3DA811
4C3308
FLA835
390330
4C3448

vi
PART DESCRIPTION
Paper Roll Holder
Printer Maintenance Kit with Instructions
ox of 100 Probe Wipers, one pkg of 100
10-Pack Drip Return Wipers, one pkg of 10
Disposable Air Filters, one pkg of 6
Operator/supervisor Keys, two
Power Cord (specify voltage and country)
Stir/Freeze Wire, two
Replacement Sample Probe with three 10-mL ampules of
Probe in-Setting Fluid
Probe/Stir Alignment Kit
Mandrel
Clapper Replacement Assembly
Yoke
Stir/Freeze Coil
Serial Port Computer Cable with D 9S:
3-Meter Shielded RS-232
6-Meter Shielded RS-232
9-Meter Shielded RS-232
3900 User’s Guide
3900 Service Manual
ar Code Reader with Stand and Instructions, one kit
PART NO.
FL0408
FL0425
4C3840
3D2340
3D3185
3C2243
4C3700
3LA700
390444
3C2241R
3LH230
3D2404
330053
330056
330059
3905
3905SM
390016
The Advanced®Osmometer Model 3900 User’s uide

vii
Calibrators & Standards
To ord r parts and acc ssori s, contact th Advanc d
Instrum nts Custom r S rvic D partm nt:
•800-225-4034 (toll-free within the USA and Canada)
•+US 781-320-9000 (elsewhere)
•781-320-3669 (fax)
PART DESCRIPTION
Clinitrol™290 Reference Solution, ten 5-mL ampules
Protinol®3-level Protein Control Kit, nine (3 ea) 3-mL
vials
Renol™ Urine Osmolality Controls (2 levels)
Five-Level Osmolality Linearity Set: 100, 500, 900, 1500,
and 2000 mOsm/kg; ten (2 ea) 5-mL ampules
100 mOsm/kg Calibration Standard, ten 5-mL ampules
500 mOsm/kg Calibration Standard, ten 5-mL ampules
900 mOsm/kg Calibration Standard, ten 5-mL ampules
1500 mOsm/kg Calibration Standard, ten 5-mL ampules
3000 mOsm/kg Calibration Standard, ten 5-mL ampules
100 mOsm/kg Calibration Standard, one 110-mL bottle
500 mOsm/kg Calibration Standard, one 110-mL bottle
900 mOsm/kg Calibration Standard, one 110-mL bottle
1500 mOsm/kg Calibration Standard, one 110-mL bottle
PART NO.
3LA029
3MA028
3LA085
3LA028
3LA011
3LA051
3LA091
3LA151
3LA301
3LA010
3LA050
3LA090
3LA150

viii
NOTE Advanced Instruments, Inc. cannot guarantee the stated instru-
ment performance specifications and accuracy of test results
unless Advanced Instruments brand consumables are used with
the instrument. Use of consumables from manufacturers other
than Advanced Instruments is not recommended and may
adversely affect system calibration, performance, operation,
and accuracy of test results. For information on obtaining these
standards and controls, contact Advanced Instruments or an
authorized representative.
The Advanced®Osmometer Model 3900 User’s uide

Safe Use
To reduce the risk of bodily injury, electric shock, fire, and
damage to your instrument, please read and observe the precau-
tions in this User’s Guide.
• If the product is used in a manner not in accordance with the
equipment design, operating instructions or manufacturer's
recommendations, the operation of the product may be
impaired to the extent that a safety hazard is created.
• Do not attempt to perform electrical work if you are not
fully qualified. This manual is not a substitute for electrical
training.
Symbol conventions
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in
the literature accompanying this product.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an
equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the
product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute risk of electric shock to persons.
The static symbol within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of internal
components that could be damaged by static electricity.
ix

This static symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence
of a specific component that could be damaged by static elec-
tricity.
This symbol indicates the presence of alternating current (AC).
This symbol indicates the presence of a fuse.
This symbol indicates the presence of protective earth ground.
eneral cautions
• This product should be operated only with the type of power source
indicated on the product’s electrical ratings label. Refer to the instal-
lation instructions included with the product.
• If the power cord provided is replaced for any reason or if an alter-
nate cord is used, the cord must be approved for use in the local
country. The power cord must be approved for the product’s listed
operating voltage and be rated at least 20% greater than the ampere
ratings marked on the product’s electrical ratings label. The cord
end that connects to the product must have an IEC 60320 connector.
• Plug the product into an approved grounded electrical outlet.
• Do not disable the power cord’s grounding plug.
• If an extension cord or power strip is used, make sure that the cord
or strip is rated for the product, and that the total ampere ratings of
all products plugged into the extension cord or strip do not exceed
80% of the cord’s or strip’s rating limit.
• Route power cords so that they will not be walked on, tripped on, or
pinched by items placed upon or against them. Pay particular atten-
tion to the plug, electrical outlet, and the point where the cord exits
the product.
x
The Advanced®Osmometer Model 3900 User’s uide

• Do not pull on cords and cables. When unplugging cords or cables,
grasp the corresponding connector.
• Do not install or use this product in any area subject to extreme
short-term temperature variations, or locations that exceed the speci-
fied operating environment temperatures.
• Never use this product in a wet area.
• To avoid injury or fire hazard, do not operate this product in an
explosive atmosphere.
• Do not install or use the product on an unstable, non-level work sur-
face.
• Do not operate this product with the covers removed or unsecured.
xi
Safe Use

xii
The Advanced®Osmometer Model 3900 User’s uide
Notes:

Foreword
xiii
Intended Use
Advanced®Osmometers use the technique of freezing-point
depression to measure osmolality. Osmolality is the total solute
concentration of an aqueous solution. Osmometers measure the
number of solute particles irrespective of molecular weight or
ionic charge. This information is useful to the following disci-
plines:
Clinical, emergency and sports medicine
Medical research
iotechnology and pharmaceutical research and
manufacturing
Food and beverage manufacturing
Environmental research and monitoring
Academic research
Industrial applications
When used by a trained operator in clinical applications, the
osmometer provides results that assist in establishing the proper
diagnoses and treatments for patients with disorders involving
water and electrolyte imbalances. Osmometers will test virtual-
ly any biological fluid including, but not limited to, whole
blood, plasma, urine, feces, sweat, and tissue homogenate.
Operation of the instrument is deemed to be low-complexity
under CLIA and FDA guidelines.

xiv
The Advanced®Osmometer Model 3900 User’s uide
Principles of Freezing-Point Osmometry
When a solute is dissolved in a pure solvent, the following changes in
the solution's properties occur:
•the freezing point is depressed,
•boiling point is raised,
•osmotic pressure is increased, and
•vapor pressure is lowered.
These are the so-called "colligative" or concentrative properties of the
solution which, within reasonable limits, change in direct proportion to
the solute concentration; in other words, the number of particles in
solution.
Of the colligative properties, measurement of the freezing point allows
the concentration of an aqueous solution to be easily determined with
great precision.
The freezing point of pure H2O is precisely +0.010°C. One mole of a
non-dissociating solute such as glucose (where the solute does not dis-
sociate into ionic species, but remains intact), when dissolved in 1 kilo-
gram (kg) of water will depress the freezing point by 1.858°C. This
change is known as the freezing point depression constant for water.
The freezing point depression also depends upon the degree of disso-
ciation of the solute. If the solute is ionic, the freezing point is
depressed by 1.858°C for each ionic species. For example, if one mole
of sodium chloride were to completely dissociate into two ionic species
(Na+ and Cl-) in 1 kg of water, the freezing point would be depressed
by 3.716°C. However, dissociation is never complete. Interference
between solute molecules reduces dissociation by a factor called the
osmotic coefficient.

xv
Foreword
In a simple solution such as glucose or sodium chloride in water, the
freezing point can be measured and the unit concentration easily deter-
mined from an equation or a reference table. However, the equation is
unique for each solute. In a more complex solution, all ionized and
non-dissociated species contribute to the freezing-point depression and
the concentration of each solute cannot be easily determined.
Each of the colligative properties has a similar problem, and though
each of the colligative properties changes in direct proportion to the
solute concentration, each requires a different mode & unit of measure-
ment. Osmolality is a common unit of concentration measurement that
can be used to relate all the colligative properties to each other, and to
other concentration units. ecause of its universality, most osmometry
applications regularly use osmolality, expressed as "mOsm/kg H2O", as
the common unit of concentration rather than applying further conver-
sion factors.
Instrumentation
Advanced Osmometers are devices for the determination of the concen-
tration of solutions by means of freezing-point measurement.
Advanced Osmometers utilize high-precision thermistors to sense the
sample temperature, to control the degree of supercooling and freeze
induction, and to measure the freezing point of the sample. They can
routinely determine differences of ±1 mOsm/kg H2O.
Freezing-Point Thermodynamics
The quickest and most precise way to measure the freezing point of a
solution is to supercool it several degrees below its freezing point. It is
unstable in this state, and a mechanical agitation induces crystallization.
The heat of fusion suddenly liberated causes the sample temperature to
rise toward a plateau temperature, where a liquid/solid equilibrium
occurs. The equilibrium temperature is, by definition, the freezing point

of the solution. Managing the plateau temperature for precise measure-
ment is the basis for several patents issued to Augustus Fiske.
The time over which liquid/solid equilibrium develops and is main-
tained, is a function of the speed with which the heat-of-fusion is liber-
ated vs. the speed it is transferred away, or absorbed, by the surrounding
environment. This ratio can be slowed and the equilibrium time
stretched, to give a distinct plateau height measurable to 0.001°C.
Sensitive thermistor probes monitor the sample temperature and control
the thermoelectric cooling element. Microprocessor control and auto-
mated operation minimize imprecision due to operator technique.
The following Standard Freezing Curve illustrates the temperature of a
sample as it progresses through the freezing cycle and shows the action
of the instrument at each stage of the cycle.
Definitions
Solution: A homogeneous mixture of solute and solvent in which the
solvent is usually the major component, and the solute is the minor
component.
Concentration: The ratio of solute to a given amount of solvent
(molal), or ratio of solute to solution (molar).
xvi
The Advanced®Osmometer Model 3900 User’s uide
Standard Freezing Curve

The amount of solute is usually expressed in terms of moles, i.e., gram
molecular weights. One mole = 6.028 x 1023 molecules (Avogadro's
number). One mole of glucose (180.2 g) and one mole of sodium chlo-
ride (58.4 g) each contain Avogadro's number of molecules.
Common units of concentration are:
•Molality: Moles of solute per kilogram of pure solvent.
•Osmolality: Osmols of solute particles per kilogram of pure sol-
vent. As noted above, most ionic solutes do not completely dis-
sociate. Osmolality is a unit of concentration that takes into
account the dissociative effect. Osmolality is usually expressed
in mOsm/kg H2O. One milliosmol (mOsm) is 10-3 osmols.
Osmolality is defined as:
where:
ø= osmotic coefficient, which accounts for the degree of mole-
cular dissociation.
n= number of particles into which a molecule can dissociate.
C= molal concentration of the solution.
•Molarity: Moles of solute per liter of solution.
•Osmolarity: Osmols of solute particles per liter of solution.
Although molarity and osmolarity may be common units of
measurement in other branches of chemistry, they are not used in
osmometry because the ratio of solute to solution is not linear.
Molality and osmolality are linear, independent of the effect of
temperature and volume displaced by solute. A calculated con-
version between units of molality and molarity is complex and
generally unnecessary when the terms are properly understood.
xvii
Foreword

Freezing Point/Melting Point: The temperature at which the liquid
and solid phases of a substance will remain together in equilibrium.
Freezing-Point Depression: When a solute is added to a solvent, the
freezing point of the solvent is lowered. In aqueous solutions, one
mOsm of solute per kilogram of water depresses the freezing point by
1.858 millidegrees Celsius (m°C).
Supercooling: The tendency of a substance to remain in the liquid state
when cooled below its freezing point.
Crystallization Temperature: Aqueous solutions can be induced to
freeze (i.e., crystallize) most reliably when supercooled. When super-
cooled, agitating the solution (freeze pulse) induces crystal formation.
The crystallization temperature is the temperature at which crystalliza-
tion is induced. During crystallization, the heat of fusion raises the tem-
perature of the sample to an ice/water freezing-point plateau.
Heat of Fusion: The heat released when the mobile molecules of a liq-
uid are frozen into rigid ice crystals.
Freezing-Point Plateau: The constant temperature maintained during
the time that ice and liquid exist in isothermal equilibrium after crystal-
lization occurs.
xviii
The Advanced®Osmometer Model 3900 User’s uide

1Installation & Setup
In ord r to s t up your instrum nt prop rly, it is important that
you r ad and follow th st ps in this s ction. Pl as follow th s
st ps car fully and b sur to r ad Chapter 2 — Instrument
Operation b for att mpting to run t sts on your instrum nt.
Step 1 — Find a location for your instrument
When choosing a location for your new osmometer, be sure to
meet the following criteria.
• Adequate space. The dimensions of the instrument are 20
× 21.5 × 21.5 inches (51 × 55 × 55 cm). e sure to keep
your workplace free of debris, especially around the back
and sides of the instrument where proper ventilation is need-
ed.
NOTE right light shining directly into the cassette deck
area can interfere with the operation of the instru-
ment.
•Electric outlet availability. Your instrument will need to
operate within five feet of a properly grounded, three-prong
electrical outlet capable of continuously supplying 2.5
amperes at 250V to 5 amperes at 100V. If the instrument is
not grounded properly, its operation may be impaired and a
safety hazard may exist. Therefore, be sure to test the outlet
and record the results before operating your instrument.
1

WARNIN This instrument must be properly grounded (earthed). If
the instrument is not grounded properly, its operation will
be impaired and a safety hazard may exist. It is not
enough to simply plug the instrument into a grounding
outlet. Have the outlet tested. Record the results in the
service log at the end of this guide.
If the instrument was purchased for operation at a specific
voltage, the proper fuses were factory installed. The fuses
should be 250V time delay (Type T) fuses rated at 5
amperes for 100-130V, 50-60Hz operation; 2.5 amperes
for 200-250V, 50-60Hz operation. See Chapter 5 —
Troubleshooting & Service, if it is necessary to replace the
fuses.
Step 2 — Unpack your instrument
To unpack your osmometer, take the following steps.
a. Carefully unpack your osmometer, accessories and supplies and
inspect them for shipping damage. Use the enclosed packing list to
verify that all items have been received.
b. Save your osmometer's shipping boxes and packaging material in
case future transport of the instrument becomes necessary.
c. If any item on the packing list appears to be missing from your ship-
ment, please search carefully through and under all packing materi-
als. If the item is not found, notify your receiving department imme-
diately. Advanced Instruments can only be responsible for items
reported missing within 10 days of a shipment’s arrival.
d. If you receive any damaged items, save the cartons and packing
material those items came in for inspection by the insurer. The carri-
er, dealer, and Advanced Instruments must be notified within 24
hours in order for your warranty and insurance to apply. Have the
transportation company inspect items, fill out a “Report of Concealed
The Advanced®Osmometer Model 3900 User’s uide
2