Agilent Technologies PlateLoc User manual

Agilent Technologies
PlateLoc Thermal
Microplate Sealer
UserGuide

Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2008-2009
No part of this manual may be reproduced
in any form or by any means (including
electronic storage and retrieval or transla-
tion into a foreign language) without prior
agreement and written consent from Agi-
lent Technologies, Inc. as governed by
United States and international copyright
laws.
User Guide Part Number
G5402-90001
October/2006
Contact Information
Agilent Technologies Inc.
Automation Solutions
5301 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95051
USA
Technical Support: 1.800.979.4811
or +1.408.345.8011
[email protected]om
Customer Service: 1.866.428.9811
or +1.408.345.8356
[email protected]
European Service: [phone]
[e-mail]
Documentation feedback:
[email protected]
Web: http://www.agilent.com
Acknowledgements
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trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in
the United States and other countries.
Warranty
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ment is provided “as is,” and is sub-
ject to being changed, without notice,
in future editions. Further, to the max-
imum extent permitted by applicable
law, Agilent disclaims all warranties,
either express or implied, with regard
to this manual and any information
contained herein, including but not
limited to the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a par-
ticular purpose. Agilent shall not be
liable for errors or for incidental or
consequential damages in connection
with the furnishing, use, or perfor-
mance of this document or of any
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Technology Licenses
The hardware and/or software described in
this document are furnished under a
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Restricted Rights Legend
If software is for use in the performance of
a U.S. Government prime contract or sub-
contract, Software is delivered and
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ware” as defined in DFAR 252.227-7014
(June 1995), or as a “commercial item” as
defined in FAR 2.101(a) or as “Restricted
computer software” as defined in FAR
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agency regulation or contract clause. Use,
duplication or disclosure of Software is
subject to Agilent Technologies’ standard
commercial license terms, and non-DOD
Departments and Agencies of the U.S. Gov-
ernment will receive no greater than
Restricted Rights as defined in FAR 52.227-
19(c)(1-2) (June 1987). U.S. Government
users will receive no greater than Limited
Rights as defined in FAR 52.227-14
(June1987) or DFAR 252.227-7015 (b)(2)
(November 1995), as applicable in any
technical data.
Safety Noticies
A WARNING notice denotes a
hazard. It calls attention to an
operating procedure, practice, or the
like that, if not correctly performed or
adhered to, could result in personal
injury or death. Do not proceed
beyond a WARNING notice until the
indicated conditions are fully
understood and met.
A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard. It
calls attention to an operating procedure,
practice, or the like that, if not correctly
performed or adhered to, could result in
damage to the product or loss of important
data. Do not proceed beyond a CAUTION
notice until the indicated conditions are
fully understood and met.

Agilent Technologies, Inc., Automation Solutions, 5301 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95051 USA
Letter to our Customers
Dear Customer,
The Agilent Technologies acquisition of Velocity11 resulted in the following
changes:
•Creation of Agilent Technologies Automation Solutions, formerly Velocity11
•Renaming of some Velocity11 products
•New Customer Service and Technical Support contact information
•New website address for product information
Please make a note of the following changes as they impact this user guide.
Velocity11 product name changes
New contact information
Documentation feedback: [email protected]
Technical Support: 1.800.979.4811 or +1.408.345.8011
[email protected]
Customer Service: 1.866.428.9811 or +1.408.345.8356
[email protected]
European Service: [phone]
euroservice.aut[email protected]
Web: http://www.agilent.com
Velocity11 product name Changes to …
Access2 Automated Microplate
Loader
Automated Centrifuge Loader
Element Automation System BioCel 900 System
IWorks Device Driver Programming
Interface
VWorks DCL Interface
PlatePierce Seal Piercing Station Microplate Seal Piercer
VCode Barcode Print and Apply
Station
Microplate Barcode Labeler
Velocity11 Robot 3- Axis Robot
VHooks Integration Interface VWorks Hooks Interface
VPrep Pipetting System Vertical Pipetting Station
VSpin Microplate Centrifuge Microplate Centrifuge
VStack Labware Stacker Labware Stacker
Agilent Technologies

Contents
PlateLoc User Guide i
Contents
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Who should read this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
What this guide covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
What’s new in this user guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Accessing Velocity11 user information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Chapter 1. PlateLoc introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Description of the PlateLoc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Hardware overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Connection panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Plate requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seal material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Lab automation system software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
PlateLoc workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Chapter 2. Unpacking and installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Installation workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Meeting Lab requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Unpacking the PlateLoc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Connecting the power source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Connecting and disconnecting the air source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Connecting and disconnecting the argon source (Gas-Purging PlateLocs only) . . . . . 34
Connecting to the controlling computer (lab automation systems only) . . . . . . . . . . 37
Installing the PlateLoc ActiveX software (lab automation systems only) . . . . . . . . . . 38
Chapter 3. Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Turning on and turning off the power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Turning on and turning off the air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Turning on and turning off the argon (Gas-Purging Platelocs only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Tilting and stowing the touch screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Adjusting the touch screen contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Loading and unloading a roll of seal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Creating and managing profiles (lab automation systems only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Establishing communications with the PlateLoc (lab automation systems only) . . . . 62

Contents
PlateLoc User Guide
ii
Chapter 4. Sealing plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Loading an insert and a plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Setting the sealing parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Starting the seal cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Stopping a seal cycle in progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Chapter 5. Optimizing seal quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Reasons for running optimization tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Optimization test guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Adjusting the sealing parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Chapter 6. Routine maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Cleaning the hot plate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Cleaning the touch screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Chapter 7. Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Hardware problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Diagnostic tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Reporting problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Appendix A. Integrating the PlateLoc into third-party
systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
PlateLoc ActiveX control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Integrating the PlateLoc ActiveX control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Appendix B. Quick reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Touch screen menus and commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
PlateLoc Diagnostics parameters and commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Appendix C. Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

iii
Preface
PlateLoc User Guide
Preface
This preface introduces the PlateLoc User Guide. This preface contains
the following topics:
❑“Who should read this guide” on page iv
❑“What this guide covers” on page v
❑“What’s new in this user guide” on page vii
❑“Accessing Velocity11 user information” on page viii

Preface
PlateLoc User Guide
iv
Who should read this guide
Job roles This user guide is for people with the following job roles:
Related topics
Job role Responsibilities
Installer Someone who unpacks, puts together,
and tests the PlateLoc before it is used.
Lab manager, administrator, or
technician Someone who is responsible for:
❑Solving the more challenging
problems that might arise
❑Developing training materials and
standard operating procedures for
operators
Operator Someone who performs the daily
production work using the PlateLoc
and solves routine problems.
Your organizationmay choose to create
its own procedures for operators
including the procedures in this guide.
For more information about... See...
What this guide covers “What this guide covers” on page v
What’s new in this version “What’s new in this user guide” on
page vii
How to access different formats of
this user guide “Accessing Velocity11 userinformation” on page viii

v
Preface
PlateLoc User Guide
What this guide covers
What is covered This guide covers the installation, setup, and operation of the PlateLoc
that is used in the following ways:
❑As a single device, controlled from the built-in touch screen
interface
❑Integrated withother devices in aVelocity11lab automation system,
controlled from a computer
This guide also provides the ActiveX reference information needed to
integrate the PlateLoc in a third-party lab automation system.
What is not covered This guide does not provide instructions for:
❑Creating protocols and setting task parameters in the Velocity11 lab
automation software
❑Operating other devices in Velocity11 lab automation systems
❑Operating the PlateLoc integrated into a third-party lab automation
system
Firmware version This guide documents PlateLoc firmware version 3.7.2.
Software version This guide documents PlateLoc ActiveX (PlateLoc.ocx) version 7.
Related guides The PlateLoc User Guide should be used in conjunction with the
following user documents:
❑Velocity11 lab automation system user guides, such as the BenchCel
User Guide and the BioCel User Guide.These user guides provide the
system setup requirements and user operation instructions.
❑Velocity11 lab automation system software user guides, such as the
VWorks User Guide. These user guides explain how to create
protocols and set task parameters for each device in the system.
❑Third-party lab automation system user documents. These
documents explain how to set up and use the third-party lab
automation system.

Preface
PlateLoc User Guide
vi
Related topics For more information about... See...
Who should read this guide “Who should read this guide” on
page iv
What’s new in this version “What’s new in this user guide” on
page vii
How to access different formats of
this user guide “Accessing Velocity11 userinformation” on page viii

vii
Preface
PlateLoc User Guide
What’s new in this user guide
About this topic This topic lists the new models and features that are described in this
revision of the PlateLoc User Guide.
New features This revision of the user guide describes a new PlateLoc model, the Gas-
Purging PlateLoc. The Gas-Purging PlateLoc uses argon to displace air
(containing moisture and oxygen) from the plate.The effect protectsthe
plate contents from hydration and oxidation.
Related topics For more information about... See...
Who should read this guide “Who should read this guide” on
page iv
What this guide covers “What this guide covers” on page v
How to access different formats of
this user guide “Accessing Velocity11 userinformation” on page viii

Preface
PlateLoc User Guide
viii
Accessing Velocity11 user information
About this topic This topic describes the different formats of Velocity11 user information.
Velocity11 user information is provided to you as:
❑Online help
❑A PDF file
❑A printed book
Theinformation in eachformatis the same but each format hasdifferent
benefits.
Where to find the
user information Online help
The online help is added to your computer with the software
installation.
Velocity11 website
You can download the latest version of any PDF file from our website at
www.velocity11.com.
All Velocity11 user information can be searched from the website at
www.velocity11.com.
Online help The online help is the best format to use when you are working at the
computer and when you want to perform fast or advanced searches for
information.
To open the online help:
1. In the Velocity11 lab automation software, press F1.
Main features
The online help includes a navigation pane, content pane, and
navigation buttons.

ix
Preface
PlateLoc User Guide
Thenavigation panehas four tabs. The Contents, Index, and Search tabs
provide different ways to locate information. The Using tab contains
information about using the help system.
The content pane displays the online help topics.
Navigation buttons in the content pane allow you to navigate through
the pages.
PDF user guide Computer requirements
To open a user guide in PDF format, you need a PDF viewer. You can
download a free PDF viewer from the internet.
Printing and searching
We provide user guides in PDF format mainly for printing additional
copies. You can use them for simple searches, although these searches
are much slower than online help searches.
More information
For more information about using PDF documents, see the user
documentation for the PDF viewer.
Navigation pane Content pane Navigation buttons

Preface
PlateLoc User Guide
x
Related topics For more information about... See...
Who should read this guide “Who should read this guide” on
page iv
What this guide covers “What this guide covers” on page v
What’s new in this revision of the
user guide “What’s new in this user guide” on page vii

1
Chapter 1: PlateLoc introduction
PlateLoc User Guide
PlateLoc introduction 1
This chapter contains the following topics:
❑“Description of the PlateLoc” on page 2
❑“Hardware overview” on page 4
❑“Connection panel” on page 7
❑“Plate requirements” on page 9
❑“Inserts” on page 10
❑“Seal material” on page 13
❑“Lab automation system software” on page 14
❑“PlateLocworkflows” on page 16
❑“Safety information” on page 18

Chapter 1: PlateLoc introduction
PlateLoc User Guide
2
Description of the PlateLoc
About this topic This topic describes the PlateLocand explains its uses.
Description The PlateLoc Thermal Plate Sealer is available in two models:
❑PlateLoc. The PlateLoc is a device thatapplies seal material on top of
microplates (plates) to seal individual wells. Sealing the wells
protects the contents from evaporation, condensation, and cross-
contamination during transport or storage.
❑Gas-Purging PlateLoc. In addition to the plate-sealing function of the
original PlateLoc, the Gas-Purging PlateLoc uses argon gas to
displace air, containing moisture and oxygen, in the plate
immediately before the sealing begins. Because argon is inert, it
does not react with the plate contents. The plate contents can be
protected from hydration and oxidation for up to 24 hours.
Typically used for compound storage applications, the Gas-Purging
PlateLoc is best for plate contents that are sensitive to oxidation and
moisture (for example, DMSO).
Note: For typical polystyrene and polypropylene plates, the gas-
purging effects can last up to 24 hours when the plates are stored
at room temperature. The effects can last longer if the plates are
stored at lower temperatures.
Ways to use the
PlateLoc The PlateLoc can be used in the following ways:
❑As a standalone device
❑In a Velocity11 lab automation system
❑In anothercompany’s lab automation system
As a standalone device
You can set up the PlateLoc as a standalone device, operating the
PlateLoc from the built-in touch screen. You do not need to connect the
device to a computer.
Using the PlateLoc in the standalone mode allows you to manually load
and seal one plate at a time (a single seal cycle in one run). The
standalone device cannot automatically load and seal multiple plates in
one run.
In a Velocity11 lab automation system
You can set up the PlateLoc in a Velocity11 lab automation system such
as the BenchCel or the BioCel. To install the PlateLoc in the system, you
must connect the device to the controlling computer. You can operate
the integrated device using the software supplied with the lab
automation system, such as BenchWorks or VWorks.Integrated PlateLoc
operation allows you to automate the loading and sealing of multiple
plates in one protocol run (multiple seal cycles in one run).

3
Chapter 1: PlateLoc introduction
PlateLoc User Guide
In a third-party lab automation system
You can set up the PlateLoc in a third-party lab automation system. To
install the PlateLocin the system, you must connect the device to the
controllingcomputer. You canoperate the integrated PlateLocusing the
third-party software. The integrated PlateLoc allows you to automate the
loading and sealing of multiple plates in one run.
Note: Communication between the third-party system and the PlateLoc
is achieved through the use of ActiveX controls.
Related topics For more information about... See...
PlateLoc physical dimensions “Meeting Lab requirements” on page 23
Installing the PlateLoc “Unpacking and installation” on
page 21
How to use the PlateLoc as a
standalone device “Standalone device workflow” on page 16
Setting up the PlateLoc in a lab
automation system ❑“Lab automation system software”
on page 14
❑“Integrating the PlateLoc into third-
party systems” on page 99
How to use the PlateLoc in a lab
automation system “Lab automation system workflow” on page 17

Chapter 1: PlateLoc introduction
PlateLoc User Guide
4
Hardware overview
About this topic This topic provides an overview of the PlateLoc hardware features.
Front features The following diagram shows the front of the PlateLoc. The table below
describes the features shown in the diagram.
Seal roll supports
Touch screen
Sealing chamber
Plate stage
Plate-stage support
Door (opened)
Hub
Roll of seal
Screen release lever
Feature Description
Roll of seal The seal material.
Hubs The structures (together with the axle, not shown) that
hold the roll of seal and allow the roll to rotate.
Seal-roll supports The structure on which you mount the hubs and axle.
Touch screen The interface that allows you to specify sealing
parameters, start and stop the seal cycle, and monitor
the seal cycle for standalone operation.

5
Chapter 1: PlateLoc introduction
PlateLoc User Guide
Rear features The following diagram shows the lower back side of the PlateLoc. The
table below it describes the features shown in the diagram.
Sealing chamber The area inside the device where plates are sealed.
Plate stage The removable metal platform on which plates are
loaded.
Door The movable structure that opens when the plate stage is
extended and closes when the stage enters the chamber.
Plate-stage
support The structure on which you load the plate stage. The plate-stage support extends when the door opens and
retracts when the door closes.
Feature Description
00191
PlateLoc
connections
00191
PlateLoc
connections
Seal entry slot
Open-gripper button
Close-gripper button
Connection panel
Feature Description
Seal entry slot The narrow opening into which you insert the seal.
Open-gripper button The oval button that you push downward when
inserting the seal into the seal entry slot. Pushing the
button downward opens the gripping mechanism
that holds the seal in position.
Close-gripper button The silver button that you press to close the seal-
gripping mechanism.
Connection panel The area where you connect the power, air tubing,
argon tubing (Gas-Purging PlateLocs only), and
computer. The panel also contains a gauge that
allows you to verify air flow.

Chapter 1: PlateLoc introduction
PlateLoc User Guide
6
Related topics For more information about... See...
The connection panel “Connection panel” on page 7
The PlateLoc physical dimensions “Meeting Lab requirements” on page 23
Installing the PlateLoc “Unpacking and installation” on
page 21
Installing and operating the
PlateLoc “PlateLoc workflows” on page 16