Molecular Devices QPix 450 User manual

www.moleculardevices.com
QPix™Colony Picking System Stackers
User Guide

March 2014

QPix Stacker User Guide
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Legal Notices
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All rights reserved.

2014March 3
Contents
Legal Notices 2
Safety Information 5
Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips 5
Symbols on Instrument Labels 6
Before Operating the Instrument 6
Electrical Safety 7
Ultraviolet (UV) Light Safety 8
External or Implanted Medical Device Safety 8
Heat and Burn Safety 8
Chemical and Biological Safety 9
Moving Parts Safety 10
Cleaning and Maintenance Safety 11
Chapter 1: Stackers Overview 13
Chapter 2: Setting Up Stacker Cassettes 17
Loading the Source Stacker Cassette 17
Installing the Destination Stacker Cassette 21
X3533 Stacking and Unstacking Tool 23
Chapter 3: Finishing Stacker Cassette Usage 29
Unloading the Destination Stacker Cassette 29
Unloading the Destination Stacker Cassette Using the X3533 Tool 31
Chapter 4: Maintenance and Troubleshooting 35
Testing the Stackers 36
Troubleshooting 37
Obtaining Support 38

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2014March 5
Safety Information
The safety information section provides information on the safe use of the instrument,
including the use of user-attention statements in this guide, a key to understanding the
safety labels on the instrument, precautions to follow before operating the instrument, and
precautions to follow while operating the instrument.
Please read and observe all warnings, cautions, and instructions. Remember, the most
important key to safety is to operate the instrument with care.
WARNING! If the instrument is used in a manner not specified by Molecular
Devices, the protection provided by the equipment might be impaired.
Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips
All warning symbols in the user guide are framed within a yellow triangle. An exclamation
mark is used for most warnings. Other symbols can warn of other types of hazards such as
biohazard, electrical, or laser safety warnings as are described in the text of the warning.
When warnings and cautions are displayed in this guide, be careful to follow the specific
safety information related to them.
The following user-attention statements can be displayed in the text of Molecular Devices
user documentation. Each statement implies a particular level of observation or
recommended procedure as described:
WARNING! A warning indicates a situation or operation that could cause
personal injury if precautions are not followed.
CAUTION! A caution indicates a situation or operation that could cause damage to
the instrument or loss of data if correct procedures are not followed.
Note: A note calls attention to significant information.
Tip: A tip provides useful information or a shortcut, but is not essential to the
completion of a procedure.

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Symbols on Instrument Labels
Each safety label located on the instrument contains an alert symbol that indicates the type
of potential safety hazard related to the label. The following table lists the alert symbols that
can be found on Molecular Devices instruments.
Symbol Indication
This warning symbol indicates that the product documentation needs to be consulted.
This symbol indicates a potential electrical-shock hazard from a high-voltage source,
and that all safety instructions should be read and understood before proceeding with
the installation, maintenance, and servicing of all modules. Always turn the power
switch off and disconnect the power cord from the main power source before
performing a maintenance procedure that requires removal of a panel or cover or
disassembly of an interior instrument component.
This symbol indicates a potential heat hazard.
This symbol indicates the location of the Protective Earth Ground Terminal.
This symbol on the product is required in accordance with the Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive of the European Union. It indicates that you
must not discard this electrical or electronic product or its components in domestic
household waste or in the municipal waste collection system.
For products under the requirement of the WEEE directive, please contact your dealer
or local Molecular Devices office for the procedures to facilitate the proper collection,
treatment, recovery, recycling, and safe disposal of the device.
Table S-1: Instrument Label Alert Symbols
Before Operating the Instrument
Make sure that everyone involved with the operation of the instrument has:
Received instruction in general safety practices for laboratories.
Received instruction in specific safety practices for the instrument.
Read and understood all Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all materials being used.

Safety Information
2014March 7
Electrical Safety
To prevent electrically related injuries and property damage, properly inspect all electrical
equipment before use and immediately report all electrical deficiencies. Contact Molecular
Devices technical support for servicing of equipment that requires the removal of covers or
panels.
WARNING! HIGH VOLTAGE. Within the instrument is the potential of an
electrical shock hazard existing from a high voltage source. All safety instructions
should be read and understood before proceeding with the installation,
maintenance, and servicing of all modules.
Do not remove the instrument covers. To prevent electrical shock, use the supplied power
cords only and connect to a properly grounded wall outlet.
The instrument must be connected to a properly grounded power outlet to protect from the
risk of electric shock. The main chassis of the instrument is grounded together with all
related electrical components.
Do not remove the fixed covers, as there are no user serviceable parts inside. All electrical
work should be referred to Molecular Devices approved service personnel.
In the event of a liquid spillage into the main cavity of the instrument, disconnect the mains
power supply before trying to clean up.
If the external covers on the instrument are removed, the power supply does not
automatically stop.
WARNING! HIGH VOLTAGEAlways turn the power switch off and disconnect
the power cord from the main power source before performing a maintenance
procedure that requires removal of a panel or cover or disassembly of an interior
instrument component.
Do not try to use the instrument until all covers are replaced.
To provide access for disconnecting power from the instrument, maintain a 66cm (26in.)
minimum clearance area on the right side of the instrument.
To provide access for disconnecting power from the compressor, maintain a 66cm (26in.)
minimum clearance area at the rear of the instrument table.
To protect against fire hazard, replace the fuses only with the same type and rating as the
original factory-installed fuses.

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Ultraviolet (UV) Light Safety
The door is made from acrylic, and so prevents UV light from passing through during
operation.
As a safety measure, if the door is open, an electromagnetic switch prevents the instrument
from running. This switch should never be tampered with, as it serves two purposes:
It prevents the motors from running to reduce the potential of physical damage.
It disables the UV light to prevent the risk of damage from UV radiation.
External or Implanted Medical Device Safety
Motors and their related drives and cabling are sources of electromagnetic fields.
Persons with external or implanted medical devices need to evaluate the risks related to
these devices before entering an area where the instrument is in use. Keep magnetic storage
devices or strips, such as hard drives and credit cards, away from the instrument.
WARNING! Due to the presence of electromagnetic fields, if you wear an
external or implanted medical device, keep 300mm away from the drive magnets.
Heat and Burn Safety
The instrument is fitted with a high-temperature halogen dryer. The casing can become hot
during the drying cycle.

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Chemical and Biological Safety
Normal operation of the instrument can involve the use of materials that are toxic,
flammable, or otherwise biologically harmful. When using such materials, observe the
following precautions:
Handle infectious samples based on good laboratory procedures and methods to
prevent the spread of disease.
Observe all cautionary information printed on the original containers of solutions before
their use.
Dispose of all waste solutions based on the waste disposal procedures of your facility.
Operate the instrument in accordance with the instructions outlined in this guide, and
take all the necessary precautions when using pathological, toxic, or radioactive
materials.
Splashing of liquids can occur. Therefore, take applicable safety precautions, such as
using safety glasses and wearing protective clothing, when working with potentially
hazardous liquids.
Use a correctly contained environment when using hazardous materials.
Observe the applicable cautionary procedures as defined by your safety officer when
using flammable solvents in or near a powered-up instrument.
Observe the applicable cautionary procedures as defined by your safety officer when
using toxic, pathological, or radioactive materials.
WARNING! BIOHAZARD. If a biohazard is used with the instrument during
operation, the area needs to be clearly marked with an applicable biohazard sign.
WARNING! Never do operations on the instrument in an environment where
potentially damaging liquids or gases are present.

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Moving Parts Safety
To prevent injury due to moving parts, observe the following:
Never try to exchange labware, reagents, or tools while the instrument is operating.
Never try to physically restrict the moving components of the instrument.
Keep the interior of the instrument clear to prevent obstruction of the movement.
The motors use high-powered magnets. The linear drive units and encoders are delicate, so
be very careful with them. To prevent serious damage to the instrument or its auxiliary parts,
follow the preparation instructions in this guide before every process.
The door is made from acrylic, and so prevents UV light from passing through during
operation.
As a safety measure, if the door is open, an electromagnetic switch prevents the instrument
from running. This switch should never be tampered with, as it serves two purposes:
It prevents the motors from running to reduce the potential of physical damage.
It disables the UV light to prevent the risk of damage from UV radiation.
In an emergency, press the Emergency Stop button on the front of the instrument to
immediately stop all motion and turn off the instrument. Before you can restart the
instrument, you must pull out the Emergency Stop button and then press the Start button.
WARNING! Do not obstruct or otherwise prevent access to the Emergency Stop
button.
Motors and their related drives and cabling are sources of electromagnetic fields. Keep
magnetic storage devices or strips, such as hard drives and credit cards, away from the
instrument covers.
Note: Observe all warnings and cautions listed for all external devices attached to or in
use during the operation of the instrument. See the applicable user guide for the
operating and safety procedures of that device.

Safety Information
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Cleaning and Maintenance Safety
Observe the cleaning procedures outlined in this user guide for the instrument.
Note:Molecular Devices recommends that you always use ethanol for cleaning,
because autoclaving is not compatible with anodized parts.
Do the following before cleaning equipment that has been exposed to hazardous material:
Contact the applicable Chemical and Biological Safety personnel.
Review the Chemical and Biological Safety information contained in this user guide.
Do only the maintenance described in this guide. Maintenance procedures other than those
specified in this guide can be done only by Molecular Devices service engineers. See
Obtaining Support on page 38.
WARNING! BIOHAZARD. It is your responsibility to decontaminate
components of the instrument before requesting service by a service engineer or
returning parts to Molecular Devices for repair. Molecular Devices will not accept
items that have not been decontaminated where it is applicable to do so. If parts
are returned, they must be enclosed in a sealed plastic bag stating that the
contents are safe to handle and are not contaminated.
For approved cleaning and maintenance procedures, see Maintenance and Troubleshooting.

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2014March 13
Chapter 1: Stackers Overview
A stacker lane and cassettes enable the QPix 450 or 460 Instrument to run processes with
multiple microplates. Up to three stacker lanes can be built into the system. The stacker can
be used in every process.
The stacker cassettes are tall metal cases designed to hold multiple microplates and lid pairs.
The source stacker cassette and destination stacker cassette must always be used together
in a lane when processing microplates and lid pairs. The cassettes are used for automating
the loading of the microplates onto the lane so that they can be automatically moved into
the instrument for colony inoculation, as well as automatically collected from the instrument
after colony inoculation.
Item Description
1 Destination cassette holds the microplates that are unloaded from the instrument after
receiving the picked colonies
2 Source cassette holds the microplates to be loaded into the instrument to receive the picked
colonies
3 Blue-bottomed cassette for deep-well microplates in deep lane
Table 1-1: External View of Two Stacker Lanes with Stacker Lane Cassettes
1

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Item Description
4 Silver-bottomed cassette for standard and shallow microplates in standard lanes
5 Destination cassette locking knob
6 Source cassette locking knob
7 Red reset button light
Table 1-1: External View of Two Stacker Lanes with Stacker Lane Cassettes (continued)
Two types of stacker cassettes are available:
Standard Cassettes—identified by a silver base, used for standard and shallow
microplates in standard lanes.
Deep Cassettes—identified by a blue base, used for deep-well microplates in deep lanes.
The stacker lanes are specifically configured for either standard or deep microplates and lid
pairs. A label at the end of each stacker lane should inform users which specific microplates
are compatible with each stacker cassette.
Item Description
1 Standard lane for standard and shallow microplates
2 Deep lane for deep-well microplates
3 Process deck
Table 1-2: Internal View of Two Stacker Lanes with Microplate and Lid in the Standard
Lane
Note: To identify the stacker lane configuration from inside the instrument, look at
whether a lane is above or below the main process deck. If the stacker lane is above or
level with the process deck, it is a standard lane. If the stacker lane is below the
process deck, it is a deep lane.

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To prevent jamming a stacker lane:
Only load the cassettes with microplate and lid pairs for the type of stacker lane
configuration and definition for your instrument when your instrument was ordered and
installed.
Avoid mixing the microplate and lid types even if they are all defined compatible types of
microplates and lids.
Note: Not all brands and types of microplates and lid pairs are compatible with the
stacker even if they generally conform to the lane type. Contact Molecular Devices
Technical Support for compatibility details if you need to change your configuration.

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2014March 17
Chapter 2: Setting Up Stacker Cassettes
There are two removable stacking cassettes per stacker lane, one for the unprocessed stack
of source microplate and lid pairs, and one destination to collect the processed microplate
and lid pair stack. See Stackers Overview on page 13 for more details.
Before starting a process, both stacker lane cassettes must always be installed on their
bases. The source cassette must be manually filled with a stack of defined and prepared
microplate and lid pairs off of the instrument. See Loading the Source Stacker Cassette on
page 17.
CAUTION!: Each stacker lane is initially set up and configured to use specific
microplate and lid pair type definitions. Using undefined plate and lid pair types can
cause stacker lane failures.
Typically the destination cassette starts empty. See Installing the Destination Stacker
Cassette on page 21. When the chosen process finishes, the destination cassette is filled with
the stack of processed microplates and lid pairs and must be carefully unloaded off of the
instrument.
After loading and installing the stacker cassettes as needed, you can run the Restacker utility
to make sure you set up the stacker correctly. See Testing the Stackers on page 36.
When the instrument is not being used, keep the cassettes on their stacker bases rather
than elsewhere off of the instrument.
Loading the Source Stacker Cassette
Before starting a process, the source stacker cassette must be manually filled off of the
instrument with prepared microplate and lid pairs.
CAUTION!: Each stacker lane is initially set up and configured to use specific
microplate and lid pair type definitions. Using undefined plate and lid pair types can
cause stacker lane failures.
Note: The X3533 Stacking and Unstacking Tool is available as an optional accessory.
See Loading the Source Stacker Cassette Using the X3533 Tool on page 24.
To load the source stacker cassette:
1. Make sure that all lids and microplates are compatible with each other and match the
lane configuration of your instrument. A label at the end of each stacker should state
which microplates and lid pairs are compatible with the stacker lane.
2. Unlock the source stacker cassette from the base by turning counterclockwise the silver
cassette locking knob on the source stacker base.
2

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Figure 2-1: Source Cassette Locked and Unlocked
Item Description
1 Source cassette locking knob
2 Source cassette unlocked
3 Source cassette locked
3. Lift the stacker cassette up and off the source cassette base, and set it on a secure
surface low enough to allow you to load it with a stack of prepared microplates and lid
pairs.
4. Load the microplate and lid pairs into the cassette from either the top or bottom of the
cassette all facing the same direction and make sure the bottom microplate sits raised on
the four black clips at the bottom of the cassette.
Figure 2-2: Stacker Cassette Bottom with Black Microplate Holding Clips

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Figure 2-3: Stacker Cassette Loaded
5. Verify, and adjust as needed, the proper stack alignment in your cassette by running
your fingers up the front and the back of the stack. The stack should feel smooth and
should appear level.
Figure 2-4: Check Stack Alignment
6. Make sure that the red reset button light on the back of the stacker lane is turned off.

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If the red light is on, it means there is a system error. Look for possible obstructions in
the stacker and lane and remove them, then press the reset button and wait for the
reset process to end. The red light turns off.
7. Look into the source stacker base and make sure that the four lifting rods in the corners
are up.
Figure 2-5: Lifting Rods up in the Corners of the Source Stacker Base
If the rods are down, it is also likely that the red reset light is on and a reset is needed.
CAUTION! Do not continue to the next step and install the source cassette with
the lifting rods down, because your stack of microplates will fall to the bottom of
the base and likely spill the contents.
8. Carefully install the loaded source cassette into the source stacker base in the proper
orientation with the A1-well positioned in the front right corner, and make sure the
cassette slides all the way to the bottom of the base slot. The stack of microplates in the
cassette sits on top of the lifting rods.
9. Lock the source stacker cassette onto the base by turning clockwise the silver cassette
locking knob on the source stackerbase.
Note: If you have more than one stacker lane, the single silver source locking
knob locks all the source cassettes simultaneously.
10. Verify that the source cassette is locked by trying to lift the cassette up out of the base.
11. Make sure that the destination cassette behind the source cassette is in place and
locked. The locking knob for the destination cassette is the black knob on the back of the
lane. The lock position for the destination cassette locking knob is pushed in.
Figure 2-6: Locked Position for the Destination Stacker Cassette