Molecular Devices SkanStacker 300 User manual

SkanStacker 300
User Guide
ANALL-INCLUSIVE AUTOMATIC MICROPLATE WASHER

ii SkanStacker 300 User Guide
1311 Orleans Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94089 USA
0112-0065Rev. B
Copyright
© Copyright 2004, Molecular Devices Corporation. All rights reserved. No
part of this publication may be photocopied or reproduced in any form with-
out the prior written permission of Molecular Devices Corporation, 1311
Orleans Drive, Sunnyvale, California, 94089, USA.
Trademarks and Patents
SkanWasher is a trademark of Molecular Devices Corporation (MDC) and is
not to be used in any type of promotion or advertising without permission
from MDC. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of
their respective owners.
Disclaimer
Molecular Devices Corporation reserves the right to change its products and
services at any time to incorporate technological developments. This user
guide is subject to change without notice.
Although this user guide has been prepared with every precaution to ensure
accuracy, Molecular Devices Corporation assumes no liability for any errors
or omissions, nor for any damages resulting from the application or use of this
information.

SkanStacker 300 User Guide iii
Chapter 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Key to Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Safety Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Serial Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Package Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 2: Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Chapter 3: Parts and Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Wash Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Microplate Lift. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Control Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
LED Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Instrument Rear Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Pressure/Vacuum Washer Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
External Vacuum Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Hydrophobic Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Internal Pressure Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Chapter 4: Software Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Setup Function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Edit Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Edit Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chapter 5: Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Starting a Wash Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chapter 6: Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Daily Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Empty Wash Head Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Weekly Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Monthly Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Advanced Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Dispense test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Clogged Probes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Removal of wash head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Table of Contents

iv SkanStacker 300 User Guide
Replacing Probes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Chapter 7: Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Troubleshooting Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Error Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Magazine Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Section A: Right magazine alignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Section B: Left magazine alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Vacuum Pump Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Adjusting vacuum pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Discharge test for vacuum pump. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Compare pump with internal vacuum sensor . . . . . . . . . 44
Application Tips: SkanWasher 300/ SkanStacker. . . . . . . . . 45
Appendix A: Shipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Appendix B: Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Physical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Chemical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
Appendix C: Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3
Appendix D: Wash Program Sheets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

SkanStacker 300 User Guide v
Figure 1: Waste reservoir and vacuum pump. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Figure 2: Wash and Rinse liquid connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Figure 3: Microplate transfer base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Figure 4: SkanStacker 300 Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Figure 5: Control Panel, LCD and Touch Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Figure 6: Rear of the SkanStacker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Figure 7: Aspirate probe height position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Figure 8: Dispense probe height position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19
Figure 9: Wash head connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-32
Figure 10: Right magazine alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-40
Figure 11: Left magazine alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42
Figures

SkanStacker 300 User Guide 1
Chapter 1: Introduction
Overview
The need to thoroughly wash unbound antigens, antibodies, binding proteins,
enzymes, or receptors from a solid-phase binding support is one of the most
important steps in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The
SkanStacker 300 meets this demand and those of other numerous laboratory
assays now being performed in 96-well microplates where thorough washing
is an essential component of the assay.
The SkanStacker is designed to wash 96-well microplates. The process of set-
ting up wash parameters is flexible and allows you to modify or choose the
following settings:
Aspirate probe height and position in the well for low residual
volume.
Dispense probe height and position in the well for washing the active
part of well.
Inlet wash buffer flow rate can be adjusted by changing air pressure.
Range 0.00 - 0.60 bar in selected programs.
“Overflow” washing with meniscus.
Microprocessor-controlled timing.
Aspiration from the top of the well with adjustable lift speed
controlled by adjusting aspirate time in seconds.
Wash all 96 wells simultaneously.
Dispense-only function from 100 -350 µl.
Dispense volume adjustment.
Adjustable vacuum pump with manometer.
Electronic air pressure regulation.
Automatic handling of up to 25 microplates.

Introduction
2 SkanStacker 300 User Guide
About This Guide
Chapter 1: This section will give you an introduction to the manual and
details of what to expect in this Guide.
Chapter 2: Installation instructions will be outlined.
Chapter 3: Details will be given on unit parts to introduce common terminol-
ogy used throughout the manual.
Chapter 4: This section will detail use of the software to set up programs and
configuration of the instrument.
Chapter 5: General operations will be detailed.
Chapter 6: Detailed procedures will be listed for care and maintenance of
instrument.
Chapter 7: Troubleshooting tips, error messages, and advanced troubleshoot-
ing will be outlined.
Appendix: This section will include instrument specifications, shipping
information, and program sheets.
Key to Symbols
Symbols are used throughout this Guide to indicate important or helpful infor-
mation that is not directly part of an instruction. The symbols used are the fol-
lowing:
SCAUTION: Alerts user to
situations that could result in
instrument damage or failure to
complete a procedure.
!! IMPORTANT: Information that
you need to know to perform a task
properly.
&TIP: Helpful information that can
simplify a task.

Introduction
SkanStacker 300 User Guide 3
Safety Features
The SkanStacker is equipped with four sensors that help to safeguard opera-
tion before the actual wash. When starting the program, the SkanStacker auto-
matically verifies the status of the following:
Pressure pump operating at the correct level (0-600 mbar).
Microplate in the microplate lift.
Space remaining in the waste reservoir (alarm will sound when 3/4
full).
Waste vacuum operating at the correct level (< 900 mbar).
Sensors can be disabled through the Setup menu / Edit Options. Consult
page 21 for procedure.
Serial Number
The serial number of the unit can be found on the left side of the instrument.
Package Content
The SkanStacker system includes the following:
SkanStacker Instrument
Tool kit, including probe cleaner, Allen key, and 7 mm wrench.
Power cord: (2) 230 V cables for UK and Europe or (1) 110 V cable
User guide
Reference card (short form guide located in slot on back panel of
instrument)
Adjustable feet for leveling instrument
2 magazines
Magazine transfer base
Aerosol shield
Warranty card
Reservoir and Tubing
45 L/min vacuum pump with hydrophobic filter
Buffer reservoir (4 L); Rinse reservoir (4 L)
Waste collection vessel (15 L) with level sensor and alarm waste
cable

Introduction
4 SkanStacker 300 User Guide
Tubing set
zInlet tubing for buffer (blue) and rinse (green)
zPressure tubing (yellow)
zVacuum waste tubing (red): connects from instrument to 15 liter
collection vessel
zVacuum pump tubing (black): connects from vacuum pump to 15
liter collection vessel

Installation
SkanStacker 300 User Guide 5
Chapter 2: Installation
Step 1 Remove transport bracket.
Use an Allen wrench and remove the two allen screws indicated
by the number one in the picture below.
Use an Allen wrench and remove the two allen screws indicated
by the number two in the picture below.
Step 2 Verify voltage is properly set for incoming line voltage.
Check that the current voltage setting is pointing to the small
white mark.
Step 3 Change voltage setting, if indicated.
Pry open the fuse compartment with a small screwdriver.
Turn the switch around until the proper setting is pointing to the
small white mark on the bottom of the casing.
Verify correct fuses are in place; change if indicated.
z230 VAC= 1A fuse
z115 VAC= 2A fuse
&TIP: Save the packing material for
future use in shipping instrument.
!! IMPORTANT: Fuse compartment
is located below the main power
receptacle on the back of the
instrument.
12
1
2

Installation
6 SkanStacker 300 User Guide
Reinstall switch.
Step 4 Connect the power cord.
Insert the power cord into the receptacle located on the back of
the instrument.
Plug the power cord into the main power outlet.
Step 5 Connect Waste Reservoir (refer to Figure 1).
Connect the outlet tubing line (red) from the Waste port on waste
reservoir to the Vacuum port on the side of the instrument (vac-
uum grade tubing required with straight-through quick coupling).
Connect the waste alarm cable from the waste reservoir to the
Waste Alarm port on the back on the instrument located below
the power receptacle.
Connect vacuum tubing (black) from Vacuum quick connect on
waste reservoir to tubing from vacuum pump. (Hydrophobic filter
should be connected to tubing from vacuum pump with arrow on
filter facing pump.)
Figure 1: Waste reservoir and vacuum pump
SCAUTION: Before connecting
the main power, ensure that the
voltage setting is correct.
Waste Reservoir
Vacuum Pump
SS 300
Waste Alarm Cable
Vacuum-Grade Tubing

Installation
SkanStacker 300 User Guide 7
Step 6 Connect the Wash and Rinse Liquids (refer to Figure 2).
Connect the pressure tubing (yellow) from the wash buffer and
rinse reservoir to the Pressure port on the side of the instrument.
Connect the tubing from the wash buffer (blue) and rinse res-
ervoir (green) to the Inlet and Rinse ports on the left side of
the instrument.
Figure 2: Wash and Rinse liquid connection
Step 7 Load microplates into magazines using the microplate transfer base
(see Figure 3).
Step 8 Insert magazines in slots on top of instrument.
SCAUTION: It is recommended
to use the waste collection
vessel provided by Molecular
Devices. These bottles are
implosion proof with a
“tankful” sensor and a built-in
foam reducer.
!! IMPORTANT: Do not fill the
reservoir bottles completely. Allow
approximately 25% free space for
air pressure.
Waste Reservoir
Vacuum Pump
Washhead
InletRinse
Hyd. Filter
Vacuum Pressure Rinse Pressure Inlet

Installation
8 SkanStacker 300 User Guide
Step 9 Set up vacuum pump and adjust if necessary (starting pressure 300
mbar).
Figure 3: Microplate transfer base
Microplate Transfer Base

Parts and Description
SkanStacker 300 User Guide 9
Chapter 3: Parts and Description
Figure 4: SkanStacker 300 Instrument
Wash Head
The wash head contains 96 paired probes: the longer probes are used
when aspirating and the shorter probes are used when dispensing. The
head is a combined manifold and washhead, equipped with 3 valves,
electronic sensors for vacuum and pressure, and a spirit level to assist
in leveling the wash head.
The wash head is removable, using the two adjustment knobs to
remove the washhead. The washhead is lifted up and both the flat
cable and air pressure tubing are disconnected. This allows access to
its internal channels for cleaning and maintenance.
Microplate Lift
The microplate lift ensures that the microplate is positioned
accurately during each stage of the wash program. The function of the
lift is to minimize contamination of the wash probes (probes are not
submerged into the liquid in the wells). The carriage collects and
stacks microplates from the magazines.
The vertical velocity of the lift is fixed except during the aspirate
function: the longer the aspirate time, the slower the lift moves
Magazine racks
Adjustment Knobs
Control Panel
Wash Head

Parts and Description
10 SkanStacker 300 User Guide
upward toward the aspirate probes. This creates a very gentle
aspiration and avoids disturbing the coating in the wells.
The lift automatically returns to the home position (lower) when the
instrument is powered on.
Control Panel
The control panel located on the front of the SkanStacker contains eight touch
keys, three LEDs, and a LCD display, all of which are used to program and
control the instrument.
Figure 5: Control Panel, LCD and Touch Keys
The control panel can be divided into three separate parts detailed below:
LCD Display
Displays messages during programming, setup, and during a run.
Setup/Program
The five dark gray keys ([Setup], [Program], [Enter], and ¿À
arrow keys) are used to select and enter parameters when program-
ming the SkanStacker. When the [Setup] or [Program] key is
pressed, its corresponding LED will light.
Wash
zThe three light gray keys ([Start], [Rinse], and [Stop]) are used
to run a pre-selected wash sequence or rinse or prime. When the
SkanSTACKER
Ready
Stop
Display
StartRinse
LED-Setup
LED-Program
Increase
Decrease
Enter
LED-Ready
Program

Parts and Description
SkanStacker 300 User Guide 11
SkanStacker is ready for wash, the Ready LED light turns on.
zThe [Stop] key is used to halt operation in the event of a prob-
lem.
Press the [Stop] key to interrupt current operation, and the
LCD will display a stop message.
Press the [Stop] key a second time to return to the main
menu. (The microplate lift will move down to home posi-
tion.)
LED Display
There are three LEDs that light up indicating various functions:
Setup: LED will light when user is in setup mode.
Program: LED will light when user is in program mode.
Ready: LED will light when unit is ready to run a program.
Instrument Rear Connections
Figure 6: Rear of the SkanStacker

Parts and Description
12 SkanStacker 300 User Guide
Part Description
Inlet ports Located on the left side of the unit’s wash head. Two reser-
voir containers can be connected to the Inlet and Rinse
ports. Two 4 L reservoir bottles are provided with the sys-
tem to accommodate a buffer (blue color-coded tubing)
and rinse (green color-coded tubing) solution.
Vacuum port Located on the left side of the unit. The waste collection
reservoir is connected to this port via the waste tubing (red
color-coded). It is recommended to use the waste collec-
tion vessel that is provided with the system.
Pressure
ports Located on the left side of the unit. The pressure tubing (yellow color-coded) is connected to these ports from the
buffer and rinse reservoir bottle.
Main power Located on the back panel of the unit. This contains the
main power receptacle, which includes the power switch
and fuses (1 amp for 230 VAC/ 2 amp for 115 VAC). The
selected voltage setting (110-130 VAC or 220-240 VAC)
will point toward the white arrow. System includes either
one power cable to handle 110 V or two power cables to
handle 220 V, which includes a power cable for the UK.
Consult Chapter 2: Installation for directions to change
fuses and/or voltage setting.
Waste alarm
connector Located on the back panel of the unit. The waste alarm cable is connected to this port.
Microplate
magazines The instrument is equipped with two (2) microplate maga- zines that can process up to 25 microplates. A plastic clip
at the bottom of the magazine holds the microplates in the
magazine. The clips are activated by the microplate carrier
during microplate collection and storage operations.

Parts and Description
SkanStacker 300 User Guide 13
Pressure/Vacuum Washer Parts
External Vacuum Source
The instrument requires an external vacuum source. Vacuum is expressed in
millibar (mbar), with reference to absolute vacuum, which equals 0 mbar, and
room pressure, which equals 1000 mbar. (Note: 1000 mbar = 1 bar = 1 atmo-
sphere = approximately 14 PSI). The instrument should be used with a stable
vacuum source with the following minimum requirements:
Capacity: Higher than 30 L/min, free air displacement.
Peak vacuum: Better than 300 mbar.
A dedicated vacuum source is recommended. House vacuum often has fluctu-
ation in vacuum since typically there is more than one user.
Hydrophobic Filter
A hydrophobic filter should be placed between the waste reservoir and vac-
uum pump. The filter is used to protect the pump by preventing liquid from
entering into the pump system. A filter with a pore size of 0.2 µm is recom-
mended. Continuous use of the pump protection membrane filter will cause
reduced flow capacity. The filter should be replaced when condensation is vis-
ible in its housing.
Internal Pressure Source
The instrument is equipped with an internal pressure pump that creates air
pressure in the liquid reservoirs, eliminating the need for gravity feed. The
pressure level can be adjusted between 0.0 and 0.6 bar (approximately 9 psi).
The air pressure is supplied through the small quick couplings on the left side
of the instrument labeled Pressure ports (Figure 2). The default air pressure
value is 0.25 bar (approximately 4 psi). Any value between 0.15 -0.40 bar is
considered a reasonable operating pressure. The air pressure value can be set
for each wash program through the on-board software and adjusted for differ-
ent assays.
&TIP: Adjusting the level of the
air pressure also adjusts the flow
rate of the liquid entering the
microplate wells. It does not have
an effect on the volume.

Software Configuration
SkanStacker 300 User Guide 14
Chapter 4: Software Configuration
The SkanStacker allows up to eight different user-defined and programmed
wash sequences to be stored in memory with a battery backup. Each wash
program has the following options:
Air pressure from the internal pressure pump can be varied to control
inlet liquid flow.
Volume adjustment conversion factor, σV, can be used to fine-tune
the dispense volume to adjust for the different viscosities of various
liquids.
The position (height) of the aspirate probe above the bottom of the
well during aspiration can be varied. The amount of fluid kept in the
well can be adjusted.
Dispense probe height position in the well during washing can be set.
Up to 16 wash sequence steps can be selected. Each step can be one
of the following:
zAspirate, time in seconds [2–10 sec.]
zWash, time in seconds [0.1–10 sec.]
zWash, volume in µl [100–900 µl]
zDispense, volume in µl [100–350 µl]
zWash from inlet Rinse, time in seconds [0.1–10 sec.]
zSoak/pause, time in minutes and seconds [1 sec.–2 min 50 sec.]
The washer is pre-programmed with four typical wash sequences. These may
be removed or changed as necessary.
At the end of this Guide, a blank program guide sheet is included to facilitate
programming. Duplicate this sheet for your own use to save a hard copy of
each program for reference purposes.