ThermoFisher Scientific MiniAmp Installation and operating instructions

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler
INSTALLATION, USE, AND MAINTENANCE
for use with Invitrogen™and Applied Biosystems™PCR reagents
Catalog NumbersA37834, A37835
Publication Number MAN0017492
Revision C.0

Life Technologies Holdings Pte Ltd | Block 33 | Marsiling Industrial Estate Road 3 | #07-06, Singapore 739256
For descriptions of symbols on product labels or product documents, go to thermofisher.com/symbols-definition.
Revision history:MAN0017492 C.0 (English)
Revision Date Description
C.0 15 December
2022 The catalog numbers for the MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus thermal cyclers were updated.
B.0 17 June 2021 The information on Fleet Control with InstrumentConnect was added and the password setup procedure was
updated.
A.0 12 February 2018 New document for MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus thermal cyclers.
The information in this guide is subject to change without notice.
DISCLAIMER: TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC. AND/OR ITS AFFILIATE(S) WILL NOT BE
LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, MULTIPLE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH OR
ARISING FROM THIS DOCUMENT, INCLUDING YOUR USE OF IT.
Important Licensing Information: These products may be covered by one or more Limited Use Label Licenses. By use of these
products, you accept the terms and conditions of all applicable Limited Use Label Licenses.
TRADEMARKS: All trademarks are the property of Thermo Fisher Scientific and its subsidiaries unless otherwise specified.
©2022 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights reserved.

Contents
■CHAPTER1Productinformation ................................................. 7
Productdescription ............................................................. 7
Instrument overview ............................................................. 7
■CHAPTER2Start, sign on, and configure theinstrument ..................... 8
Required materials not provided .................................................. 8
Set up the MiniAmp™or MiniAmp™Plus ThermalCycler ............................. 8
Touchscreen controls ........................................................... 10
Home screen controls ...................................................... 10
Enter text ................................................................. 11
Enternumbers ............................................................ 11
■CHAPTER3Connect the instrument for remote monitoring (Optional)..... 12
Set up the wiredconnection ..................................................... 12
Set up the wirelessconnection .................................................. 14
Create a user profile on the PCRinstrument ....................................... 15
Create a Connectaccount ...................................................... 15
Link the PCR instrument to Connect .............................................. 15
Connect byPC ................................................................ 16
■CHAPTER4Methods ............................................................ 17
Create/EditMethod ............................................................ 17
Create a newMethod ...................................................... 17
Create a custommethod ................................................... 18
Edit aMethod ............................................................. 19
Manage protocols and Advancedoptions ..................................... 21
Manage Methods and Folders ............................................... 25
Open and runMethod .......................................................... 28
Load samples into theinstrument ............................................ 28
Perform arun ............................................................. 29
Monitoring arun ........................................................... 31
MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide 3

View and export the run report .............................................. 34
Remove the samples from theinstrument ..................................... 34
■CHAPTER5 Maintenance ....................................................... 35
Clean theinstrument ........................................................... 35
Preparation ............................................................... 35
Clean the touchscreen ..................................................... 35
Clean the samplewells ..................................................... 35
Decontaminate the samplewells ............................................. 36
Clean the heatedcover ..................................................... 36
Decontaminate the heatedcover ............................................ 36
Replace thefuses .............................................................. 37
Required materials ......................................................... 37
Procedure ................................................................ 37
Upgrade the systemfirmware .................................................... 37
Determine firmware version oninstrument .................................... 37
Download newfirmware .................................................... 38
To upgrade the instrument with the newfirmware: ............................. 38
Self Verification test ............................................................ 39
Procedure ................................................................ 39
■APPENDIXATroubleshooting ................................................... 40
Troubleshooting ................................................................ 40
Return an instrument for service ................................................. 41
■APPENDIXBSet up mobile connectivity on a mobiledevice ................ 43
Set up mobile connectivity on a mobiledevice ..................................... 43
■APPENDIXCRecommended instrumentsettings ............................ 44
Recommended instrumentsettings .............................................. 44
Instrumentsettings ........................................................ 45
Restore Factory Settings (Administrator profileonly) ............................ 48
AboutInstrument .......................................................... 48
Run history ............................................................... 49
Maintenance and services .................................................. 50
USB shortcuts ............................................................ 50
Manage users (Administrator profileonly) ..................................... 52
Contents
4MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide

■APPENDIXDOrderinginformation ............................................. 53
Instrument partnumbers ........................................................ 53
Consumables .................................................................. 53
■APPENDIXEInstrument specification andlayout ............................. 55
Site requirements .............................................................. 55
Environmental requirements ..................................................... 55
Temperature and humidity requirements ...................................... 55
Pollution .................................................................. 55
Altitude ................................................................... 55
Technicalspecifications ......................................................... 56
Systemspecifications .......................................................... 57
Power and communication portsymbols .......................................... 57
Location of power point and ports on theinstrument ............................... 58
■APPENDIXFPredefined runmethods .......................................... 59
■APPENDIXGAbout the Thermal Cycler Fleet Control Software ............. 77
Connect the thermal cycler to thenetwork ........................................ 77
■APPENDIXHSafety .............................................................. 78
Symbols on theinstrument ...................................................... 78
Safety alerts on thisinstrument .................................................. 79
Location of safety labels on theinstrument .................................... 80
China RoHSCompliance ........................................................ 81
Safety information for instruments not manufactured by Thermo FisherScientific ...... 82
Instrumentsafety .............................................................. 82
General ................................................................... 82
Physical injury ............................................................. 82
Electricalsafety ........................................................... 82
Cleaning anddecontamination .............................................. 83
Safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards .......................... 83
Safety .................................................................... 83
EMC ..................................................................... 84
Environmental design standards ............................................. 84
Chemicalsafety ................................................................ 85
Biological hazardsafety ......................................................... 86
Contents
MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide 5

■APPENDIXIDocumentation and support ...................................... 87
Customer and technical support ................................................. 87
Limited product warranty ........................................................ 87
Contents
6MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide

Product information
Product description
The MiniAmp™Thermal Cycler and the MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler are end-point thermal cyclers,
specifically designed for the amplification of nucleic acids using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
process. The user interface includes a touchscreen with a graphical display that shows the time, status,
and temperature for each run. A touchscreen keypad allows you to enter information into fields on
the display screen. It is also compatible with the Applied Biosystems™Thermal Cycler Fleet Control
Software.
Instrument overview
The MiniAmp™Thermal Cycler (Cat. No. A37834) and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler (Cat. No. A37835)
allows you to:
•Optimize your PCR with the help of the Veriflex™block (MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler only)
•Program the instrument from the touchscreen interface
•Access the system remotely through a mobile application
•Simulate other PCR instruments with Thermal Simulation modes
Figure1MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler
This user guide provides information on how to maximize the capabilities of this system.
Detailed specifications for the MiniAmp™Thermal Cycler and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler are found
in AppendixE, “Instrument specification and layout”.
1
MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide 7

Start, sign on, and configure the
instrument
Required materials not provided
•Can of compressed air (For use in cleaning wells of sample block).
•(Optional) Electrical protective devices.
Note: The use of one or more of the following electrical protective devices is recommended.
·Power line regulator (100–240V)
·Surge protector/line conditioner (10-kVA)
·Uninterruptible power supply (1.5-kVA)
Set up the MiniAmp™or MiniAmp™Plus Thermal
Cycler
IMPORTANT! Save the packing materials and box in case you need to ship the instrument in for
service.
1. Open the shipping crate to unpack the instrument. You should receive one box containing the
thermal cycler and the accessories.
2. Remove the packing material, then inspect the instrument for shipping damage.
3. Use compressed air to clear out each well of the sample block to remove particles that may have
collected inside during shipping.
4. Move the instrument to an installation site that meets the spatial and weight requirements for the
thermal cycler (see “Technical specifications” on page56).
2
8MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide

5. Connect the instrument to a power outlet.
a. Connect the power cord to the instrument.
1
1Power cord port
b. Install any desired electrical protective devices.
c. Connect the power cord to a wall plug.
6. Press the power button, then wait for the instrument to start up. Proceed with the installation after
the touchscreen displays the Home screen, indicating that the instrument is active.
When you power on the instrument, the instrument will take under a minute to start up.
2
1
3
1Power switch
2USB port
3Ethernet port
The Home screen will display following successful installation.
Chapter2Start, sign on, and configure the instrument
Set up the MiniAmp™or MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler 2
MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide 9

Touchscreen controls
Table1General touchscreen controls
Button Function
Returns to the previous screen
Go to Home screen
Go to Sign in screen
Go to Settings screen
Scroll up and down through a list of items.
Advance and return through stages
Close the current modal window.
Home screen controls
Table2Home screen controls and indicators
Button Function
1
2
3
Go to Set up run screen
View instrument status
1. Current block temperature
2. Time remaining
3. Status of the block (pre-heating, running, etc.)
Go to Sign in screen
Go to Settings screen
Indicates whether the Wi-Fi is on or o.
Indicates whether a USB device is inserted into the instrument.
Indicates whether the instrument is connected to the network.
Chapter2Start, sign on, and configure the instrument
Touchscreen controls
2
10 MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide

Enter text
When you press a field that requires the input of text, the text editor, as seen in the following figure,
opens.
Common Callouts and Arrows
1. Copy-paste a callout or arrow to use in this SVG.
Note: If you need more advanced callouts or arrows
use the TechComm_Inkscape_Callout&Arrow_Libary.
3. Delete this text, this rectangle, and unused
callouts, arrows, or other SVG elements
before adding this SVG to the repository.
2. Edit number and/or line-length, as needed.
1
1
1
1
23 5 4
16
1Enter a letter
2Change letter case
3Enter punctuation or other symbols
4Delete
5Close and save
6Close without saving
Enter numbers
When you press a field that requires a numerical input, the numeric editor, as seen in the following
figure, opens.
3
2 1 4
1Enter a number
2Delete or enter decimal, colon or infinity
3Close and save
4Close without saving
Chapter2Start, sign on, and configure the instrument
Touchscreen controls 2
MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide 11

Connect the instrument for
remote monitoring (Optional)
Set up the wired connection
See “Set up the MiniAmp™or MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler” on page8. Set up the system for
instructions on connecting the instrument to the network. To set up the wired connection:
1. On the Home screen, press (Settings).
2. In the Settings screen, press Instrument Settings.
3
12 MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide

3. In the Instrument Settings screen, press Network Connection.
4. In the Network Connection screen, press Wired.
5. Select which method to obtain an IP address.
Obtain IP
address Description
Automatically Press Obtain an IP address automatically (using DHCP). A check mark appears
when DHCP is selected.
Manually Press Use the following IP Address, then enter the appropriate IP addresses
for the instrument, the Subnet Mask, and, optionally, the Default Gateway, the
Primary DNS Server, and the Secondary DNS Server using the numeric editor.
Addresses are in the form of X.X.X.X, where each X is a 3- digit number, from 001
to 255.
Chapter3Connect the instrument for remote monitoring (Optional)
Set up the wired connection 3
MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide 13

Note: If your instrument is not on a network, you do not need to set the IP address. Ask your
system administrator if the IP address is assigned statically or dynamically. For static addresses,
you need to know the IP address for the instrument, the subnet mask, and the default gateway.
6. Press OK to save the changes and go back to the Network Connection screen or press Cancel
to exit the screen without saving the changes.
Set up the wireless connection
See “Set up the MiniAmp™or MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler” on page8 on connecting the USB-
enabled Wi-Fi Card into the instrument.
1. Refer to “Set up the wired connection” on page12 Steps 1 through 3 to arrive at the Network
Connection screen.
2. In the Network Connection screen, press (Wireless).
Note: During initial setup, if you selected the Wired option in the Network Connection screen,
you will be required to enter the IP address if you selected the Static IP wired option. If you
selected the Dynamic IP wired option, the IP address is automatically populated.
3. Once a wireless connection has been detected, a list of the available networks will be displayed
in the Choose Network screen. Press the network name of your choice or press Join Other
Network.
Note: If you choose Join Other Network, the Configure and Join Network screen opens.
4. In the Configure and Join Network screen, press the Network Name field, then enter the name
and security type of the network.
5. From the Security type drop-down menu, press to select the security type and enter the relevant
information on the screen.
Note: Contact your IT Systems Administrator for information on security type.
Chapter3Connect the instrument for remote monitoring (Optional)
Set up the wireless connection
3
14 MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide

Select from the following options:
•Open
•WEP
•WPA Personal
•WPA2 Personal
•WPA Enterprise
•WPA2 Enterprise
Note: The above options are available only if Join Other Network was selected in Step 3. You
cannot change the security type if you selected an existing network.
6. Press Join to continue or Cancel to exit from the Find and Join a Network screen.
7. Depending on the security type you have selected, enter the appropriate passwords and press
Join.
8. If all the entered information is correct, the Network Connection Complete screen will appear.
Press OK to continue.
Note: If incorrect information was entered the Network Connection Failed screen will open.
Press OK to continue to the Security type screen.
Create a user profile on the PCR instrument
1. Press (Sign In) > Get started > Create profile.
2. Fill in the required text fields and follow the prompts to create your user profile.
Create a Connect account
1. Go to thermofisher.com/connect from your web browser.
2. Click Sign up now and follow the prompts to create an account.
Link the PCR instrument to Connect
The procedure to link the Administrator profile to Connect only needs to be performed the first time the
PCR instrument is added to Connect.
1. Press (Sign In) > Sign In, then select the Administrator profile.
2. Log in. (The default password for the Administrator profile is "password<last four digits of
instrument serial number>").
You will then be redirected back to the home screen.
Chapter3Connect the instrument for remote monitoring (Optional)
Create a user profile on the PCR instrument 3
MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide 15

3. Press (Settings) > Instrument Settings > Remote Service.
4. Set Remote Service to "On", then press OK.
5. Press (My Profile) on the home screen.
6. Select Cloud, then enter the Connect login and password associated with the Administrator
profile.
7. Press Link Account.
Upon successful authentication, the Administrator profile is linked to Connect.
Note: If an instrument is already linked to Connect, you will have the option to unlink the
instrument if desired.
Connect by PC
1. Log in to your Connect account using a web browser from a computer.
2. Select
(InstrumentConnect) from the left navigation strip.
3. Select (Add an Instrument) from the top navigation strip.
4. Select MiniAmp from the drop down menu, then click Next.
5. Enter the linking code generated by the instrument in the text box, then click Send.
Upon successful authentication, the instrument is linked to Connect.
Chapter3Connect the instrument for remote monitoring (Optional)
Connect by PC
3
16 MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide

Methods
Create/Edit Method
Create a new Method
1. In the Home screen, press Set Up Run.
2. In the Setup Run screen, press (Open Template).
3. Select a folder , then select an appropriate template from the Method Name list.
4
MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide 17

4. Press Edit. See “Edit a Method” on page19 for instructions on editing a method.
5. (Optional) Press Next4Start Run.
Create a custom method
1. In the Home screen, press Set Up Run.
2. In the Setup Run screen, press (Open Method).
3. Select a folder , then select an appropriate template from the Method Name list.
Note: At least one method must have previously been set up in order for the list to be populated.
Chapter4Methods
Create/Edit Method
4
18 MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide

4. Press Edit. See “Edit a Method” on page19 for instructions on editing a method.
5. (Optional) Press Next4Start Run.
Edit a Method
1. Press Edit or anywhere on the graphical temperature profile to start editing the parameters.
Chapter4Methods
Create/Edit Method 4
MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide 19

2. Edit any of the parameters that are surrounded by black fields indicating that they are editable
(temperature, time, heated cover, number of cycles, and volume).
3. Press Save, see “Save a Method” on page20.
4. (Optional) Press Actions to manage the steps, stages, and advanced options (see “Manage
protocols” on page21)
5. (Optional) Press Next to go to Start Run.
Save a Method
1. Once you have edited a run method, press Save As to save the method.
2. In the Save As screen, enter a name for the edited run method.
Characters allowed Characters not allowed
<100 characters >100 characters
Letters, numbers, spaces, underscores, and
dashes
% * ? | ; : , ! @ # $ . ( ) < > / \ " ' ` ~ { } [ ] = + & ^ (tab)
3. Press , then select the destination folder where you want to save the run method, then press
Save.
Chapter4Methods
Create/Edit Method
4
20 MiniAmp™and MiniAmp™Plus Thermal Cycler User Guide