What do these products do in this instrument?
Bubble and pressure sensing: associate dispensing and washing abnormalities
Place monitoring in the reagent, wash-supply or permitted aspiration branch that carries the condition of interest. The controller combines the signal with the reaction vessel and completed steps; magnetic capture, residual liquid and assay background need their own observations.
ABD provides bubble or liquid-state signals for defined tubing; PDM5 provides pressure information at a defined location. Configure module, position and action window separately; the controller associates affected samples or tasks.
Separate reagent-dose monitoring from wash-cycle monitoring
A reagent-line observation should be interpreted against bottle state, mixing where required and the metered addition. A wash-line observation belongs to a particular fill or aspiration phase. Gas entry near the end of aspiration may have a different meaning from air entering a reagent dose, so one alarm rule should not be copied between those branches.
Further technical reading
Retain the reaction history when a wash is interrupted
The response depends on whether reagent addition, magnetic capture, filling or aspiration was active. Record the completed stage and the affected vessel before stopping the station. After restoring supply or drainage, the assay procedure determines whether the interrupted reaction can continue; adding another wash or reagent dose changes the sequence and requires a defined method decision.
Translate actual branch conditions into configuration requirements
| Condition | To confirm |
|---|---|
| Reagent branch | Define formulation, storage-to-use state, any suspension handling, bottle-change sequence and the actual addition being monitored. |
| Wash branch | Locate the sensing point relative to the wash head, aspiration path and waste receiver, with phase-specific expectations for liquid and gas. |
| Vessel and stage record | Associate the event with completed reagent additions, capture and wash steps; retain the state of every reaction using a shared wash resource. |
| Operation | Specific operating conditions |
|---|---|
| Fluidic monitoring | Reagent, wash-supply or aspiration branch; intended liquid/gas state in each phase; active reaction vessel; completed capture, fill and aspiration steps |
Fluidic monitoring
For a reagent-source event, review the specific addition and whether mixing or replenishment was underway. Confirm the next actual dose after restoring the source instead of treating a cleared alarm as evidence of correct reagent composition.
For a wash interruption, preserve the capture, fill and aspiration history. Check the wash head and waste receiver together before deciding which reactions need method-defined handling.
Challenge monitoring during normal station transitions as well as faults. Measure unnecessary stops separately from missed supply or aspiration disturbances, including the effect on other vessels sharing the station.
Use station observations to locate the problem: supply, aspiration geometry, capture or waste accumulation. The monitoring module contributes a signal to that investigation, not a direct measurement of bead loss or washing effectiveness.
Compare product configurations by the roles on this page
| Product | Configuration option | Conditions to verify |
|---|---|---|
| ABD bubble-detection module | Bubble or liquid-state identification in defined tubing | Validate detection and false alarms for tubing material, dimensions, medium and action window |
| PDM5 pressure-detection module | Pressure-state monitoring at a defined fluidic location | Confirm range and wetted configuration by model; validate normal baseline and abnormalities separately |
Related operations and architecture comparisons
Sample addition with a fixed probe
Sample-volume error affects reaction ratios, while external probe droplets may contaminate the next container. Combine aspiration, delivery and probe washing into a complete sequence and compare recovery after concentrated samples.
Multiple-reagent aspiration and dispensing
Bead suspensions, binding reagents and substrates may have different settling, light and storage requirements. Plan standby, mixing and first-dose recovery by actual formulation, including residual liquid in shared tubing.
Fluid supply and waste removal for magnetic solid-phase washing
Record added volume, residual liquid and bead loss in every wash. If background is abnormal, distinguish inadequate capture, coverage, aspiration positioning and waste pooling before changing pump output.
Confirm product roles in actual operation
| Operation | Measurements and observations | Priority checks |
|---|---|---|
| Fluidic monitoring | Exercise representative source depletion and wash-supply or aspiration disturbances in their actual phases. Compare signal timing and controller response with received reagent, residual wash liquid and retained solid phase. | A supply alarm cannot distinguish inadequate magnetic capture from misplaced aspiration. If background remains abnormal after path recovery, assess those station conditions and the assay separately. |
Validate dose monitoring against actual reagent receipt and wash monitoring against the completed wash cycle. Recovery must account for the affected reaction history as well as the next vessel using the station.
Does a normal pressure trace confirm successful magnetic washing?
It confirms only the pressure observed at that location and time. Wash acceptance also requires the intended solid-phase retention, residual-liquid removal and assay background; a recovered pressure trace cannot reconstruct an interrupted wash.
Pump flow alone does not prove adequate washing; validate magnetic capture, mixing and aspiration position across the whole station.