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I sense your frustration. I have worked at two facilities with a flow
cytometer. One place had someone who monitored the cleaning and
maintenance and trained personnel on how the instrument was to be used,
eg, cleaning, data storage, emergency procedures, etc. At the facility I
now work, I am in charge of flow cytometry services, and here I do all
monthly maintencance, and am responsible for training any who wish to
use it. In both facilities, there is a PI who is supportive of insuring
all who use the instruments follow proper procedures, and this is
important to have. We have therfore not had the problems you describe.
What I would suggest, so you have something to present to the PI
responsible, is to push for having a sign up sheet for all users. This
would indicate who used the instrument prior to you, or prior to anyone
who sits down to use a dirty , clogged up machine. Review for patterns,
and initiate a policy that if one sits down to a dirty machine, that the
person whio used the instrument prior to that time is responsible for
cleaning the machine out, or is put on a "list" where he/she must be
monitored to insure they clean it properly (embarrassing, huh?)and
stress to the PI that NOT insuring that the machine is left clean each
time is costing TIME which, if he/she has any business sense knows that
this equates to $$$$$$. Maybe you will get this individual to take more
proactive steps in protecting the facility's expensive investment.
P Echeagaray
Flow Cytometry Services
Southern Research Frederick
Abby Allen wrote:
>
> Hello All!
>
> I am back again with a question regarding multi-user instruments (ours
> is a FACSCalibur). Our institute does not believe in paying one person
> to monitor the instrument (yet), so our current setup involves a monthly
> rotation where each lab is responsible for the instrument. In that
> month, that lab is required to run beads and do the monthly instrument
> cleaning protocol. The only other cleaning that is done is by the
> user. Each user is required to clean with 10-20% bleach for 10 min
> followed by deionized water for 10 min.
>
> Guess what? This hasn't been working. I have had to do the monthly
> maintenence cleaning three times over the past two weeks. I suspect
> that some have not been doing their post sample run cleaning, but of
> cours,e I have no way to prove that this is the case (do I?).
>
> To all people in similar situations: HELP - I am running out of ideas.
> The FACSCalibur was purchased specifically because of its hands - off
> reputation. Any suggestions on how to improve this nasty situation? I
> am sick of having to clean the instrument for 45 minutes every time I
> want to run samples.
>
> Thanks!
> Abby
> --
> **********************************************************************
> Abby Allen
> Center for Blood Research
> 800 Huntington Ave.
> Boston, MA 02115
>
> allen@cbr.med.harvard.edu
> **********************************************************************
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CD-ROM Vol 3 was produced by Monica M. Shively and other staff at the
Purdue University Cytometry Laboratories and distributed free of charge
as an educational service to the cytometry community.
If you have any comments please direct them to
Dr. J. Paul Robinson, Professor & Director,
PUCL, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907.
Phone: (765)-494-0757;
FAX(765) 494-0517;
Web