Cleaning The Lightpipe Flowcell With Organic Solvents - Thermo Scientific Accela PDA Hardware Manual

Cleaning the LightPipe Flowcell with Organic Solvents

Thermo Scientific
5. Unscrew and remove the retaining block knob that holds the flowcell retaining block in
place.
6. Remove the retaining block (see
CAUTION To prevent damage, do not touch the ends of the LightPipe flowcell as you
remove it from the flowcell compartment.
7. Being careful not to touch the optical fibers at the ends of the LightPipe flowcell, pull the
flowcell out of the flowcell compartment.
8. Depending on how you plan to clean the LightPipe flowcell, do one of the following:
• To store the flowcell, disconnect the liquid lines. Then place the protective end caps
on the ends of the LightPipe flowcell.
• To temporarily remove the flowcell from the system, disconnect the LightPipe
flowcell inlet tube from the column.
• To clean the LightPipe flowcell by pumping solvent through it, disconnect the
flowcell inlet tube from the column and reconnect it directly to the pump. Leave the
outlet tubing connected to the waste reservoir.
If you suspect that your LightPipe flowcell needs cleaning, start with the following procedure
using organic solvents.
CAUTION Do not disassemble the LightPipe flowcell housing, tighten the screws on the
housing, or touch the optical fibers at the ends of the LightPipe flowcell. Doing so
damages the LightPipe flowcell. Thermo Fisher Scientific is not responsible for any
damage done to the LightPipe flowcell by attempts to disassemble the housing or tighten
the screws. Contact your Thermo Fisher Scientific Service Representative with any
questions regarding LightPipe flowcell maintenance or service.
To clean the LightPipe flowcell with an organic solvent
1. Remove the column from the chromatographic system to avoid column degradation.
Connect the inlet of the LightPipe flowcell directly to the chromatographic pump.
IMPORTANT Ensure that the cleaning solvents you plan to use are miscible with the
solvent already present in the LightPipe flowcell and pump. Isopropanol is a good
choice as a cleaning solvent for most applications. If the last solvent in the pump was
an aqueous buffer solution, be sure to pump 25 to 40 mL of HPLC-grade water (or
its equivalent) through the system to remove any salts before you flush the pump with
the cleaning solvents. This wash helps to avoid precipitation problems.
Figure 71 on page 86).
Accela PDA Detector Hardware Manual
6
Routine Maintenance
Cleaning the LightPipe Flowcell
87