Care And Maintenance; The Aurum Vacuum Manifold - BIO RAD Aurum Instruction Manual

Manifold top
A stage B stage
Replacement luer caps
Column adaptor plate
Fig. 1. Aurum vacuum manifold kit components.
Section 3

Care and Maintenance

The Aurum vacuum manifold and CAP should be stored clean and dry at
room temperature. After each use rinse the instruments with distilled
water, and wipe dry with paper towels or air dry. Never use alcohols or
other organic reagents to clean the manifold. Never use abrasive
materials to clean the manifold.
Gasket surfaces should be carefully rinsed to remove salts, which may
promote uneven contact between manifold parts and the purification
plate or CAP. Check the tubular and flat silicone gaskets for wear before
and after use of the manifold. Should the upper flat gaskets become
worn out, replacements (Cat. 732-6471) can be ordered by contacting
Bio-Rad Customer Service at 1-800-4BIORAD (1-800-424-6723). In the
event that the bottom tubular gasket requires replacement, a length of
1/8" OD silicone tubing may be used.
Manifold base Vacuum regulator
Waste collection tray
Tubing (5/16" ID)
2
Section 4

The Aurum Vacuum Manifold

The Aurum vacuum manifold is designed to accommodate the 96-well plates
used in Bio-Rad's kits, such as the Aurum plasmid 96 kit. The manifold may
also be compatible with other manufacturers' kits. For column processing, the
column adaptor plate is required. The vacuum regulator is included and
strongly recommended for measuring negative pressure, as well as for
gradually increasing negative pressure at different periods throughout the
various protocols.
The Aurum manifold consists of two primary parts, the manifold base and top.
The top has an attached tubular silicone gasket, allowing the manifold base
and top to seal when a vacuum is introduced. Attached to the opening in the
manifold top is a flat silicone gasket, enabling Aurum 96-well purification plates
or the CAP to establish an airtight seal with the manifold top when a vacuum
is applied. Collectively, these two gaskets facilitate self-seating of all
components, reducing the need to apply external pressure to the manifold to
initiate vacuum. However, under certain conditions application of gentle
downward force on the plates or CAP may occasionally be required to
facilitate seating. In the event that the tubular silicone gasket becomes
detached, it can be easily reinserted into the track on the underside of the
manifold top.
Each Aurum vacuum manifold is supplied with two stages of different heights:
a short A stage and tall B stage. Both stages are used with the etched letters
A and B facing up. On the top side of the A stage is a shallow depression, in
which the waste collection tray is placed. During sample loading and washing,
the A stage centers the waste collection tray underneath the Aurum
purification plate or the CAP. The taller B stage centers and elevates a 96-well
sample collection plate during elution from the purification plate. A groove
outlining the perimeter of the top side of the B stage accommodates the
bottom skirt of the collection plate.
3