Preparing Array Cards For Instrument Calibration; Required Materials; Fill The Calibration Taqman ® Array Cards - Applied Biosystems QuantStudio 6 Flex User Manual

Table of Contents

Preparing array cards for instrument calibration

Required

materials

Fill the calibration

TaqMan

Array

Cards

QuantStudio

6 and 7 Flex Real-Time PCR Systems v1.6 Maintenance and Administration Guide

™

• Store calibration plates or array cards in a dark place until you are ready to use

them. The fluorescent dyes in the wells of calibration consumables are

photosensitive. Prolonged exposure to light can diminish the fluorescence of the

dyes.

• Do not allow the bottoms of the plates or array cards to become dirty. Fluids and

other contaminants that adhere to the bottoms of the consumables can

contaminate the sample block and cause an abnormally high background signal.

• Confirm that your centrifuge is clean. Before centrifugation, wipe down the

bucket(s) using a tissue.

• Vortex and centrifuge all calibration plates to ensure complete mixing and that all

reagents are contained at the bottom of the wells. The calibration plates must be

well mixed and centrifuged before use.

IMPORTANT! Perform the following procedure only if you are verifying the

performance of a QuantStudio

QuantStudio

™

6 Flex System does not support the array card sample block.

™

• QuantStudio

7 Flex System Array Card Spectral Calibration Dye Kit:

– Array Cards, empty

– Array Card Spectral Calibration Dye Kit, including: FAM

™

dye mix, ROX

™

mix, and VIC

• TaqMan

Array Card Sealer

• Centrifuge with array card buckets and array card carrier clips

• Permanent marker or pen

• Pipettor, 200-µL (with pipette tips)

• Powder-free gloves

• Safety glasses

IMPORTANT! Wear powder-free gloves while creating the calibration array cards.

This procedure explains how to create all of the array cards required to calibrate the

™

QuantStudio

7 Flex System, but not all of them are required for a monthly

maintenance. Before preparing array cards for calibration, determine which

calibrations are required (see "Calibration and maintenance schedule" on page 27).

Note: For more information on the array card loading procedure, contact Technical

Support.

1. Remove the tubes of calibration solutions from the freezer, allow them to thaw,

then vortex the tubes to mix the contents well.

2. Remove the array cards from their box and place them on a clean, dry surface.