Slee MTM II Operating Manual

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O P E R A T I N G

M A N U A L

T I S S U E P R O C E S S O R

M T M I I

COST-EFFECTIVE PREMIUM TISSUE PROCESSING

HIGHEST RELIABILITY

EASY CLEANING

D ES I GN &

M A N UFACT UR I NG

M A DE IN GE R M A NY

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Summary of Contents for Slee MTM II

Page 1 O P E R A T I N G M A N U A L T I S S U E P R O C E S S O R M T M I I COST-EFFECTIVE PREMIUM TISSUE PROCESSING HIGHEST RELIABILITY EASY CLEANING D ES I GN &...
Page 2 Manual_MTM_II_2021-10-010.00_EN.docx...
Page 3: Table Of Contents
CONTENTS 1. INTENDED USE ............4 2. SYMBOLS ............4 3. SAFETY NOTES ............5 4. COMPONENTS ............8 5. SPECIFICATIONS ............9 6. UNPACKING AND INSTALLATION ............11 7. INITIAL OPERATION ............14 8. REAGENT MANAGEMENT ............26 SYSTEM 9.
Page 4: Intended Use
The MTM II tissue processor recycles the air utilized to move the reagents to and from the processing chamber. An effective charcoal filter on the external air-outlet reduces the exhaust fumes to acceptable and safe levels.
Page 5: Safety Notes
3. SAFETY NOTES The institution which owns the unit and the persons working with the unit, servicing or repairing it have the responsibility for a hazard-free use. • Severe damage can result if the instrument is connected to a power supply different from the rating stated in the identification tag placed on the rear of the instrument.
Page 6 • Always make certain to correctly engage the reagent bottles. • DO NOT open the processing chamber lid when the instrument is working without following the instructions contained in this manual. • Use specific precautions in handling flammable reagents such as ethanol (wear protective gloves and eyeglasses).
Page 7 3.1 ELECTRICAL POWER CONNECTION Do not use any extension lead. Make sure that electric power is constant: • This should be examined during installation of the unit by a competent person. • Use a dedicated fuse for the unit. • Do not connect another unit to the same power circuit. •...
Page 8: Components
4. COMPONENTS The Slee vacuum tissue processor MTM II is provided with the following standard components: MTM I MTM II • • Basic unit with rotary valve • Enhanced heating element (EHE) • • 15’’ Color-LCD-Touchscreen Cassette basket • •...
Page 9: Specifications
2 baskets (150 cassettes each) Temperature range MTM I 55 – 65 °C (paraffin) RT, 35 – 45 °C (reagents) MTM II 55 - 65 °C (paraffin) RT, 35 - 45 °C (reagents) EHE-element for preheated reagents Pressure range 400 hPa (0.4 bar) Vacuum 1200 hPa (1.2 bar)
Page 10 Dimensions and weight 720 mm x 600 mm x 1.080 mm without monitor [width x depth x height] 720 mm x 600 mm x 1.430 mm with monitor Weight MTM I 120 kg without accessories MTM II 135 kg Manual_MTM_II_2021-10-010.00_EN.docx...
Page 11: Unpacking And Installation
6. UNPACKING AND INSTALLATION Before moving or transporting the instrument, it is essential to carefully read this chapter, paying particular attention to the instrument setup instructions. The warranty is invalid if the instrument is improperly operated. Be certain to follow the instructions and recommendations provided by this manual.
Page 12 Ground Fault Circuit Interruption (GFCI) protection, as an additional electrical safeguard. In addition to the MTM II anti-blackout feature, an uninterruptible power supply can be utilized to provide power in the event of power outages and some protection against power fluctuations, line noise and power spikes.
Page 13 6.4 PACKAGING AND/OR PREPARATION FOR TRANSPORT To transport the instrument, perform the following steps: • Remove all reagents (waxes included) from their bottles. • Remove and close, with the proper threaded cap, the charcoal filter bottle, put also some adhesive tape on the air inlet to avoid charcoal pellets to get out.
Page 14: Initial Operation
The reagent heating up to 50 °C to 60 °C allows the reduction of the processing time, in the MTM II this reduction is increased due to the fact that the reagent heating is made during the reagents filling (through the EHE) without any delay.
Page 15 (but only if set active here). By this function it is possible to set inactive the EHE in case it is known that the MTM II will not (never or for a long time) be used for fast tissue processing. In this case it is...
Page 16 7.5 LANGUAGES Seven languages are currently available: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Czech and Turkish. 7.6 DATE FORMAT In the USA the date format is: month/day/year. In Europe the format is: day/month/year. Also the time is displayed in a different way. Here it is possible to choose the format. 7.7 ELEVATION The ambient pressure is depending on the site elevation from the sea level (approx.
Page 17 2.5 litres, to a maximum of 2.538 litres and a minimum of 2.463 litres. Given that the MTM II can work properly with the bottles charged from a minimum of 2.4 to a maximum of 2.6 litres, the above cited values are compatible with the correct functioning of the processor in normal conditions (from 1 to 300 standard cassettes).
Page 18 2 seconds and the MTM II computer will emit a beep to confirm. It is advisable to not press more than one time the screen surface and wait for the screen data and pictures to be visible before to perform any command.
Page 19 7.17 PASSWORD SETUP The MTM II software includes a password system that allows the access restriction to separate functions of the instrument. Password general rules: • every time the password is requested there are 15 seconds time to type it and...
Page 20 Enable/Disable Password This function allows the enabling and disabling of the Password. If the password is not active the systems requires the definition of a new one. If the password is active the system allows the disabling by typing the current password correctly.
Page 21 Password protection map There are nine functions that can be protected by password. It is advisable to use the password only where it is really necessary. The extensive usage of the password while increasing the instrument security may create problem to the day by day operations. The password will be requested for the activation of each protected functions and can be requested many times during the usage of the instrument (for example during the RFD it will be requested for each bottle managed), that may result to be bothering but it is necessary to guarantee a real protection of the...
Page 22 From this menu it is possible to print on paper the most important instrument data. If the printer port is active and the MTM II printer is connected to the system the prints will be executed on paper, vice versa, if the printer is not active (independently from its presence), the prints will be executed on the screen.
Page 23 It is particularly important to keep note of the following parameters: • SCP calibration • WWC calibration • EHE calibration • VR delay • RFD calibration • WWC int heaters G These data can be very useful in case of instrument repair especially in case of computer or memory failure.
Page 24 Alarms archive The Alarm archive can be accessed also from the Service menu but it can be useful to print it on paper periodically. The print on screen of the alarms is available only from the Service menu. RMS status This print allows the verification of the current RMS (Reagent Management System) status.
Page 25 RMS setup This print allows the verification of the current RMS (Reagent Management System) setup. In the example above it is shown the RMS setup on GROUP. It is possible to see: the definition of the groups for each reagent bottle the pre-defined limit for each group in terms of cassettes processed and processes performed Manual_MTM_II_2021-10-010.00_EN.docx...
Page 26: Reagent Management
In the MTM II the usage of a good RMS is much more important given that, as explained in other chapters, the instrument can be used for fast and for slow processes with a different utilization of the reagents.
Page 27 It is here important to note that the MTM II RMS accepts a maximum of 8 groups. It is highly advisable to not form too many groups, 5 or 6 groups are the ideal situation for a successful reagent management and the samples best quality. Particularly a maximum of two groups of dehydrants are sufficient to guarantee a correct incremental alcohol gradation.
Page 28 (that will trigger the reagent substitution) set for each reagent bottle. In the MTM II the limits are based only on the number of cassettes processed. Those limits will be defined for each bottle of reagent (see next chapters), it is here important to describe how the limits will be handled by the RMS: •...
Page 29 End of process 1 Container Processed cassettes DAF (regressive counter) End of process 2 Bottle Processed cassettes DAF (regressive counter) End of process 3 Bottle Processed cassettes DAF (regressive counter) At this point the RMS will require the substitution of bottle 8 because its DAF has reached the predefined limit of processed cassettes, after the substitution the counters of this bottle will be reset.
Page 30 End of process 5 Container Processed cassettes DAF (regressive counter) After process 5 the RMS will require the substitution of bottle 9 because its DAF has exceeded the limit. End of process 6 Container Processed cassettes DAF (regressive counter) The sequence here shown (typical of a long overnight process) would be surely influenced, in the real world, by variations in the quantity of cassettes processed and by the usage of fast-short processes with only one bottle per group.
Page 31 8.3 RMS SETUP The MTM II RMS is a system to punctually and exactly manage all reagents to guarantee a constant process and sample quality. The use of the Reagent Management System eliminates the need to make annoying written annotations of reagent bottle status. This results in substantial time savings and eliminates the possibility of errors caused by multiple operators using the instrument.
Page 32 RMS Define Reagents Defining reagents allows the operator to identify the type of reagent that is used in any single bottle. The labels to be used here must be prepared in advance in the instrument SETUP. It is important to notice that the assignment of a reagent name to a bottle in the RMS automatically updates the reagent names in the process programs.
Page 33 RMS Define Limits The definition of the limits determines the frequency of reagent substitution. It is possible to assign to each bottle a limit based on the number of cassettes processed. When this limit is reached or exceeded, the RMS will require the substitution of the reagent for that specific bottle.
Page 34 RMS Counters Total Reset The Counters Total Reset selection allows the user to set to zero the number of processes performed and the number of cassettes processed including the DAF counter. This function may be used when it is necessary to replace/renew the reagents of all bottles and, at all the effects, restart the RMS.
Page 35 Purge reagents limits setting The purge reagents are also under the supervision of the RMS. It is therefore sufficient that the RMS is active to have it recommend the substitution of the purge reagents every 3 to 9 processes. The recommended number of processes for the substitution of the purge reagents are as follows: •...
Page 36 If the MTM II is operated in an area with high relative humidity, if pressure and/or vacuum is requested for most or all of the process steps, if the reagents mixing in the SPC is set to the maximum frequency, it will be necessary to set the limits for the charcoal filters substitution at or below the minimum values mentioned above.
Page 37 Using the RMS Using the RMS is certainly simpler than setting it, it will be sufficient to follow its instructions (requests of bottles substitution) when, after the execution of a process and the purge, and if any of the predefined limit has been reached or exceeded, the RMS screen will automatically appear.
Page 38 The colour of the bottles will indicate the quality of the reagents as follow: GREEN = new, never used, reagent. YELLOW = used reagent that has not yet reached/exceeded the predetermined limit. RED = reagent that has reached/exceeded the predetermined limit. GRAY = bottle with not defined content.
Page 39 After a certain number of processes, or executing very different processes (as it may often happen in the MTM II), it may be difficult for the operator to understand from the reading of the counters how the reagents have been used. It will be necessary to trust...
Page 40 Other brands of tissue processors have bottles with a volume of 4.5 litres, in this units the reagents renewal may be done less frequently than in the MTM II. This may appear as an advantage (less work) but in terms of quality of the...
Page 41: Operation
Draining Port for RFD system DRAIN Compatible reagents The following reagents can be utilized in the MTM II without any risk of damage: Water, Formalin, Ethyl alcohol (pure or denatured), Methyl alcohol, Xylene, Xylene substitutes, Paraffin Wax The following materials are used in the construction of the MTM II. Reagents other than...
Page 42 DO NOT use Acetone, Benzene or Trichloroethane. We also advise against the use of fixatives containing mercury salts, acetic or picric acid as they may corrode the metal components of the instrument and shorten a component’s useful life. Filling reusable reagent bottles The emptying and subsequent refilling of reusable reagent bottles must be done in accordance with all safety regulations for handling flammable and toxic substances.
Page 43 The RFD can work in three different modalities: Modality “DRAIN and FILL”: • The MTM II fills the SPC with the content of the chosen bottle. • Then it drains the SPC through port 17 into an empty bottle (right side quick connector).
Page 44 Modality “Only FILL” • The MTM II fills the SPC with 2.5 L of reagent from port 18 (left side quick connector). • Then it drains the SPC content into the chosen bottle.
Page 45 In case of events that would have stopped half-way the execution of the MTM II (for example: alarms or mistakes on the bottles positioning) if some reagent is left into the SPC it is possible to remove it (draining it back to a bottle) by using the function DRAIN SPC in the Service menu.
Page 46 Filling wax bottles In MTM II the paraffin waxes are contained in the same bottles used for reagents. The advantages of it are the following: • Easy handling and emptying of the wax bottles • Easy and economical substitution of the wax bottles Bottles must be re-filled with melted wax.
Page 47 Since the normal wax temperature approaches the level at which a first- degree burn may be possible, we recommend the following: • Always wear protective gloves and eyewear when handling bottles of wax. • Always place a cap on wax bottles immediately after their removal from the wax heating chamber.
Page 48 WCC. However during the WCC, the SPC lid must always stay closed. Processing capacity MTM II is equipped with 2 stainless steel baskets of identical dimensions. Each of the baskets can hold up to 150 cassettes. The total processing capacity therefore is 300 cassettes. As optional accessory is available a large basket that can hold big specimens or up to 350 STD cassettes.
Page 49 9.2 PROGRAMMING PROCESSES Preparing the process program names labels The most common process names are already set in factory. It is possible to modify them as desired. From the Main Menu, select “SETUP”. From the “SETUP” menu, select “PROGRAM LABEL”. Here will be now possible to modify the names that will identify the process programs.
Page 50 Programming processes Select a process program by pressing the START button on the right side of the main display and then choose EDIT PROTOCOL. A new screen will open showing the entire process content. With the ARROW keys it will be possible to “navigate” the entire program to select the field to edit.
Page 51 REAGENT Reagent names are labels prepared in advance as explained before. They do not have an influence on the process. They are listed for the convenience of the user. Use +/- key to modify it. INCUBATION TIME The incubation time can be set from 0 to 99 hours. The data control function can give unexpected results in case a number higher than 59 is entered in the field of the minutes.
Page 52 It is not recommended to simultaneously process samples of very different sizes. Reagent agitation Reagent mixing in MTM II is accomplished by bubbling air up from the bottom of the processing chamber. Select from the following frequencies: 0 = no mixing...
Page 53 Reagent preheating (EHE) In this column it is possible to decide whether to warm-up the reagent during the filling or not. The reagent is heated using the EHE, the end temperature of the reagent is decided in the column of the reagent temperature for the SPC (column TMP). The precision of the EHE is ±3 °C;...
Page 54 Process # 18: Reversed Process #18, REVERSED possesses all the characteristics of the other programs except: • It begins at the last non-zero time on the steps list and moves backwards (REVERSED) • It is not possible to insert a delay on the first step •...
Page 55 Press START to launch a process program Fast processes For fast processes in MTM II it is necessary to use the EHE (please also see the next chapter: Advices for process execution). The following steps are necessary to use the EHE: •...
Page 56 Thus at the start of a fast process it is necessary to be sure that the EHE temperature would be sufficient to warm-up the reagent (as said approx. 10 °C more than the desired SPC temperature for that step). In case the EHE would be cold (at ambient temp.) please allow about 20 minutes to warm it up.
Page 57 Any delay programmed will extend the length of time the specimens will remain in the first reagent. Process End-time memory A convenient feature of the MTM II is the automatic recall of the End-time: • Every time a delay is requested or updated (thus every time an End-time different from the natural one is set) the computer stores the resulted End- time it in the long-term memory.
Page 58 • Obviously, the instrument needs sufficient time to complete the selected process. If it isn’t possible to complete a process at the desired time, the computer will propose a different End-time. For example: if a 12-hours program is started at 9:00pm and the desired End-time was 7:30am, there is not enough time to complete the process without cutting its time.
Page 59 Starting a process program After the End-time has been set, the program can be started by pressing ENTER. Pressing the ESC key, the operation can be aborted. If the RMS is active, before the final start, the computer will ask the user to enter the total number of cassettes processed, this data will be used to update the limits of the reagents.
Page 60 • The SPC will then be drained, after that the samples can be removed. As said, the interruption of a program is only possible when the reagent is in stand-by in the processing chamber and not during the other steps (filling/emptying, positioning the rotating valve, etc.).
Page 61 Instrument auto-tests before and during the process Before and during the process the system verifies if there are the right conditions to start/continue the work. At the start of a process a serie of parameters are checked, if one of them is not conform to what is required to safely start the process, the start is aborted and a message is shown so that the user can take adequate measures to remove the fault condition (See also the chapter “Safety devices –...
Page 62 Purging the SPC The purge is necessary to remove residual paraffin from the process chamber. It is always necessary if wax was used during the last process. It is advisable to perform a purge process even if in the last process no wax has been loaded into the SPC, only in case the loaded reagents where formalin or alcohols the purge can be jumped without any problem.
Page 63 The bottles containing the purge reagents are labelled with P1 and P2 and must contain: (P1) xylene (or substitutes), the second (P2) 95 or 100% ethanol. The reagent must be substituted every 3 to 9 purge process. (see sub-chapter “ Purge reagents limits setting”) The removal of wax residues before the start of the purge program is useful to extend the life of the purge reagents.
Page 64 9.4 ADVICES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR PROCESSING Timing The most common processing program has a stationing time of one hour for each step/bottle. It is suitable for the vast majority of histology samples, moderate variations on the timing are sometimes adopted in relationship to specific needs and the kind of reagent used.
Page 65 Furthermore that convection mixing is increased when the SPC heating is set ON. 9.5 FAST PROCESSING (BIOPSIES OR SMALL SAMPLES) MTM II can perform short step time processes. Reduced step times can be adopted for biopsies or small size samples. The user will have to determine the best step timing basing his choices on past experiences and also taking care of what follow: •...
Page 66 good timing choice for the first wax is a minimum of 1 minute every 10 samples (thus 20 minutes for 200 samples and 30 minutes for 300) • For the reasons described at point 5 the first wax is not subject to cycles of vacuum (even when vacuum is set in the program), that is due to the possible formation, with high samples load, of a sort of solidified foam on top of the sample baskets that will require long time for its melting.
Page 67 • Please note that what suggested in point 3 is advisable but not strictly necessary because in several laboratories where the MTM II is installed are used 95% and 100% alcohols without ever performing any dilution and with very good processing results.
Page 68 All of it, together with the alarm archive (in the service menu), may be of great help on determining what really happened in case of a faulty event during the process. The graphs, other than to be helpful in case of an alarm, may also allow the avoidance of a future faulty event.
Page 69: Alarms
10. ALARMS 10.1 MANAGING ALARMS NONE-BLOCKING ALARMS (Alarm 01 – 50) These are WARNINGS and do not interrupt the program execution because the cause of them is not critical for the process completion. In this situation, a program stoppage may produce worsen results than its continuation. When an ALERT occurs, the program continue and the screen displays the alert number and a brief explanation of it.
Page 70 Switch on the instrument and maintain the reset button pressed until the Main Menu screen appear. After this operation the MTM II may be ready for operations again, but before to start any kind of process it is necessary to verify:...
Page 71 OFF of the instrument. If the loss of power occurs during a process, the MTM II automatic power outage protection will allow it to resume the process program exactly from where it was interrupted. The program...
Page 72 02 - DIFFICULT DRAIN Difficulty during the reagent drain. The instrument had to perform two EXPLANATION times the drain. Insufficient draining speed probably due to partial clogging somewhere in CAUSE the hydraulic circuit. Verify the SPC draining holes, verify the bottle contents, the presence of SOLUTION solid residue can slow down the draining 03 - SHORT DRAIN...
Page 73 7 - FILE NOT FOUND File not found or corrupted in the long term computer memory; the EXPLANATION recovery system replaces the lost or incomplete file from a backup copy. Transitory malfunction of the CPU memory. CAUSE No intervention by the user is possible. If the problem persists, contact our SOLUTION technical service.
Page 74 No intervention by the user is possible. If the problem persists, contact our SOLUTION service department for technical assistance, meanwhile it is possible to successfully and safely use the MTM II. 14 - SPC TEMP LOW During the process the temperature of the sample processing chamber did EXPLANATION not reach the target temperature;...
Page 75 15 - SHORT FILL during the reagent fill the filling time was too short, the reagent level may EXPLANATION be insufficient to cover the samples. Malfunction of the pneumatic system, reagent level in the bottle too low. CAUSE Verify the reagent level in the containers. If the problem persists, contact SOLUTION our service department for technical assistance.
Page 76 risk that the sample will remain in air. The instrument is set in a condition of power saving to increase the UPS batteries life Restore the electrical power, if the power is restored before the batteries SOLUTION would be completely exhausted the process will be automatically restarted.
Page 77 34 - WRONG PASSWORD The password has been mistakenly typed more than three times. The EXPLANATION alarm is stored in memory for future consultation. See alarm 30. CAUSE Type the correct password, if the password is lost it is necessary to call our SOLUTION technical service to retrieve it.
Page 78 51 - FILL NO VACUUM The instrument was unable to produce vacuum in the process chamber EXPLANATION while attempting to fill from a reagent or a wax station. During the filling stage, a leak in the pneumatic or hydraulic circuit CAUSE occurred;...
Page 79 56 - SHORT FILL A reagent fill was completed before the minimum allotted time. The SPC EXPLANATION will be drained and the process will proceed to the next step. If the problem persists, the process will be stopped. Very low quantity of reagent in a bottle; reagent bottle quick connector CAUSE not fully inserted into the female receptacle.
Page 80 EXPLANATION overpressure during fill). Normally an event of overfill is intercepted and solved by the anti-overfill devices of the MTM II, in this case a simple alarm is shown. If the anti-overfill devices fail to correct the problem this blocking alarm is called and the process is stopped.
Page 81 No intervention by the user is possible. If the problem persists, contact our SOLUTION technical assistance 68 - FDD FAILURE The floppy disk driver failed. EXPLANATION Floppy disk driver failure, or damaged floppy disk. CAUSE Change the floppy disk with a new FORMATTED one. If the problem SOLUTION persists, contact our technical assistance 70 - COM FRAME ERR...
Page 82: Cleaning And Maintenance
11. CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE 11.1 CLEANING The recommended frequency of cleaning of the sample processing chamber depends on how frequently the instrument is used. Wear protective clothing and disposable gloves according to Good Laboratory Practices. Please take note of the safety aspects of the instrument. Do not use acetone or xylene for cleaning the unit.
Page 83 11.4 CHARCOAL FILTER REPLACEMENT Filter replacement is required approximately every 60 to 120 processes, based upon environmental factors and the use of the WCC. Regardless of usage, the charcoal filters should be changed at least once every six months. Charcoal filters must be replaced with the required frequency as they may release toxic and contaminated vapours into the air when exhausted.
Page 84: Service
12. SERVICE Internal components should only be serviced by technicians authorized by Slee. If technical service or spare parts are necessary, please contact your local SLEE medical GmbH distributor. Please have the following information available: • Complete contact details • Type of instrument and serial number •...
Page 85 12.1 FIRST-AID INSTRUMENT ASSISTANCE Drain SPC This function is used to empty the SPC in case for any reason (for example a blocking alarm during a process) reagent residue are still present into it. Before to use this function it is important to remove the cause that create the alarm (for example by substituting the SPC lid gasket if the alarm was vacuum/pressure related).
Page 86 Pressure test The instrument will create pressure in the SPC; this test must be done with the SPC empty and clean. The SPC must reach a pressure of 1200 HPa (see Pressure field) in a maximum time of 12 seconds (see Timer field) If the time exceed 12 seconds, the SPC lid gasket must be checked and cleaned.
Page 87 Data Backup With this function it is possible to save on a USB memory data files, later, in case of need, the saved files can be restored into the instrument memory. The restore operation can be performed only by the service technicians. Before to start this function it is necessary to insert in the USB interface a USB memory with free memory without writing protection.
Page 88: Optional Accessories
13. OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES Cassette basket #39600061 Holder for cassette basket #39600062 Reagent container #39600030 Refill Pack Active Carbon #39600268 UPS unit #11000504 Manual_MTM_II_2021-10-010.00_EN.docx...
Page 89: Warranty
14. WARRANTY SLEE medical GmbH guarantees that the product delivered has been subjected to a comprehensive quality control procedure, and that the product is faultless and complies with all technical specifications and/or agreed characteristics warranted. SLEE medical GmbH guarantees that the instrument is manufactured under an ISO 9001 quality management system.
Page 92 SLEE medical GmbH • Am Neuberg 14 55268 Nieder-Olm • Germany www.slee.de T: +49 (0) 6136 76997-0 E: mail@slee.de www.slee.de YouTube LinkedIn Instagram INS6001GB ∙ Manual_MTM_II_2021-10-010.00_EN...