Serstech ARX mkII User Manual
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Serstech ARX mkII User Manual

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ARX mkII
USER MANUAL
2024
COPYRIGHT 2024 , SERSTECH

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  • Page 1 ARX mkII USER MANUAL 2024 COPYRIGHT 2024 , SERSTECH...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to the Arx mkII instrument ............... 3 1.1. Instrument safety ......................4 1.2. Liability ..........................4 1.3. Handling ..........................4 1.4. Intellectual Property Rights ................... 5 1.5. Equipment Modifications ....................5 1.6.
  • Page 3 ARX MKII USER MANUAL System ........................54 10.1. Settings ........................54 10.1.1 USB mass storage ....................54 10.1.2 Wi-Fi .......................... 55 10.1.3 LCD settings ......................55 10.1.4 Date and time ......................56 10.1.4 Language ......................... 56 10.1.5 Settings reset ......................57 10.1.6 Factory reset ......................

  • Page 4: Introduction To The Arx Mkii Instrument

    The Arx mkII is a standalone instrument that operates without need for other components. However, generating measurement reports, user management and management of user defined libraries is performed using the PC software ChemDash.

  • Page 5: Instrument Safety

    For a safe handling Serstech AB recommends Users to do as following: ▪ Store the product in a dry and ventilated environment. ▪ Do not attempt to repair the product by yourself, contact SERSTECH or your SERSTECH reseller for service matters.

  • Page 6: Intellectual Property Rights

    Abuse and mistreatment may lead to a degradation of performance or premature failure. 1.4. Intellectual Property Rights SERSTECH AB has intellectual property rights relating to technology embodied in the product described in this document. In particular, and without limitation, these intellectual property rights may include patents or pending patent applications in the US and other countries.

  • Page 7: Trademark Acknowledgments

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL 1.6.Trademark Acknowledgments is a trademark of SERSTECH AB. All other company names and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Ethernet, Internet Explorer, Linux, Microsoft, Mozilla, UNIX, Windows and WWW are registered trademarks of the respective holders. Java and all Java- based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle and/ or its affiliates.
  • Page 8 WARNING – INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION AVOID EXPOSURE TO BEAM CLASS 3B LASER PRODUCT The backside label on the Arx mkII instrument solves this requirement. Also, the frontside label has the word WARNING according standard requirements.
  • Page 9 ARX MKII USER MANUAL one of the most severe classes; meaning that it is easy to permanently harm the eye when the product is not used properly. A class 3B product is not suited as a consumer product since the operator needs to be trained to use proper procedures to avoid eye damage.

  • Page 10: Casing

    (e.g., a capped vial), pressure may build up during the scan, causing subsequent explosion of the vessel. 2. Casing The Arx mkII instrument with the Accessories is delivered in a crush proof, dust proof and water resistant Peli case. The Peli case, outer view.

  • Page 11: Accessories

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL The Peli case, interior view. 3. Accessories There are different accessories for different sample applications: 1. Vial holder 2. Vial 3. Vial holder rise 4. Strap attachment 5. Small-amount adapter 6. Calibration cap...
  • Page 12 ARX MKII USER MANUAL 3.1. Vial holder Vials can readily be analysed without any adapter. However, there is always a risk that stray light may enter the spectrometer and disturb the measurement. In addition, the analysing laser beam travels through the vial and thus laser safety must be considered.
  • Page 13 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Place the vial into the vial holder. When the vial is in position start the analysis. WARNING: Scanning a thermally sensitive material cause burning of the target. If the sample is contained in a tightly sealed vessel (e.g., a capped vial), pressure...
  • Page 14 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Vial holder insert The insert serves as a support for the vials filled with a sample up to 0.4 ml. The insert is placed at the bottom of the vial holder to allow the analysing laser beam to be focused onto the lower region of the vial.
  • Page 15 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Then place the vial on top of the vial insert. When the vial is in position a part of the vial will be raised above the vial holder and it is not possible to screw on the cap of the vial holder.

  • Page 16: Small Sample Adapter

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL 3.2. Small sample adapter Any type of solid sample can be analysed using the Arx mkII instrument without any adapter. However, it may be hard to focus the analysing beam onto very small samples. The small-amount adaptor has a conical shape and a small aperture.

  • Page 17: Calibration Cap

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL Point the aperture of small amount adapter to the sample to be analysed. WARNING: Keep the sample pressed against the adaptor throughout the analysis process. 3.3. Calibration cap calibration contains polystyrene target and is used for the calibration control of the instrument.

  • Page 18: Usb Cable

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL 3.4. USB Cable The supplied USB cable is the connection cable between the Arx mkII and a PC, used to access ChemDash 2.0. The USB cable is also used to connect the optional USB charger to the instrument.
  • Page 19 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Enter the Main menu on Arx mkII, Scan section. The barcode reader is available when running the Advanced scan. Enter the Manual Scan tab.
  • Page 20 ARX MKII USER MANUAL To activate Barcode scan, Scroll down to Barcode option. Press OK to activate options. Use up and down arrows to select between On and Off. Press OK to confirm choice. Scroll down to Start scan and press OK.
  • Page 21 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Point the barcode reader, on the instrument´s backside, towards the barcode of the sample. Aim the barcode reader toward the sample's barcode, aiming to align the crosshair with the sample's barcode.
  • Page 22 ARX MKII USER MANUAL When the barcode is scanned the barcode can be viewed, in numeric form, instrument´s screen. Press OK to activate option to Continue. instruments probe against the substance to be analysed and press OK to go to continue and the laser starts working.

  • Page 23: Arx Mkii Instrument

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL 5. Arx mkII instrument 5.1. Instrument labels On the front side of the instrument there is a clearly visible laser warning label with a red indicator LED that is lit when the invisible laser is operating.

  • Page 24: Instrument Keypad

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL On the backside of the instrument, it can be found: ▪ Product ID ▪ Invisible laser safety information ▪ Serial number ▪ QR code 5.2. Instrument keypad 1. Quick Scan button Performs a Quick Scan if pressed; the user needs to confirm the choice.

  • Page 25: Arx Mkii Log In

    Use the up and down arrow buttons to move between the different items in the menus. 6. Arx mkII log in In order to log in the Arx mkII instrument, please follow all steps described below: ▪ Start the instrument by pressing the button ▪...

  • Page 26: Main Menu

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL Enter your four-digit personal code that your local instrument administrator has supplied you with. ▪ Move to the next digit by pressing the [OK] key. ▪ Use down arrows to change the value for each of the four digits.
  • Page 27 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select Scan if you want to: ▪ Make a Quick scan of a substance (uses high laser power, take caution with dark and/or explosive substances) ▪ Make an Advanced Scan of a substance ▪ Check the available Libraries ▪...

  • Page 28: Scan

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select Log out if you want to log of the device. 8. Scan 8.1. Quick scan This method is used for screening a list of restricted chemicals for the presence of a regulated substance(s) in the sample, f.eg. narcotics and explosives.
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  • Page 32: Scan Analysis Result

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL 8.1.1 Scan analysis result These are the possible results screens after a Scan: Red: Table 1 narcotics precursor according to UN. • Acetic anhydride • After the scan is done, the name identified substance will displayed. If you want to see details...
  • Page 33 ARX MKII USER MANUAL By scrolling down, you can see the GHS available details and the hazard pictograms that substance. After seeing all these details, you must press the Back button until you reach the measurement menu. The user has the option to view the...
  • Page 34 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Some details about the scanning process can be visible by accessing the Scan Info field. The details visible are: ▪ Exposure – the time the sample is exposed to the analysing laser ▪ Analysis time – time it takes...
  • Page 35 ARX MKII USER MANUAL The Label name can be selected by moving up/down with the help of arrows selecting desired letter clicking button. There is also the option of Adding local library newly measured substance. After selecting this, the user must give a...

  • Page 36: Advanced Scans

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL The success of the operation will be displayed. 8.2. Advanced scans This method is used for screening a list of restricted chemicals for the presence of a regulated substance(s) in the sample, f.eg. narcotics and explosives. It offers the possibility to manually adjust the scan settings, to scan using the SERS-kit or to verify a certain substance.
  • Page 37 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select Scan from the Main menu. Select Advanced scans. Select Manual scan in order to be able to manually adjust the settings.
  • Page 38 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Adjust the Exposure as needed by clicking on it with OK button and then select the desired number of seconds by going up/down with arrows keyboard. Confirm the choice by clicking the OK button again. Select the Container type between the tailored alternatives labelled Thin, Medium and Thick.
  • Page 39 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select Laser power by clicking the button then choose between the options: • High • Medium • Low Confirm the choice by clicking on OK again. You can choose how many times you want to expose the sample; the number can be selected between 1-30 times.
  • Page 40 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select Barcode scan by clicking the OK button and then choose between ON/OFF. Confirm the choice by clicking on OK again. If the Barcode scan was set to On, the user must pay attention and position the barcode to be scanned in front of the barcode scanner which is on the back of the device.
  • Page 41 ARX MKII USER MANUAL The result of this scanning will be a string of numbers. NOTE: If the user clicks Continue, the substance to be associated with the scanned barcode needs to be prepared and placed in front of the laser, as this is going to start immediately.
  • Page 42 ARX MKII USER MANUAL These are the possible result screens after an Advanced Scan with Manual settings: Green Ketamine HCl, locally regulated drug in many countries. Not regulated according to UN and thus not identified as a regulated substance.
  • Page 43 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Hazardous substance, not identified as a regulated substance. No match Result: There is no spectrum libraries that matches the sample spectrum. You may want to re-test the sample while paying close attention to position the sample as close to the probe tip as possible, in a straight line towards the sample.

  • Page 44: Verify Scan

    Before the measurement you will choose a reference substance from the spectra libraries. The Arx mkII instrument will analyse the sample and compare it with the chosen reference. The result is binary, either Pass (OK) if the sample is similar to the reference spectrum or Fail (not OK) if the sample is different.
  • Page 45 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select Verify scan. The last substance verified will be displayed as option to be scanned again, f.eg. Titanium dioxide, in this case. If you confirm this choice by clicking OK, you will get to the next screen.
  • Page 46 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select one of the substances that you have already identified and is stored in the device by clicking Recent Substances. Select one or several libraries you will use for the analysis. These can be from the recent substances you have worked with or from the pre- existing libraries.
  • Page 47 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select the substance you want to verify by writing its name with the help of the keyboard on the right of the screen (you scroll up and down and if you want to select that specific letter, you click OK)
  • Page 48 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Position the sample to be scanned and then press START. Follow the different steps in the sample analysis: There is a warning regarding the laser activity. The lower progress bar shows the progress of the current part of the scan process, beginning with the setting the laser temperature.

  • Page 49: Verify Analysis Result

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL If the scan is aborted, the measurement will stop and no result will be shown. Verify analysis result There are two possible outcomes from the Verify scan, either Pass (OK) if the sample is like the reference spectrum or Fail (not OK) if the sample is different.

  • Page 50: Threshold

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL Fail screen is displayed if the analysed substance spectrum has a correlation with reference spectrum which is below the Verify Threshold limit. The sequential number in the upper right corner, here 10, is the number of measurements done with the instrument.

  • Page 51: Barcode Scan

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select Threshold by clicking OK and select the desired matching percentage by using up/down arrow. The default is set to 80%. Confirm your choice by clicking OK and then select UPDATE. 8.2.2.2 Barcode scan For the Verify flow the user can add the option of Barcode Scanning.

  • Page 52: Libraries

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select UPDATE option by moving down with the arrow and confirm your choice by clicking OK. 8.3. Libraries The user has the possibility to see all the available Libraries and also to select the ones to be used for the next scans.

  • Page 53: Calibration Check

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL You can select/ unselect the desired libraries by scrolling up/down and using OK button. After making all desired selection, you must scroll down and select Done. The update will be done automatically. 8.4. Calibration check To ensure the performance of the instrument it should be checked its calibration regularly, e.g., daily check.
  • Page 54 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select Scan from the main menu. Select Calibration Check. A warning sign will appear next to the tab and also on the main screen letting the user know that calibration expired. Prepare the calibration. Put the calibration cap on!
  • Page 55 ARX MKII USER MANUAL The calibration looks like any other scanning, the progress showing advancement of the action. The result of the calibration control is shown in a pop-up message and can be as following: ▪ Calibration check passed No changes are inferred.

  • Page 56: Scan History

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL Calibration Check Failed. The obtained values for the polystyrene spectrum are not within acceptance criteria. Please reposition the calibration cap, make sure that the instrument is fully charged and rebooted and retake process. calibration still fails, please contact your local supplier.
  • Page 57 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Scroll among the measurements want review. measurements are grouped based on the date they were created. Choose the specific measurement you want to review by scrolling up/down and using OK button. The details visible in a measurement...
  • Page 58 ARX MKII USER MANUAL The user has the option to delete a certain scan by moving with the down arrow at the bottom of the screen. This will erase measurement from device database and will create a gap in the numbers of the scans.

  • Page 59: System

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL System Settings 10.1. 10.1.1 USB mass storage Select System in the Main menu. Select Settings by using the Ok button. USB mass storage is the first option that can be activated in order to establish the connection via USB with the PC.

  • Page 60: Wi-Fi

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL 10.1.2 Wi-Fi Wi-Fi is the second option that can be activated from the Settings menu. This one is to be used in order to establish the connection with the PC via Wi-Fi. You must select it by using the OK button and the symbol will appear as activated.

  • Page 61: Date And Time

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL before the device shuts down automatically. These settings can be arranged to improve the battery life. 10.1.4 Date and time From this section, the user can modify the date and the time of the device; still, it is suggested...

  • Page 62: Settings Reset

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL This section allows the user to select the device language. The Up/Down arrow is to be used to scroll among the available languages and by pressing OK button, the language is selected. Then, the CHANGE button is pressed and the switch will be made.

  • Page 63: Factory Reset

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL The Settings reset restores settings to default (Wi-Fi setup, users permissions, nominal battery capacity, etc.). It doesn’t affect the scan history nor the libraries crested locally. The user must confirm the choice by choosing RESET option. The instrument will restart.

  • Page 64: About

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL Another warning message will pop up announcing the user that all settings will be lost; the operation must be confirmed once more by clicking the RESET button. 10.2. About In the About screen the device settings for firmware and hardware are displayed.

  • Page 65: Libraries

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select About. The device settings for firmware and hardware are displayed. The license in this case is Lite. Scroll using to view the information on the instrument serial number, software and microcontroller firmware version. This information cannot be edited by the user.
  • Page 66 ARX MKII USER MANUAL Select System in the Main menu. Select Libraries. These are the available libraries on the device. The ones marked with “Free” are the one provided based on the license purchased and the ones created locally by the user.

  • Page 67: System Info

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL 10.4. System info In this section you can see information related to the operating system. Select Settings from the Main menu. The available information is: Battery – the percentage of the battery Laser temperature Laser TEC...

  • Page 68: Log Out

    ARX MKII USER MANUAL 11. Log out The Log out tab is logging the user out of the device. If the user clicks on it when selected, he/she will be taken back to the first Log in screen.

  • Page 69: Chemdash

    ChemDash ChemDash is a software developed by SERSTECH. The ChemDash system will integrate with the Arx mkII spectrometers towards a powerful solution for Chemical Intelligence. ChemDash 2.0 is the perfect tool for managing evidence and substance libraries. The User can gather and share information about substances and update one or many instruments either on PC or in the cloud.

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