Re: A clean machine -Reply

Jim Zanghi (zanghi@merle.acns.nwu.edu)
Tue, 11 Feb 1997 10:19:08 -0600

>Small beads staying in the instrument can be a problem. Triton X-100 at
>0.1% (the same concentration used to permeabilize cells) in water will
>remove most of them.
>
>Betsy Robertson
>>
>> Running ethanol
>> after the beads seems to help push them through more quickly.
>>
>> Tony Bakke

I was wondering about what types of solutions can be run through a flow
cytometer without causing damage or corrosion. Is pure ethanol okay? On
the advise of others, I have run 50% hot bleach to clear up clogs, but I
was very weary about doing this since bleach corrodes stainless steel.
I've always followed with a 5 minute water rinse, but this concentration of
bleach seems a bit extreme (we routinely use 10% bleach at room temp).
If 0.1% triton or 70% ethanol is as effective as 50% hot bleach, than this
seems to be the way to go. Any thoughts about this? What do
manufacturers recommend?

Jim

--
James A. Zanghi
Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL