Dear colleagues!
I am planning to do some cell-sorting (ovine granulocytes) in connection
with the trial that I am working on at the moment. I use FACSCalibur for
flow cytometry and cell sorting. This machine has been used for sorting
previously though the last time was in October. Since then noone has used
the sorting unit at all. BD has informed us that we should rinse the sorting
unit/tubes after use with distilled water; which has therefore been done
every time. Now that I am going to try out the sorting unit mayself I find
that the tube going from inside the flow cytometry leading to the unit is
completely clogged with salt-crystals. I deduce from this that the unit has
not been thouroughly rinsed the last time it was used. Since nothing seemed
to be able to dissolve or move the clog, we called BD to have this tube
replaced. Their people inform us that sheath-fluid goes into these tubes
every time we use the flow cytometer..even if we are not using the sorting
unit. In none of the manuals or the information we have recieved from their
personell does it say that this happens, and there are no procedures
described for it..this the BD technicians admit, they have just seen that it
happens all the time. They say that one has to rinse these tubes at least
every time one does a system-clean (monthly) and also keep an eye on these
tubes all the time to see if there are any crystals forming.
We don't really believe them, as we didn't start using the sorter before we
had had the machine over half a year and no crystals had formed in the tubes
in this period. The sorter has not been used regularly either and no
crystals have formed between use (expect for this last time) either.
Have any of you experienced this problem and have gotten this kind of
information from BD (that one has to rinse the tubes often even when not in
use)??
Appreciate any thoughts/comments!
Regards,
Solvejg K.Whist, DVM, PhD-student
The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science
POBox 8146 Dep.,
N-0033 Oslo
Norway
Fax: +47 22964818
e-mail: solvejg.k.whist@veths.no
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