Cleaning cycle for flow cytometers

• US 5,087,295 A
• Filed: 06/13/1990
• Issued: 02/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Gross, Hans-Joachim, Hoffman, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Theodore
• Assistant Examiner(s): El Arini, Zeinab
• Application Number:
  US07/537,858
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 134/27, 134/28, 134/29, 134/22.1, 134/22.12, 134/26, 252/100, 422/37
• US Class Current: 134/26
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 13/00 Cleaning or rinsing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 9/52 Supports specially adapted for flat sample carriers, e.g. for plates, slides, chips
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/14 Optical investigation techniques, e.g. flow cytometry

Abstract

A method for cleaning cellular contamination in a flow cytometer comprising the sequential use of a strong oxidizing solution, particle-free neutral pH fluid and a weak acid.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning a flow cytometer comprising adding sequentially to the fluidics system a strong oxidizing solution, a particle-free neutral pH fluid and a weak acid wherein the weak acid has a value of approximately 3.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the strong oxidizing solution has an oxidizing value of greater than 0.7 V.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the strong oxidizing solution is selected from the group consisting of a mixture of NaOH and NaOCl and a mixture of KOH and KOCl.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the strong oxidizing solution is a mixture of NaOH and NaOCl.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the neutral pH fluid is deionized water.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein a preservative is added to the fluid.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the preservative is sodium azide.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the weak acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid and N-tri-chloroacetic acid.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the weak acid is acetic acid.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the fluidics system is equilibrated with a sheath fluid as a last step.

11. A method for cleaning a flow cytometer of cellular contamination which comprises the sequential steps of adding to the fluidics system a mixture of NaOH and NaOCl for several minutes, flushing the system with air and the mixture of NaOH NaOCl as a sheath fluid, flushing the system with particle-free deionized water containing sodium azide, flushing the system with acetic acid and equilibrating the system with a sheath fluid.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the mixture comprises 0.05M NaOH and 0.07M NaOCl.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the acetic acid is 0.01M.