Invitrogen Countless C10227 User manual
User Manual
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Countess™Automated
Cell Counter
Catalog no. C10227
Rev. Date: 15 September 2009
MP10227
ii
iii
Table of Contents
Product Contents......................................................................................................... iv
Safety Information ........................................................................................................v
Product Specifications ............................................................................................... vii
Description of Countess™Automated Cell Counter ........................................... viii
Introduction.......................................................................................... 1
Product Overview.........................................................................................................1
Methods................................................................................................ 3
Getting Started...............................................................................................................3
General Guidelines .......................................................................................................9
Using the Countess™Automated Cell Counter .....................................................10
Cleaning and Maintenance........................................................................................19
Updating and Calibrating the Countess™Automated Cell Counter..................20
Troubleshooting ..........................................................................................................22
Countess™Automated Cell Counter Error Codes.................................................24
Appendix ............................................................................................ 25
Accessory Products.....................................................................................................25
Technical Support .......................................................................................................26
Purchaser Notification................................................................................................27
iv
Product Contents
Countess™
Automated Cell
Counter
The contents of the Countess™automated cell counter are listed
below:
Component Quantity
Countess™automated cell counter 1
Power Cord with 4 adaptor cords 1
(for U.S./Canada/Taiwan/Japan, Europe, or UK)
Countess™cell counting chamber slides 1 box of 50
Trypan blue stain (0.4%) 2 × 1 mL
Countess™USB drive 1
Quick reference card (QRC) 1
The complete instruction manual is available on our website at
www.invitrogen.com/countess.
See page vii for specifications and description of the Countess™
automated cell counter.
Upon
Receiving the
Instrument
Examine the instrument carefully for any damage incurred
during transit. Ensure that all parts of the instrument including
accessories listed above are included with the product. Any
damage claims must be filed with the carrier. The warranty does
not cover in-transit damage.
See page 3to install the instrument.
Upon receipt, store trypan blue stain at room temperature.
v
Safety Information
Safety
Precautions Review and follow the safety instructions below.
Do not install the instrument in heavy humidity such as a
greenhouse or an incubator to avoid a danger of electric
shock. If water or other material enters the instrument, the
adaptor, or power inlet, disconnect the power cord and
contact a service person. For operating environment, refer to
Product Specifications (page vii).
Do not touch the main plug or power cord with wet hands.
Always ensure that the power supply input voltage matches
the voltage available in your location.
This instrument is air-cooled so its surfaces may become hot
during operation. When installing the instrument, leave a
space of more than 10 cm (4 inches) around it and do not
place any objects between the instrument and the wall.
Do not install the instrument on a slant or a place prone to
vibrations, which induces the risk of instrument malfunction
or damage of the instrument.
Never insert an
y
ob
j
ects into the air vents of the instrument as
this could result in electrical shock, personal injury, and
equipment damage.
Plug the power cord firmly into the wall outlet and AC
adapter.
To avoid potential shock hazard, make sure that the power
cord is properly grounded.
Be sure to position the equipment such that it is easy to
disconnect the instrument.
Turn off the instrument before unplugging the power cord
and/or moving the instrument.
If the instrument is broken or dropped, disconnect the power
cord and contact a service person. Do not disassemble the
instrument.
Use only authorized accessories (adaptor, power cord, and
USB drive).
Continued on next page
Safety Information, Continued
Safety
Precautions,
continued
Do not use metal objects when assembling or dissembling a
battery.
Do not heat the battery or expose it to heat. For operating
environment, see Product Specifications (page vii).
If the instrument emits smoke, disconnect the power cord
from the wall outlet and contact a service person.
Symbols The symbols used on Countess™automated cell counter are
explained below.
Used on the instrument to indicate a warning. Consult the
manual to avoid possible personal injury or instrument damage.
Protective earth (Ground)
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) symbol
indicates that this product should not be disposed of in unsorted
municipal waste. Follow local municipal waste ordinances for
proper disposal provisions to reduce the environmental impact
of WEEE. Visit www.invitrogen.com/weee for collection and
recycling options.
The CE mark symbolizes that the product conforms to all
applicable European Community provisions for which this
marking is required. Operation of the instrument is subject to the
conditions described in this manual.
The protection provided by the instrument may be impaired if
the instrument is used in a manner not specified by Invitrogen.
This product conforms to UL61010-1/CSA C22.2 No. 61010-1
“Safety Requirements for Electrical Equipment for Measurement,
Control, and Laboratory Use, Part I: General Requirements.”
Instruments bearing the TUV symbol are certified by TUV
Product Services to be in conformance with the applicable safety
standards for the US and Canada.
vi
vii
Product Specifications
Countess™
Automated Cell
Counter
Specifications
Environmental Conditions
Operating Power 100–240 VAC, 1.5 A
Frequency 50/60 Hz
Electrical input 12 VDC, 1.0 A
Installation site: Indoor use only
Operating Temperature: 10–35°C
Maximum Relative Humidity: 20–80%
Altitude: <2,000 m
Transient Category: Installation categories II
Pollution Degree: 2
Degree of Protection: IPX0
Instrument Specifications
Instrument Type: Benchtop cell counter
Processing Time: <1 minute
Cell Sample Range: 1 × 104–1 × 107
Software: Countess™Software
www.invitrogen.com/countess
Instrument Dimensions: 27 cm (w) × 20 cm (d) ×
19 cm (h)
Weight: 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs)
The Countess™automated cell counter is equipped with a camera
(2.3X objective and 3.1 Mega pixel).
Countess™Cell Counting Chamber Slide Specifications
Material: Polymethyl methacrylate
(PMMA)
Dimensions: 75 mm (w) × 25 mm (d) ×
1.8 mm (h)
Chamber Depth: 100 μm
Chamber Volume: 10 μL
Countess™USB Drive: 1 Gigabyte
Description of Countess™Automated Cell
Counter
Front View of
Countess™
Automated
Cell Counter
The Countess™automated cell counter is a benchtop automated
cell counter that performs cell count and viability measurements
using trypan blue stain.
The front view showing various parts of the Countess™
automated cell counter is shown below.
Power button
The Power Button is used to turn the instrument on and off. The
red status light indicates that the instrument is off; the green
status light indicates that the instrument is on.
Touchscreen display located in the front of the instrument
contains buttons for all the functions needed and displays data
from the cell count.
Slide port
The Slide port is used to insert the Countess™cell counting
chamber slide containing the sample with trypan blue into the
counter for analysis.
USB port
The USB port allows you to transfer and save the cell count data
and image to your computer for record keeping and printing
purposes. The USB drive supplied with the instrument or any
other standard USB drive is inserted into the USB port for data
transfer. See page 16 for Transferring Data to a PC.
Slide
Port
USB port Power
button
Touchscreen
Continued on next page
viii
Description of Countess™Automated Cell
Counter, Continued
Rear and Side
View of
Countess™
Automated
Cell Counter
The rear and side view showing various parts of the Countess™
automated cell counter.
Power Inlet
Connect the counter to an electrical outlet using the supplied
power cord and the appropriate plug, based on the electrical outlet
configuration in your country.
Image Adjustment (Focus) Knob
The Image Adjustment (Focus) knob is used to adjust the image
quality to obtain better contrast between live (bright centers) and
dead (dark blue centers) cells. This is important to obtain accurate
cell counts and viability measurements. See page 14 for details.
Focus Lock Knob
The Focus lock knob is used to lock the Image Adjustment (Focus)
knob once the image is optimized. There is no need to use the
Focus lock knob, but is available for convenience, if you are
measuring multiple samples of the same cell type.
Rear View Side View
Focus
knob
Power
inlet Focus
lock
Continued on next page
ix
Description of Countess™Automated Cell
Counter, Continued
User Interface The touch screen user interface of the Countess™automated cell
counter is used to operate the instrument and consists of:
The touch screen buttons to operate the instrument.
The Digital Display shows the image of cells and sample
data.
Touch
Screen
Button
Countess™
Cell Counting
Chamber Slide
The Countess™cell counting chamber slides are plastic, disposable
enclosed chambers that hold the sample in two separate chambers
(A and B) for replicates. The cell counting occurs in the central
location of the counting chamber. The entire volume of cells
counted is 0.4 μL, the same as counting four (1 mm × 1 mm)
squares in a standard hemocytometer.
x
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