Keep things clean

Why clean?

We clean the system to ensure that we only measure on your sample itself—not any residual particles or growth from previous measurements. E.g., to avoid carry-over, biofilm, and the like.

The BactoBox® setup has microfluidic flow paths that the liquid, bacteria, and particles pass through. It's essential to keep these paths clear of residue, microorganisms, biofilm, and other contaminants. In general, to avoid conditions that promote microbial growth.

In summary, the clean procedure serves two purposes:

• Avoid growth inside the setup

• Avoid carry-over effects

When to clean

There are several conditions that require you to clean your BactoBox® setup. Here are a couple:

• Before the first measurement of the day

• Before you leave the BactoBox® setup idle for more than 30 minutes

• In between long sequences of measurements

• In between different sample types (e.g., different bacterial species)

• Whenever you switch from a high-concentration sample to low-concentration sample (avoid carry-over)

BactoBox® tracks the time and counts measurements for you. This way, BactoBox® forces you to clean regularly. However, BactoBox® can not know when you change sample type or when you are done for the day. In those situations, you have to be diligent and clean the setup accordingly.

Avoid carry-over with dilution liquid

To avoid carry-over between samples, you can run the Clean program with dilution liquid.

Start low and go high

Order your measurements from low-concentration to high-concentration. This mitigates carry-over effects.

Start with a high dilution sample vial and move to higher-concentration solution of the same sample. The carry-over of bacteria will be negligible relative to the measured value.