THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE - DISCIPLINE OF MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE - DISCIPLINE OF MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY"

Stella Hutchinson
6 years ago
Views:

1 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE - DISCIPLINE OF MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY Page: 1 of 8 1. Risk Assessment: This Risk Assessment is to be used as a general guide and as such, cannot accommodate all the varying factors that may be encountered when using this equipment. Therefore, personnel are requested to conduct their own Risk Assessment before using this equipment to include any extra hazards introduced by the task performed. TASK PERFORMED The quantitation of the amount of radioactivity present in given samples by the use of Liquid Scintillation Counting. HAZARDS 1. Radioactive Hazard 2. Chemical Hazard 3. Mechanical Hazard - conveyor belt. RISK ASSESSMENT 1. The risk from the above hazards is low if controls are followed. RISK CONTROL 1. Read the Radiation Safety Procedure GDP 008 and Guidelines for the Handling of Radioactive Substances before undertaking any work in the Radiation Laboratory 2. Wear Laboratory gown, enclosed shoes and vinyl gloves at all times when dealing with radioactive substances. 3. All persons working in the Radiation Laboratory must be formally inducted into the laboratory. Routine precautions for dealing with radioactive substances are covered during this induction. 4. All persons dealing directly with Radioactive Substances should undertake a Radiation Safety Course or be under the direct supervision of a person who has completed this course. 5. Cap vials and place into racks before bringing to the Scintillation Counter. WRITTEN BY CHECKED BY AUTHORISED BY NAME (signed) Lynn Herd Helen Carpenter Phil Dickson DATE 9 th November th November rd November 2004 Distributed To: GEP Master File / GEP Lab File

2 Page: 2 of 8 6. Do not operate the instrument with the lid open. 7. Use only low energy beta-emitting radionucleotides in this Scintillation Counter 8. All users should undertake a General Laboratory Safety Course. 2. Calibration: 2.1. Frequency: Annually or as required 2.2. Method: The calibration of the instrument is undertaken by the Service Personnel during their Routine Service Calls Records: Records of the Service Calls are retained by the Faculty of Health Workshop. 3. Monitoring: 3.1. Frequency: Each use 3.2. Method: View the instrument as it starts up. The conveyor belt should take the first rack to the counting position and lower the first vial into the counting chamber. Cassette movement should be smooth and without vibration. Should this process be interrupted or not run smoothly, press F2 the START/STOP key. If the process is running smoothly, then the remaining vials should be counted automatically in their turn Check that the cassettes and sample changer surfaces are free of dirt or other matter Check for loose electrical or mechanical connectors Records: Nil 4. General Operation: Copied from Appendix A - Simplified Operation of the Operation Manual: 4.1. General: The following are simplified operating procedures for the Tri-Carb 2200CA system. The intent of these procedures is not to replace the detailed operating procedures provided in Section 5 of the manual, but rather provide a reference for day-to-day use of the system Counting Samples

3 Page: 3 of 8 If the proper protocol has not yet been defined, refer to Section 4.3 Protocol Definition. For routine counting of samples use the following procedure: Select the appropriate protocol plug and insert it into the first Varisette cassette. The word "Varisette" is molded on the left tab of the cassette. The protocol plug is inserted vertically into the slot provided on this tab. When loading a cassette onto the sample changer, the protocol plug will always be positioned on the left-hand side of the cassette. Reset the cycle flag by pushing the slide toward the left end of the cassette Load the standards and/or samples into the cassette(s) in the order specified in Section of the Manual Load the cassettes onto the Varisette sample changer If the Tri-Carb system is counting samples, nothing else is required If the Tri-Carb system is idle and the status page is displayed, pull out the keyboard from the drawer concealed at the front base of the instrument. Press ENTER to light the display of the VDU. Press the F2-COUNT START key. If the status page is not displayed, press the F1 key until it is, then select F Protocol Definition and Editing If a protocol is to be defined or edited, use the following procedure: From the status page select the F1-EDIT PROTOCOL key When the edit protocol page is displayed, enter the protocol number to be defined or edited and press the return key Answer or change any/all questions on the CPM page. (Refer to Section of the Manual) If editing is completed at this point, pressing the F1-EXIT EDIT key twice will return to the status page. If defining a protocol or if editing is not complete, press the page down key (Pg Dn) Answer or change any/all questions on the DPM page. (Refer to Section of the Manual) This page will appear in a CPM protocol. If editing is now complete press the F1-EXIT EDIT key twice. If defining a protocol or if editing is not complete, press the page down key (Pg Dn) Answer or change the appropriate questions, if any, on the additional features page. (Refer to Section of the Manual) If editing is now complete press F1 twice. If not, press the page down key (Pg Dn).

4 Page: 4 of Answer or change the appropriate questions on the print format page. (Refer to Section of the Manual) Press F1 twice Programming is now complete. Follow the procedure in Section A-2 for counting samples Deleting a Protocol To delete a protocol, use the following procedure: From the status page select F1-EDIT protocol Enter the protocol number to be deleted Press the up arrow key ( ) so that the cursor highlights the copy protocol # question SELECT F4-Presets Press F1-EXIT EDIT twice Deletion is now complete Instrument Assessment and Performance (IPA) For automatic self-normalization, calibration and instrument assessment of the Tri- Carb system use the following procedure: Insert the "SNC" plug into a large vial Varisette cassette Place the unquenched 14C standard in the first vial position followed by the unquenched 3H standard and the background vial. These are all supplied with the system If the system is counting samples, no further action is required. If the system is idle, select the F2-COUNT START key choice of the status page to start the counting process Group PRIOSTAT For counting a group of samples in a stat (priority) interrupt mode, the following procedure should be used: Insert a "PrioSTAT" plug into a Varisette cassette. Each cassette in the priority status interrupt mode requires a PrioSTAT plug Load the sample vials in to the cassette(s) Place the cassette(s) onto the sample changer immediately behind the cassette currently being counted. (Forward sample changer direction is counterclockwise. The cassette currently being counted is located in the back and center of the sample changer. Therefore, the priority status cassette(s) should be placed at the back and on the right-hand side of the sample changer.)

5 Page: 5 of Determine the protocol containing the parameters to be used Press F2-Group PrioSTAT key from the status page Enter the protocol number to be used The system will unload the sample currently being counted and advance to the PrioSTAT cassette and count the stat samples. When the samples are completed, the system will return to the interrupted sample cassette and resume normal counting The PrioSTAT display will remain on the CRT until the F1-STATUS PAGE key is selected User Application Programme One example of an application programme which can be run is presented in the Options appendix of the Operation Manual. 5. Cleaning: 5.1. All racks must be removed from the counting chamber as soon as practicable after counting is completed. Dispose of vials and contents according to the recommendations in the Radiation Safety Manual If a spill occurs use paper toweling to wipe up the spill, and dispose of paper as radioactive waste Clean down chamber and external surfaces of counter using a damp cloth. A dilute solution of 7X detergent may be used if contamination is suspected The system sample changer should be cleaned occasionally using a soft cloth moistened with an appropriated commercial cleaning agent (dilute 7X detergent). 6. Maintenance: 6.1. Routine maintenance is carried out as part of the service contract See Section 9 of the Operation Manual for Corrective Maintenance procedures (ie Troubleshooting) It is the responsibility of all users of the Scintillation Counter to monitor routinely for any radioactive contamination This may be achieved during the weekly monitoring of the Hot Lab using the Victoreen Radiation Monitor. However the Radiation Monitor will only detect high energy beta-emitters such as 32 P or gamma-emitters. Although no high energy

6 Page: 6 of 8 beta-emitters are to be used in this machine, it is still a worthwhile precaution to include it in the monitoring schedule To detect low-energy beta-emitters such as 3 H, it will be necessary to perform a Wipe Test (GDP 028), this should be carried out any time that contamination is suspected Record each usage of the Scintillation Counter on the Usage Record Sheet provided. 7. Instruction Manual: 7.1. Tri-Carb Liquid Scintillation Analyzers, Models 2200CA and 2250CA Operation Manual. Available in the lower left shelf of the Counter's Stand. 8. Repairs: 8.1. NuScientific, 2004 under service contract, Contact the University Workshop for advice and repairs 9. Illustrations: 9.1. Maintenance Record Sheet 9.2. Usage Record Sheet 10. Change History: Issue Number: 1 st Issue Date Issued: Issue Number: Date Issued: Reason for Change:

7 Page: 7 of 8 ILLUSTRATION 9.1 MAINTENANCE RECORD SHEET ERN# 115 Serial # DATE MAINTENANCE SIGNED

8 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE - DISCIPLINE OF MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY Tri-Carb Liquid Scintillation Analyser Page: 8 of 8 ILLUSTRATION 9.2 USAGE RECORD SHEET ERN# 115 Serial # DATE USER S NAME No of RACKS RACKS REMOVED DATE USER S NAME No of RACKS RACKS REMOVED

9 Page: 9 of 8

INSTRUCTION MANUAL CAT ecount

INSTRUCTION MANUAL CAT ecount Electron Microscopy Sciences INSTRUCTION MANUAL CAT. 70309-01 ecount Safety precautions The ecount is used specifically in bioscience, medical, and chemistry laboratories. It may come in contact with biohazardous