Regular scheduled cleaning of firefly surfaces and components helps to sustain consistent instrument performance. The frequency of regular (maintenance) cleaning can vary depending on several factors, including your specific laboratory protocols, the types of liquids and samples being handled, existing cleaning requirements of your facility, and the overall usage of your firefly instrument.
You should inspect your instrument regularly for stains, dust or debris accumulation and adjust your regular cleaning interval based on your workflow requirements, usage of the instrument and existing cleaning procedures in your facility.
14.1.1 Cleaning materials
Low-lint paper tissue or cloths are recommended for cleaning the firefly instrument and accessories. Avoid using abrasive materials.
The preferred cleaning solutions for the firefly instrument and accessories are 70% alcohol (e.g., ethanol or isopropanol) and distilled water.
Corrosive cleaning solutions, such as bleach or acid-based solutions (e.g., LookOut DNA Erase), may lead to corrosion of instrument components. Such solutions should be avoided and only used with care if crucial for the workflow. If the use of such solutions is deemed essential, spray the cleaning solution onto a tissue or cloth first and then wipe the surfaces as needed. This operation must always be followed by wiping the surfaces with a tissue soaked in 70% alcohol solution.
Disinfectants and detergents (e.g., Chemgene HDL4L, RNase Zap) should be used sparingly and only if crucial for the workflow. If the use of such solutions is deemed essential, spray the cleaning solution onto a tissue or cloth first and then wipe the surfaces as needed. This operation must always be followed by wiping the surfaces with a tissue soaked in 70% alcohol solution.
It is recommended that cleaning solutions with less than 1% of sodium hydroxide are used.
14.1.2 Routine cleaning
For general cleaning of a clean, dry instrument:
- Switch off firefly
- Gently wipe the instrument with a clean lint-free cloth or cleanser wipe. You can use dilute (70% v/v) ethanol to moisten the cloth, or as a spray. If necessary the exterior surfaces of the firefly instrument can be cleaned with tissue soaked in disinfectant or detergent, followed by tissue soaked in 70% alcohol.
- Clean the decks, inner surfaces of the instrument panels and the pipetting and dispense head covers with tissue soaked in disinfectant or detergent, followed by tissue soaked in 70% alcohol.
Avoid spraying cleaning solutions directly into the firefly instrument. It is preferable to spray the cleaning solutions onto a low-lint paper tissue or cloth first and then wipe the surfaces inside the instrument.
Avoid cleaning the tablet with solvent or cleanser that may damage the screen surface.
Turn it off and gently wipe it, using a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.
14.1.2.i Cleaning assets
To clean tip stands, reservoirs or reservoir plates, select cleaning agents compatible with your reagents which will not damage the asset material.
| Asset | Material |
| Tip stand | Acetal copolymer (Polyoxymethylene) |
| Reservoirs | Polypropylene |
| Reservoir plate for use without thermal module | Ertalyte (Polyethylene terephthalate) |
| Reservoir plate for use with thermal module |
Clear anodised aluminum
|
14.1.2.ii Cleaning tip cassettes
Only in exceptional circumstances, such as a major spill of biological material onto the cassette, should cleaning of cassettes with cleaning solutions be considered.
If there is an unavoidable need for cleaning a cassette, avoid using corrosive substances if possible. If cleaning with a disinfectant or detergent is considered necessary due to the nature of the spilled liquid or workflow, always follow it with 70% alcohol. It is preferable to opt for carefully cleaning the cassettes with 70% alcohol alone.
Take particular care to ensure that cassettes are not left exposed to cleaning liquid residue long-term, as this may cause corrosion.
As cassettes contain inaccessible areas, such as hinges and grilles, it is difficult to ensure that all cleaning liquid residue is removed, and the cassette is dry. Rinsing out the cleaning solutions with 70% alcohol may help remove the cleaning solutions, but do not leave a cassette soaking in any solutions for longer than 30 seconds.
Using a drying cabinet may facilitate drying cassettes, but take care when removing them from the heated drying cabinets as they can get hot.
If you clean cassettes with harsh reagents and go against the cleaning instructions above, SPT Labtech may not be wiling to replace damaged cassettes free of charge.
14.1.2.iii Cleaning tip stands
Tip stands can be cleaned after and/or before protocol runs to safeguard against contamination.
Spray cleaning solutions directly into tip stands and then wipe dry with a tissue or cloth. Alternatively, spray cleaning solutions onto a tissue or cloth, then wipe your tip stands with the soaked tissue or cloth.
If cleaning tip stands with a corrosive, disinfectant, or detergent cleaning solutions is required, it must be followed by cleaning them with 70% alcohol.
Store tip cassettes separately from tip stands immediately after tip stand cleaning, to allow cleaning solutions to drain or evaporate.
14.1.2.iv Pipette head cleaning
You will need to define an appropriate cleaning regime for the pipetting head, so that it does not become contaminated by reagents or damaged by harsh solvents or cleaners. Pipetting head gaskets ensure a tight seal between the pipetting head and the tips. You should inspect the gaskets regularly for dust and residue build-up, as this can interfere with pipetting accuracy and precision.
If you see dust or residue build-up, gently wipe the gaskets with a dry lint-free cloth.
IMPORTANT: Avoid putting pressure on the gaskets during wiping, as this may damage them or dislodge them from the pipetting head.
If wiping the gaskets with a dry lint-free cloth does not remove the residue, a small amount of distilled water or 70% alcohol solution can be applied to the lint-free cloth.
Proper usage of tips will prevent contamination. Avoid touching the bottom of plates while aspirating or dispensing to prevent liquid from reversing flow and contaminating the head.
14.1.3 Clearing up spillages
Clean up all spillages inside the instrument as soon as possible.
If you have a spillage e.g. from very full reservoirs:
- Stop firefly before you do anything else
- Switch off
If the spillage is small and easily contained:
- Mop up the liquid, using appropriate PPE for the reagents in use on firefly.
- Select cleaning agents which are compatible with the spilled material and will not react with it. Minor spills can be cleaned with a low-lint paper tissue or cloth soaked in 70% alcohol. If cleaning with a disinfectant or detergent is deemed necessary due to the nature of the spilled liquid or workflow, wipe the spill with tissue soaked in desired cleaning solution, followed by tissue soaked in 70% alcohol.
- Using appropriate PPE for both the reagents and the cleaning agent, clean where the spillage occurred.
Spill trays are located at the bottom of the interior of the firefly instrument and will contain spills and prevent damage to the electrical components underneath. If the spillage is a larger volume and you suspect that it may have contaminated the instrument basement, mop up the liquid you can easily reach and contact reliance (see section 15) for assistance.