1、 Preparation before operation
Environmental inspection: Ensure that the operating environment is dry and clean, away from areas where high-speed dust particles are generated and easily affected by external airflow, to prevent a shortened lifespan of the filter element.
Equipment inspection:
Check the equipment status flag to confirm that it is in good condition.
Check the surface of the power cord for any damage, loose fixation, loose wiring, leakage, etc., to ensure that the switch operates normally.
Check if the air inlet filter is clogged and replace it if necessary.
Check if the UV lamp, lighting fixture, fan and other components are working properly.
Disinfection preparation:
Turn on the ultraviolet lamp 30-60 minutes in advance to irradiate and disinfect the work area, in order to purify the accumulated microorganisms on the surface of the workbench in the work area.
Wipe the tabletop, tools (including tweezers, pipettes, etc.), and surfaces of laboratory supplies with 75% alcohol to ensure sterile operation.
Personal protection: Operators should wear clean work clothes, work shoes, masks, and hats to ensure the cleanliness and hygiene of the work area.
2、 Key points in operation
Startup sequence:
Turn on the lighting switch and turn off the ultraviolet lamp (to avoid harm to the human body).
Turn on the air supply fan, adjust the wind speed to an appropriate level, and blow for more than 15 minutes to eliminate ozone.
Operating standards:
Slow and gentle movement: During the operation, the movement should be gentle and avoid frequent entry and exit of the arm or stacking of debris, in order to avoid disrupting laminar flow or blocking the air outlet, which may affect the purification effect.
Item placement: Follow the "crescent" low-density principle to place items. The left side is the clean area (where sterile equipment is placed), the right side is the contaminated area (where waste liquid tanks, used suction heads, etc. are placed), and at least 30cm of open space is reserved in the central operating area to avoid blocking the air inlet.
Aseptic operation: Strictly follow the aseptic operation specifications, such as wiping with alcohol swabs before opening various bottle caps, and then fixing the dust with fire; Open the bottle mouth and test tube mouth with flames; Before using tweezers, they should be burned with a flame.
Avoid open flames: Try not to use open flames in ultra clean workbenches. If open flame equipment such as alcohol lamps needs to be used, two people should supervise and provide safety measures such as fire mats and fire blankets. The single operation should not exceed 5 minutes. Before adding alcohol, it must be turned off and moved outside the ultra clean workbench before adding.
Airflow monitoring:
Maintain the wind speed in the workspace within the range of 0.3-0.5m/s (specific values may vary depending on the equipment model), which can be detected by an anemometer.
If the wind speed is abnormal (such as below 0.2m/s), it may be caused by excessive dust accumulation or damage to the filter. It is necessary to clean the dust removal or replace the filter screen in a timely manner.
3、 Post operation processing
Cleaning and tidying up:
Clean up the waste and wipe the countertop and tool surfaces with alcohol.
Turn off the fan, lighting and other switches, unplug the power plug and cut off the power.
Disinfection treatment:
After turning off the fan, you can turn on the ultraviolet lamp again for disinfection for 15 minutes (if necessary).
Regularly wipe the surface of the ultraviolet sterilization lamp clean with gauze dipped in alcohol to maintain surface cleanliness and improve sterilization ability.
Equipment maintenance:
Use an anemometer to measure wind speed every month and record the data to promptly detect any abnormal situations.
Regularly replace the high-efficiency filter according to the usage environment (generally recommended to replace it every 18 months), and record the replacement situation.
Regularly lubricate and maintain the fan bearings, while cleaning the fan impeller and surface dust.
4、 Safety precautions
Electrical safety:
Do not touch the switch button of electrical appliances with wet hands to prevent electric shock.
In case of equipment malfunction or abnormal situation (such as abnormal sound, inability to work normally, etc.), the machine should be stopped in a timely manner and reported to the supervisor and maintenance personnel.
Fire safety:
It is strictly prohibited to use flammable and explosive materials or carry out operations that may cause fires in the ultra clean workbench.
In case of initial fire, immediately cover the fire source with a fire blanket and turn off the power before extinguishing the fire (to prevent the fan from accelerating the fire). It is strictly prohibited to use water to extinguish alcohol fires. Yellow sand or carbon dioxide fire extinguishers should be used instead.
Personnel safety:
Operators should avoid prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation to prevent harm to the skin and eyes.
If it is necessary to leave the workbench during operation, all switches should be turned off and the power plug should be unplugged to ensure safety.