Cleaver Scientific GTC96S, GTC96S-230 Operation Manual

Cleaver Scientific Thermal Cycler

Cleaver Scientific Thermal Cycler

GTC96S /GTC96S-230

Operation Manual

Ver.2.1

Cleaver Scientific

Notice

This instrument is licensed for research and development and for uses
other than human in vitro diagnostics.

Cleaver Scientific Thermal Cycler

Table of Contents

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ................................................................................................ 1

GENERAL DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................. 2

2.1 FEATURES ........................................................................................................................ 2

2.2 PRODUCT OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................... 2

GETTING STARTED ........................................................................................................ 6

3.1 UNPACKING ..................................................................................................................... 6

3.2 INITIAL OPERATION ......................................................................................................... 6

3.3 HEATED LID .................................................................................................................... 6

3.4 LID OPENING/CLOSING ................................................................................................... 7

3.5 FUNCTION MAP ............................................................................................................. 10

3.6 KEY ENTRY SYSTEM ..................................................................................................... 11

3.7 LOADING THE REACTION VESSEL .................................................................................. 11

USER FOLDER MANAGEMENT ................................................................................ 12

4.1 VIEWING A USER FOLDER .............................................................................................. 12

4.2 CREATING A NEW USER FOLDER ................................................................................... 13

4.3 EDITING A USER FOLDER ............................................................................................... 13

4.4 DELETING A USER FOLDER ............................................................................................ 13

PROTOCOL MANAGEMENT ...................................................................................... 15

5.1 RUNNING A PROTOCOL .................................................................................................. 15

5.2 PAUSE A PROTOCOL ....................................................................................................... 16

5.3 VIEWING RUNNING PROTOCOL INFORMATION ............................................................... 16

5.4 TERMINATING A PROTOCOL ........................................................................................... 17

CREATING A NEW PROTOCOL ................................................................................. 18

6.1 CHANGING TEMPERATURE/TIME VALUES ...................................................................... 18

6.2 INSERTING/DELETING TEMPERATURE SEGMENT ........................................................... 19

6.3 CHANGING TEMPERATURE SEGMENT COUNT (TEMP) AND CYCLE COUNT (CYC) .......... 19

6.4 ADVANCED SETTINGS .................................................................................................... 19

6.5 SAVING A PROTOCOL ..................................................................................................... 23

EDITING(VIEWING) A PROTOCOL .......................................................................... 24

DELETING A PROTOCOL ........................................................................................... 24

SYSTEM SETUP ............................................................................................................. 25

9.1 DATA LOG ..................................................................................................................... 26

9.2 DATE & TIME ................................................................................................................ 27

9.3 LID TEMPERATURE ........................................................................................................ 27

9.4 BEEPER ......................................................................................................................... 28

9.5 ADMINISTRATOR ........................................................................................................... 28

9.6 SERVICE MODE ............................................................................................................. 28

9.7 RAMPING SPEED ............................................................................................................ 28

9.8 TM CALCULATOR .......................................................................................................... 29

MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING ......................................................... 30

10.1 CLEANING THE UNIT .................................................................................................... 30

10.2 CLEANING THE HEATED LID ......................................................................................... 30

10.3 REPLACING A FUSE ...................................................................................................... 30

10.4 CHANGING THE THERMAL BLOCK ............................................................................... 30

TROUBLESHOOTING .................................................................................................. 31

1. OPERATING TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENT MAY BE UNSUITABLE. ................................ 31

2. ELECTRONIC COOLING ELEMENT MAY BE DAMAGED OR AGED. .................................... 31

11.1 ERROR MESSAGES ....................................................................................................... 32

APPENDIX A: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ...................................................... 33

APPENDIX B: PROTOCOLS IN DEFAULT FOLDER ............................................. 34

APPENDIX C: CE DECLARATION ............................................................................ 36

1

Safety Precautions

Before using the GTS96 thermal cycler for the first time, please read this entire operating
manual carefully. To guarantee problem free, safe operation of the GTS96 thermal cycler,
it is essential to observe the following points.

1. Do not use the machine in a potentially explosive environment or with potentially

explosive chemicals.

2. Install the machine in location free of excessive dust.

3. Avoid placing the machine in direct sunlight.

4. Choose a flat, stable surface capable of withstanding the weight of the machine.

5. Install the machine in the room temperature 15 ~ 30C, relative humidity 20

~80%.

6. DO NOT block the air vents.

7. Keep the side and rear of the machine at least 30cm from the wall or other

machine.

8. Make sure the power source conforms to the required power supply specifications.

9. To avoid electric shock, make sure the machine is plugged into a grounded

electrical outlet.

10. Do not allow water or any foreign objects to enter the various openings of the

machine.

11. Switch off the machine before cleaning or performing service on the machine,

such as replacing the fuses.

12. Repairs should be carried out by authorized service personnel only.

High Temperature Label: Please be aware of the heated block.

Warning Label: Please be aware of the danger of electric shock or other dangers.

2

General Description

The GTS96 thermal cycler is a powerful, reliable and affordable thermal cycler. It is
equipped with a gradient function that enables the user to set a maximum 24 C

temperature gradient between the BLOCK＃1 to BLOCK＃6 (16 well/block).

2.1 Features

⚫ Easy-to-operate slide and lever type lid which prevents accidental skin burn
⚫ Large LCD panel enhances visibility and ease-of-operation.
⚫ Graphic display makes programming quick and simple.
⚫ Simple and easy to use graphical interface.
⚫ Extended Temperature return function that makes touchdown possible
⚫ Gradient function enables optimization of annealing temperatures.
⚫ Preset protocols that make starting amplification easier.
⚫ Air intake vents on the front and sides and exhaust vents on the rear that reduce

heat-based interference with other equipment.

⚫ Interchangeable blocks.
⚫ Automatically creates operating history and error logs.
⚫ Heated lid to prevent the formation of condensation.
⚫ Robust and attractive design.
⚫ Auto restart after power failure.

2.2 Product Overview

The front panel of GTS96 thermal cycler includes a display panel and 22-key keypad
which consists of function keys (F1-F5), alphanumeric keys, directional arrow keys and
the ENTER key.

Cleaver Scientific Thermal Cycler

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Figure 1. Front Panel Overview

Name

Function

Function Keys
(F1 to F5)

Use the function keys (F1 to F5) to activate the “button” displayed on
the screen above the key; for example, F1 for RUN.

Directional
Arrow Keys

The four Directional Arrow keys can move the cursor into different
directions.

ENTER key

The current selection is activated or accepted when the ENTER key is
pressed.

Alphanumeric
Keys (0~9)

The alphanumeric keys are usually used as number keys for the entry
of time, temperature, password and cycle numbers. When entering a
user name or protocol name, a small screen will pop out to display the
letters after pressing the Alphanumeric keys. Press the selected key
until the desired letter is highlighted. Press the ENTER key to select
the letter or wait 5 seconds.

CLEAR key
(CE)

Press CLEAR key will erase the entry in an input field.
STOP key

By pressing STOP, the Protocol current running will be terminated.

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Figure 2. Front View

Name

Function

Lid

The lid with heating pad is designed to protect against evaporation
resulting from heating of the reaction tube and reaction plate.

Lid Knob

Rotate Lid Knob in clockwise will lower the heating plate to place
pressure on the cap of tubes. This forces the tubes to sit firmly in the
block for better contact. Rotate Lid Knob in counter-clockwise
direction until the Lid pops up. Only after the Lid pops, can users
slide the Lid to the rear.

Sample Block

Section of the unit in which sample tubes and plates are placed.

Key-Pad

Used to enter the various Protocols and settings.

Control Panel

which includes Display and Key-Pad

Display

Displays current status of the various system features and functions.

Air Vents (Front)

for air output

Air Vents (Left and
Right Sides)

for air output

Air Vents (Bottom)

for air intake

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Figure 3. Rear View

Name

Function

Power Cable
Connector

Power cable socket and fuse.

Power Switch

Power On/Off switch

Brightness
Adjustment
Potentiometer

Control the brightness of LCD panel. Please use Philip-head screw
driver to adjust it.

USB Port

For run summary download to computer

RS-232 Port

For run summary download to computer

Air Vents(Rear)

For air output

Product Label

Indicate the model name, serial number, power specification, and
other important information

6

Getting Started

3.1 Unpacking

Open the GTS96 thermal cycler package and confirm that all items below are included:

If there are any items missing, damaged, or incorrect items, please contact your
distributor or sales representatives immediately.

Note: Please use 7A fuse in power source 100~120/50~60Hz countries, while 3.15A fuse
is for power source 200~220V/50~60Hz countries.

3.2 Initial Operation

Place the machine on a steady, flat table. Please keep the machine at least 30cm from the
wall or other machine. Connect the power cord to the power socket in the rear of the
machine. Check the power source is compatible with your machine’s fuse rating input.

Press Power On/Off Button to switch on the machine. The screen will show the software
version for 10 seconds and then enter User Folder screen. Pressing any key will go to
User Folder screen immediately.

3.3 Heated Lid

The Heated Lid heats the air in the upper part of the sample vessels at higher temperature
than the reaction mixture. This prevents condensation of the evaporated water vapor on
the vessel walls, keeping the concentration unchanged during the heating and cooling
cycles. The top also places pressure on the caps of tubes and film on titer plates to prevent
vapor loss and cross contamination of samples.
When using full skirted plates it is highly recommended to use a Silicone Compression
Mat (to assist in placing even pressure on the plates.

Note:

1. If GTS96 is started cold, approximately two to three minutes will be required before

heated lid is at operating temperature.

2. To avoid heat dissipation, the Heated Lid should be closed and tighten during a

⚫ GTS96 thermal cycler unit

⚫ Operation manual

⚫ Electric fuses (7A & 3.15A)

⚫ AC power cord

⚫ Warranty card

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protocol run. Keeping the heated lid open during a protocol run might cause
“HEATER ERROR”, because the heated lid fails to reach the set temperature.

3. To evaporate the condensation water inside sample block, and to avoid “HEATER

ERROR”, users should turn off the Lid Temperature under SYSTEM mode before

heating the sample block and keeping the lid open.

3.4 Lid Opening/Closing

There are two ways to open the lid: 1) Slide the lid to the rear, 2) lift up the lid. The first
method is recommended for common operations and to prevent the skin burn from the
heated lid. The second method is used to clean up the heating plate of the lid.

Rotate Lid Knob in a clockwise direction to lower down the heating plate and press down
on the cap of tubes, tighten until you feel resistance. This adjustment will provide better
contact between the tube or plates and the block for better performance. Rotate the Lid
Knob in counter-clockwise direction as shown in Figure 4 until the Lid pops out. Only
when the Lid pops out, users can slide the Lid to the rear as shown in Figure 5.

To lift up the lid for heating plate cleaning, please refer Figure 6 ~ 8.

Figure 4. Rotate Lid Knob to open the lid

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Figure 5. Slide the lid backward to access the block

Figure 6. Slide the lid to align the lid hinge with notches of top case

Figure 7. Lift the lid

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Figure 8. Rest the lid in vertical position