Molecular Devices SPECTRAmax PLUS 384 Operator's Manual

SPECTRAmax

®

PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer
Operator’s Manual

Molecular Devices Corporation

Part # 0112-0056
Rev. A

1311 Orleans Drive
Sunnyvale, California 94089

Molecular Devices Corporation
SPECTRAmax

®

PLUS

384

Operator’s Manual

Copyright



Copyright 2000, Molecular Devices Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro­duced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of Molecular Devices Corporation, 1311 Orleans Drive, Sunnyvale, California, 94089,
United States of America.

Patents

The SPECTRAmax PLUS
U.S. Patents

4,968,148 and 5,112,134 ; Canadian Patent 1,305,334 .

384

and methods are protected by the following patents:

Other U.S. and International patents pending.

Trademarks

SPECTRAplate, SPECTRAstrip, PathCheck and Automix are trademarks and SPECTRAmax and SOFTmax are
registered trademarks of Molecular Devices Corporation.

Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Incorporated.
All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Disclaimer

Molecular Devices Corporation reserves the right to change its products and services at any time to incorporate tech­nological developments. This manual is subject to change without notice.

Although this manual has been prepared with every precaution to ensure accuracy, Molecular Devices Corporation
assumes no liability for any errors or omissions, nor for any damages resulting from the application or use of this in­formation.

Molecular Devices Corporation Instrument Warranty

Molecular Devices Corporation warrants this product against defects in material or workmanship as follows:

1) All parts of the SPECTRAmax

PLUS

Microplate Spectrophotometer are warranted for a period of one (1)

384

year from the original date of delivery.

2) All labor charges to repair the product for a period of one (1) year from the original date of delivery will be paid
by Molecular Devices Corporation.

3) This warranty covers the SPECTRAmax
printer, software, reagents, or disposables used with the instrument.

Labor and Parts

To obtain warranty service during the applicable warranty period, you must take the product or deliver the product
properly packaged in the original shipping materials and carton to an authorized Molecular Devices Corporation ser­vice facility. You must call or write to the nearest Molecular Devices Corporation service facility to schedule warranty
service. You may call Molecular Devices Corporation at the telephone number or address below to locate the nearest
service facility. You must schedule warranty service
time of requesting warranty service, you must present proof of purchase documentation which includes the date of
purchase and Molecular Devices Corporation must have the enclosed Warranty Registration form completed, signed
and returned by you within ten (10) working days of the date of delivery.

ii SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

PLUS

instrument only, and does not extend to any computer,

prior to bringing or shipping the product for servicing. At the

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual

This warranty only covers defects arising under normal usage and does not cover malfunctions of failures resulting
from misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification, or repairs by other than an authorized Molecular Devices Cor­poration service facility.

Repair or replacement as provided under this warranty is the exclusive remedy of the purchaser (the “Buyer”).

Molecular Devices Corporation (the “Seller”) shall not be liable for any incidental or consequential damages
for breach of any express or implied warranty on this product, except to the extent required by applicable law.
The Seller specifically excludes all express and implied warranties including without limitation any implied
warranty that the products sold under this agreement are merchantable or are fit for any particular purpose,
except such warranties expressly identified as warranties and set forth in the Seller’s current operating manual,
catalog or written guarantee covering such product. The Seller also makes no warranty that the products sold
under this agreement are delivered free of the rightful claim of any third party by way of patent infringement
or the like.

claim which arises out of compliance with the specifications.
Any description of the products contained in this agreement is for the sole purpose of identifying them. Any such

description is not part of the basis of the bargain, and does not constitute a warranty that the products shall conform
to that description. Any sample or model used in connection with this agreement is for illustrative purposes only, is
not part of the basis of the bargain, and is not to be construed as a warranty that the products will conform to the
sample or model. No affirmation of fact or promise made by the Seller, whether or not in this agreement, shall con­stitute a warranty that the products will conform to the affirmation or the promise.

For the name of the nearest authorized Molecular Devices Corporation service facility, please contact Molecular
Devices at one of the following telephone numbers:

[phone]
[phone] (U.S. and California)

If the Buyer furnishes specifications to the Seller, the Buyer agrees to hold the Seller harmless against any

Microplate Spectrophotometer

100-240V ~ 4A 50-60 HZ T4.0A

SPECTRAmax PLUS

-

2 Lines Fused, unplug before servicing!

Vor Wartungsarbeiten Netzstecker ziehen!

Sunnyvale, CA­Made in USA

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual iii

iv SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual

Contents

Figures and Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vi

Conventions Used in this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Chapter 1 Instrument Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

General Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

PathCheck

™. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Component Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Control Panel Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

The Microplate Drawer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

The Cuvette Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

The Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Functional Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Stand-Alone Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Wavelength Selection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Temperature Regulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Printed Data Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Computer Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16

Chapter 2 Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Installation Warnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Installation Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Setting Up for Stand-Alone Use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Chapter 3 Stand-Alone Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Prepare for a Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Read the Cuvette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Operation Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual v

Turn the Instrument and Printer On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Set the Temperature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Select the Wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Chapter 4 Maintenance and Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Warnings and Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Cleaning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Changing the Fan Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Changing the Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Error Codes and Probable Causes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Error Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Opening the Drawer Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Appendix A Printers and Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

Compatible Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-3

Appendix B Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Items Available for Use with the SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

. . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

Figures

Table

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1

Figure 1.1: SPECTRAmax PLUS

Figure 1.2: Major Areas of the SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

384

. . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Figure 1.3: Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Figure 1.4: Microplate Drawer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Figure 1.5: Cuvette Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

Figure 1.6: Test Tube Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

Figure 1.7: Components on the Back Panel of the

384

SPECTRAmax PLUS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Figure 1.8: Sample Printout from Thermal Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

Figure 2.1: View of Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Figure 4.1: Power Switch, Fuse Box, and Power Receptacle . . . . . . . . . 4-5

Figure 4.2: Removing the Fuse Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Figure 4.3: The Fuse Box and Holder (with Fuses) Removed . . . . . . . . 4-6

Table 4.1: Error Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

vi SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual

Conventions
Used in this
Manual

Glossary of
Terms

The names of keys that appear on the SPECTRAmax PLUS
shown in boxed Helvetica type. Example:

[Drawer]

.

384

control panel are

Italic and boldface type are used for emphasis. Examples: “Press carefully to
engage,” “

NOTE:

Do not press down. ”

A note provides information that will help you properly execute an

action or procedure.

CAUTION:

!

Indicates an action or condition that could potentially damage

the instrument or one of its components or could result in loss of data.

WARNING:

person working with the system

BIOHAZARD:

Indicates a situation that could result in potential injury to a

.

Indicates a condition involving potentially infectious biolog-

ical agents requiring that proper handling precautions be taken.

Absorbance, A

The amount of light absorbed by a solution. To measure absorbance accurately, it
is necessary to eliminate light scatter. In the absence of turbidity, absorbance =
optical density.

A = log (I

= incident light

I

0

/I)

0

I = transmitted light

In this manual, we use the terms absorbance and optical density interchangeably.

Optical Density, OD

The amount of light passing through a sample to a detector relative to the total
amount of light available. Optical Density includes absorbance of the sample plus
light scatter from turbidity.

Transmittance, T

The ratio of transmitted light to the incident light.

T = I/I
%T = 100 T

0

SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual vii

viii SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual

Chapter 1 Instrument Description

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

General Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

PathCheck

Component Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Control Panel Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

The Microplate Drawer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

The Cuvette Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

The Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Functional Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Stand-Alone Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Wavelength Selection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Temperature Regulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Printed Data Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

Computer Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16

™

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Chapter 1

1-2 SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual

Instrument Description

Introduction

General Overview

The SPECTRAmax™ PLUS
and sensitive UV/VIS measurements of a variety of analytes including specific
proteins, nucleic acids, and other molecules across a wide range of concentra­tions. It measures the optical density (OD) of samples in both 96- and 384-well
microplates or in a cuvette at a selected wavelength for a single point in time
(endpoint), over a specified period of time (kinetic), or over a selected wavelength
range (spectral scan).

384

microplate spectrophotometer provides rapid

Figure 1.1 : The SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

System

The on-board microprocessor calculates and reports the absorbance (or % Trans­mittance) for each well of a microplate. Data from multiple wavelengths can be
acquired during a single reading, if desired, and different calculations can be
made based on this data using SOFTmax PRO software, including the subtrac­tion of blanks, use of standard curves, etc.

Typical applications include endpoint assays (quantitation of cytoproliferation by
MTT reduction, colorimetric protein assays, protein measurement at 280 nm,
DNA/RNA measurement at 260 nm, and endpoint ELISAs) and kinetic
measurements (enzyme studies, such as determination of the activity of enzymes
released from cells, and kinetic ELISAs).

All standard 96- and 384-well microplates, strip wells, and filter-bottom micro­plates can be used in the SPECTRAmax

PLUS

384

. When reading at wavelengths
below 340 nm, special UV-transparent, disposable or quartz microplates and
cuvettes that allow transmission of the

far UV spectra must be used.

With SOFTmax PRO, the contents of the wells in a microplate can be mixed
automatically by shaking before each read cycle, making it possible to perform
kinetic analysis of solid-phase, enzyme-mediated reactions (mixing is not critical
for liquid-phase reactions). The temperature of the microplate chamber can also
be regulated, if desired, from 4°C above ambient to 45°C.

SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual 1-3

l

Chapter 1

An optional printer, for use with the cuvette chamber in a stand-alone mode, can
be purchased as an accessory.

PathCheck

™

As predicted by the Beer Lambert law of light absorption, absorbance is propor­tional to the distance that light travels through the sample—the longer the path­length, the higher the absorbance.

Microplate readers use a vertical light path so the distance of the light through the
sample depends on the volume. This variable pathlength makes it difficult to per­form extinction-based assays and confusing to compare results between micro­plate readers and spectrophotometers.

Horizonta

The standard pathlength of a cuvette is the
conventional basis for quantifying the unique
absorptivity properties of compounds in solution.

Horizontal

Light Path

Quantitative analyses can be performed on the basis
of extinction coefficients, without standard curves
(e.g., protein at 280 nm, nucleic acid estimates at
260 nm and NADH-based enzyme assays). When
using a cuvette, the pathlength is known and is

independent of sample volume, so absorbance is

Cuvette

proportional to concentration.

dependent on the

both

Vertical

In the microplate, pathlength is
liquid volume, so absorbance is proportional to
the concentration and the pathlength of the sample.
Standard curves are often used to determine analyte
concentrations in vertical-beam photometry of

Vertical Light Path

unknowns, yet errors can still arise from pipetting the
samples and standards. The PathCheck feature of the
SPECTRAmax

PLUS

384

automatically determines
the pathlength of aqueous samples in the microplate
and normalizes the absorbance in each well to a
pathlength of 1 cm. This novel approach to

Microplate Wells

correcting the microwell absorbance values is accurate
to within 2.5% of the values obtained directly in a 1­cm cuvette.

Reference measurements made by reading the cuvette or using factory-stored val­ues derived from deionized water can be used to normalize the OD data for
microplate wells.

This pathlength correction is accomplished only with the use of SOFTmax PRO
software. Stand-alone control of the instrument is limited to fixed-wavelength

1-4 SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual

Instrument Description

Component
Description

Control Panel

reference measurements made with the cuvette. SOFTmax

®

PRO software from

Molecular Devices provides full instrument control and statistical data analysis.

The main components of the SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

are:

• The control panel

• The microplate drawer

• The cuvette chamber

• The back panel (connections and power switch)

Back Panel

Cuvette Chamber

Microplate
Drawer

Figure 1.2 : Major areas of the SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Control Panel

Figure 1.3 : Control Panel

The control panel consists of an LCD and nine pressure-sensitive, color-coded
membrane keys which can be used to perform the stand-alone functionality of
the SPECTRAmax
plate drawer and cuvette chamber, setting the wavelength at which to read the
cuvette, toggling between displayed values as absorbance or percent transmission,

PLUS

384

, including setting the temperature inside the micro-

SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual 1-5

Chapter 1

and opening or closing the microplate drawer. Pressing a control panel key acti­vates the function.

LCD

A 2-

×

-20-character liquid crystal display which shows the current instrument set-

tings.

Keys

TEMP

on/off

(Incubator) Enables/disables the incubator function.

(Incubator) Allows you to enter a set point to regulate the

microplate and cuvette chamber temperature. Pressing the up
or down arrow key scrolls up or down, starting at the previous

TEMP

temperature setting (or the default of 37.0°C, if no setting had

▲

been made). Pressing the up (

) or down (

▼

) arrow once incre-

ments or decrements the temperature shown in the display by

0.1°C; pressing and holding

either arrow increments or decre­ments the temperature shown in the display by 1°C until it is
released. If you increment the setting to the highest limit (45°C)
and continue to press the up (

▲

) arrow, the display will not
change. If you decrement the setting to the lowest limit, 15°C,
and continue to press the down (

▼

) arrow, the display will not

change.

CAUTION:

!

If the incubator is disabled, pressing the

will

enable the incubator.

[Temp On/Off]

key

Selects the wavelength that will be used for reading the cuvette
manually. Pressing the up or down arrow key scrolls up or
down through the available wavelengths, starting at the previ-

λ

ous setting. Pressing the up (

▲

) or down (

▼

) arrow once incre­ments or decrements the wavelength shown in the display by
1 nm; pressing and

holding either arrow increments or decre-

ments the wavelength shown in the display by 10 nm until it is
released. If you increment the setting to the highest limit
(1000 nm) and continue pressing the up (

▲

) arrow, the dis­play returns to the lowest possible setting (190 nm) and begins
incrementing from there. The inverse is true for decrementing
by pressing the down (

▼

) arrow.

NOTE:

1-6 SPECTRAmax PLUS

Setting the wavelength in SOFTmax PRO and reading using the soft-

ware will override the manual setting.

The control panel will not show

the wavelength selected through SOFTmax PRO.

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Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual

Instrument Description

[REF]

READ

CUVETTE

[%T/A]
[Drawer]

NOTE:

A reading of buffer, water, or air taken in the cuvette that is

used as I
reference reading is taken, the SPECTRAmax

the I

to calculate Absorbance or %Transmittance. If no

0

384

PLUS

values stored in the NVRAM (non-volatile memory) of

0

will use

the instrument.

Initiates the sample reading of the cuvette.

Toggle switch used to display cuvette data as percent

transmission or absorbance.

Opens or closes (toggles) the microplate drawer. Whether or
not the drawer will remain open depends on the incubator
setting. If the incubator is off, the drawer will remain open;
if the incubator is on, the drawer will close after approximately
10 seconds to assist in maintaining temperature control within
the microplate chamber.

If the SPECTRAmax

software, the

[READ CUVETTE]

If the SPECTRAmax

PLUS

PLUS

384

is being controlled by the computer

and

384

is idle, all keys on the control panel are

[REF]

button will be inactive.

active. During a kinetic run, if the read interval is >30 seconds, pressing
the

[Drawer]

button will open the drawer. The instrument will automat-

ically close the microplate drawer for the next reading.

Control Panel Display

The left side of the display shows the temperature, both actual and set point, and
whether or not the temperature is at the set point (enunciator blinks if not at set
point). The middle of the display shows the wavelength. The right side of the dis­play shows the data received from the reading as either absorbance or percent
transmission and indicates whether or not a reference measurement was made
(enunciator blinks if no reference reading was taken).

To change the contrast on the control panel, press
or down keys.

[%T/A]

and the

[Temp]

up

SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual 1-7

Chapter 1

A1 Indicator

The Microplate Drawer

Figure 1.4 : Microplate Drawer

The microplate drawer is located on the right side of the SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

and slides in and out of the reading chamber. Springs on two sides of the drawer
automatically position and hold a microplate in the proper position. The drawer
remains in the reading chamber during read cycles.

Microplate drawer operation varies, depending upon the incubator status. To
open the drawer, press the

[Drawer]

key. If the incubator is turned on, the
drawer will remain open for approximately ten seconds, after which a beeping
sound will alert you approximately two seconds before the drawer closes automat­ically.

NOTE:

Do not obstruct the movement of the drawer. If you must retrieve a
plate after an error condition or power outage and the drawer will not
open, it is possible to open it manually (see Chapter 4, “Maintenance
and Troubleshooting”).

Microplates

The SPECTRAmax PLUS
microplates, strip wells, and filter-bottom microplates. When reading at wave­lengths below 340 nm, special UV-transparent, disposable or quartz microplates
allowing transmission of the deep UV spectra must be used.

Not all manufacturers’ microplates are the same with regard to design, materials,
or configuration. Temperature uniformity within the microplate may vary
depending on the type of microplate used.

384

can accommodate standard 96- and 384-well

1-8 SPECTRAmax PLUS

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Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual

The Cuvette Chamber

Instrument Description

Figure 1.5 : Cuvette Chamber

Located at the right front of the SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

, the cuvette chamber
has a lid that lifts up, allowing you to insert or remove a cuvette. The chamber
contains springs that automatically position the cuvette in the proper alignment
for a reading. The cuvette door must be closed in order to initiate a reading.

Cuvettes

The SPECTRAmax PLUS
cuvettes and 12 x 75 mm test tubes when used with the test tube cover.

Figure 1.6 : Test Tube Cover

Not all manufacturers’ cuvettes are the same with regard to design, materials, or
configuration. Temperature uniformity within the cuvette may vary depending
on the type of cuvette used.

384

can accommodate standard-height (45 mm), 1-cm

Be sure to handle cuvettes on the frosted sides only. Place the cuvette into the
chamber so that the “reading” (clear) sides face left and right (see Figure 1.5).

NOTE:

SPECTRAmax PLUS

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Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual 1-9

The SPECTRAmax

micro cuvettes.

PLUS

384

will not accept the short (25-mm high)

Chapter 1

The Back Panel

Power Switch

Fuse Box Cover

Label

Power Cord

Receptacle

Printer (Centronics)

Computer (RS-232)

Figure 1.7: Components on the Back Panel of the SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

The following components are located on the back panel of the SPECTRAmax

384

PLUS

system:

• Power switch—a rocker switch, labeled I/O (for on and off, respectively).

• Power cord receptacle—plug the power cord in here.

• Fuse box cover—cannot be opened while the power cord is plugged in. When

opened, it provides access to the fuse box containing two fuses that are required
for operation.

• Printer port (double-shielded, 25-pin parallel, for use in stand-alone opera-

tion)—plug the 25-pin end of the cable into this port; the other (Centronics)
end attaches to the port on the printer.

• Computer port (double-shielded 8-pin RS-232 serial, for use with an external

computer)—plug the 8-pin DIN serial cable connecter into this port; the other
end attaches to the serial (modem) port of the computer.

• Labels—provide information about the SPECTRAmax PLUS

voltage rating, cautionary information, serial number, etc. Record the serial
number shown on this label for use when contacting Molecular Devices Tech­nical Services.

1-10 SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

, such as line

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Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual

Instrument Description

Functional
Description

Stand-Alone Operation

The paragraphs that follow describe functions that can be activated during stand­alone operation.

When operating the SPECTRAmax PLUS

384

as a stand-alone system, you can

obtain a fixed-wavelength reading of the cuvette. The wavelength is chosen by

pressing the up or down arrows beneath the display labeled λ. Temperature regu-

lation of the cuvette/microplate chamber can be enabled and set using the keys
on the left side of the control panel and actual temperature can be monitored in
the display. To obtain a reading of the cuvette, press either the
reference reading) or the

[READ CUVETTE] key (for a sample reading). The

[REF] key (for a

resulting data can be displayed as absorbance or percent transmission by toggling
the

[%T/A] key. You can also open or close the drawer using the [Drawer] key

on the right of the control panel.

NOTE:

Keep cuvette door closed when reading a cuvette.

Wavelength Selection

The display on the control panel shows the currently selected measurement wave-

length (λ). You can change the wavelength by pressing the up or down arrows

until the display shows the desired wavelength. The wavelength will wrap around
to the top or bottom when the last selectable wavelength is reached.

Temperature Regulation

The SPECTRAmax PLUS
of the microplate chamber from 4°C above ambient to 45°C. Upon power up,
when the incubator is off, the temperature in the SPECTRAmax PLUS
plate chamber is ambient and isothermal. Pressing the incubator

key will cause the SPECTRAmax to begin warming the microplate/cuvette

Off]

chamber. The temperature set point defaults to 37.0°C at start-up.

NOTE:

Accuracy of the temperature set point is only guaranteed if the set point
is at least 4°C above ambient. If the temperature set point is lower than
the ambient temperature, the chamber temperature will remain at ambi­ent. Temperature regulation is controlled by heaters only and, therefore,
cannot cool the temperature to a setting lower than ambient. Addition­ally, the highest setting (45°C) can be achieved only if the ambient tem­perature is >20°C.

You can change the temperature set point by pressing the up (▲) or the down
(▼) arrow keys above and below the word TEMP until the desired set point is

shown in the display. Typically, the microplate chamber will reach 37.0°C in 15
to 30 minutes.

The microplate chamber temperature is maintained at the set point until you
press the incubator

[TEMP On/Off] key again, turning temperature regulation

off. The microplate drawer will open and the temperature within the chamber
will begin returning to ambient.

384

has been designed to regulate the temperature

[TEMP On/

384

micro-

SPECTRAmax PLUS

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Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual 1-11

Chapter 1

NOTE:

Should you turn the incubator back on after a momentary shutdown,
allow about ten minutes after reaching temperature for the control algo­rithm to fully stabilize the microplate chamber temperature.

Temperature regulation and control of the microplate/cuvette chamber are
achieved through electric heaters, a fan, efficient insulation, and temperature sen­sors. The heaters are located in the chamber which is insulated to maintain the
temperature set point. The sensors, also mounted inside the chamber, measure
the air temperature. The temperature feedback closed-loop control algorithms
compare the measured air temperature inside the chamber against the tempera­ture set point, and use the difference to calculate the heating cycles. This tech­nique results in accurate, precise control of the chamber temperature with a
temperature variation of the air inside the chamber of less than 1.0°C. (The tem­perature uniformity within the microplate or cuvette will depend upon the
design, materials, and/or configuration of that component.)

Data Collection

The SPECTRAmax PLUS
buffer memory.

CAUTION:

!

Data in the buffer memory is lost when power to the
SPECTRAmax PLUS
outages. Do not turn the instrument off while important data remains in
the buffer memory.

384

stores only the most recent cuvette reading in a

384

is turned off. This applies even to short power

Printed Data Output

An optional printer, designed to sit on top of the instrument, can be purchased
for use with the SPECTRAmax PLUS

During stand-alone operation, results are automatically printed as soon as a
cuvette has been read. A new cuvette can be loaded into the SPECTRAmax

384

PLUS

while the results from the first reading are being printed.

384

.

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Microplate Spectrophotometer Operator’s Manual