The emergence of real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR system has greatly simplified the process of quantitative detection and truly achieved absolute quantification. The multiple detection system has made the experiment more selective.

Routine maintenance of fluorescent quantitative PCR machine

I. External cleaning

1. Wipe the instrument casing with a clean towel, move it from the original position, and clean the table under the instrument to prevent dust and other debris accumulated on the table from blocking the vents.

2. Check whether the air inlet and outlet of the instrument are unobstructed to prevent the vents from being blocked by dust, fibers and other debris, resulting in poor heat dissipation, thereby affecting the heating and cooling speed and temperature control accuracy.

3. A certain amount of space needs to be left around the instrument to ensure good ventilation and heat dissipation.

II. Sample slot cleaning

1. Check whether the sample slot of the PCR machine is clean. Wipe the sample well with a cotton swab dipped in 70%-75% alcohol, and then run it at 25℃ for 3 minutes to evaporate the alcohol solution in the slot. Clean the sample slot regularly, and usually once every six months.

2. If it is a quantitative PCR machine and the sample well is contaminated by a sample solution containing fluorescent dyes, it will affect the test results of the actual sample, so it is even more necessary to ensure the cleanliness of the sample slot, and usually once every three months.

III. Cleaning the hot cover

1. Check whether the hot cover can be fastened to ensure that the sample does not evaporate during the program running.

2. The marker marks on the PCR tube cover are easy to leave stains on the hot cover. Wipe it regularly with a soft clean cloth dipped in 70%-75% alcohol, and heat the hot cover to 99℃ for 3 minutes to remove alcohol residue.

IV. Temperature measurement

The uniformity and accuracy of the sample slot temperature are related to the quality of the experimental results. It is recommended to measure the temperature of the sample slot regularly to ensure the normal temperature control performance of the PCR system.