When you "run" an experiment, the first action the FORMULATOR takes if running on its default settings is washing the system to remove any traces of previous reagents. You may hear a whistling sound during the washing process; this is air moving through the system and is considered normal.
The length of the wash cycle depends on the viscosity class set for the reagents. There are several types of washes that the FORMULATOR can perform: Wash Inputs, Internal, External, and Secondary. System settings for the wash settings are available from the Wash tab of the System Options window (Tools > Options).
Wash Tab
You can manually execute many of these wash cycles from the Device menu.
When you tell the FORMULATOR to wash the inputs, you are cleaning the area where the bottles connect to the FORMULATOR. This wash is important because it prevents buildup around the inputs. You should perform this action before removing any reagent bottle from the FORMULATOR's bottle manifold.
You can choose from the following options:
Never
Immediately after run — Recommended.
Custom — If you select Custom, you can enter a delay time (in minutes) after the dispense finishes. The FORMULATOR will let the desired amount of time pass before running the input wash.
An external wash cleans the nozzles of the FORMULATOR. Available options:
Do external wash before dispense
Do external wash after dispense — Recommended, as this setting leaves the nozzles clean after a dispense.
The startup wash setting controls how many wash cycles are performed on the FORMULATOR's chip at startup. This process cleans the chips and prepares them for dispensing.
The Secondary Wash is only available if your FORMULATOR has a Secondary Wash input, which is an optional feature. Secondary washes typically use a sterilizing agent such as 5% bleach or 70% Isopropanol.
If your FORMULATOR is equipped with a secondary wash input, you can use the Secondary Wash settings to control when the wash solution is put to use. If you opt to perform a secondary wash for any of the following settings, you should follow it with at least 1 water rinse cycle.
Note: The Secondary Wash will replace the standard wash.
Available settings:
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