FAQ
Answering Frequently Asked Questions is the daily task of our staff. Please check the categories below – the answer to your problem may be there already. If not, contact us, your question and the solution of your problem may become part of this ever expanding section. Also consider consulting Manuals in the Resources section.
I Have a problem with Ocean Optics Spectrophotometer Setup
Hi Lisa,
The first thing I'd do is check that the spec settings are correct. I'm assuming that you have a USB2000 spectrometer - the instructions below have been written for that. If you have another type of spectrometer, replace USB 2000 by the model of your instrument
- Go to "Spectrometer Setup" tab.
- Press the "Hardware" button. A pop-up window will open.
- Under "Spectrometer Type", select S2000/PC2000/PC104/USB2000.
- Click OK. The pop-up window will close.
- Press "Hardware" again. The same pop-up window will open.
- Under "A/D Converter Type", select "USB2000".
- Click OK. The pop-up window will close.
- Press "Hardware" again. The same pop-up window will open.
- Under "USB Serial Number", select the serial number of your spectrometer.
- Click OK. The pop-up window will close.
Now, make sure that your light source is turned off .Click the "Dark" button to perform a dark scan. Now turn on the light source. Make sure that the "Voltage" button is pressed down. Click "Single Scan". Do you get the usual display, or is it still showing the strange units? Make sure that the curve shown on the display does NOT have a flat top.
If so decrease the integration time in Settings.
Can my analytical method be automated by Flow Injection?
Hi Peter,
You can do a simple test if your current method is a colorimetric assay. Take the most concentrated standard, add reagents and observe color development against a white background. If you can see even a slight color development within one minute, the answer is yes.
For other type of assays, including UV spectrophotometry, consult E. Hansen’s database by using your target analyte as a keyword.
You can also contact us giving us the following information:
1) your analyte
2) the current method you are using,
3) the matrix composition ( e.g. sea water, soil, fermentor liquid)
4) desired concentration range and limit of detection.
How shall I choose between Flow Injection and Sequential Injection?
Dear Juju,
Flow Injection is a laboratory technique used for automation of serial assays with high sampling frequency. Typically 2 or more samples can be analyzed per minute. Coupled with an autosampler, FI is a workhorse in laboratories where many soil, water and environmental samples are being analyzed.
Sequential Injection uses less than 1/10 of sample and reagents, compared to FI and therefore also generates far less chemical waste. The instrument is portable, has a small footprint and since it uses syringe pumps it is more robust than FI instrumentation. It is suitable for serial assays as well as for continuous monitoring in a 24/7 regime, in industrial environments or in situ. The drawback of SI is lower sampling frequency ( typically 1 sample/min) and difficulty of automating assays that require more than three reagents.
How shall I install FIAlab software on my computer?
Hi Mariko,
1) Log on www.flowinjection.com/resources
2) A couple of paragraphs below the "Please visit our new Beta Website" text is a download link that says "1) Download Zipped FIAlab for Windows (full program, version 5.9.320)". You can download the installation file by clicking on that link.
3) To install the software, follow the instructions in the following PDF file
How shall I restart FIAlab software?
Hi Renato,
- Make sure FIAlab for Windows is closed.
- Go to Windows Start Menu -> All Programs -> FIAlab Instruments -> Uninstall FIAlab 5.0.
- Restart your computer.
- Download the FIAlab installation file from http://www.flowinjection.com/download.html (option 1, "full program").
- Unzip the installation file. Then double click it to run it.
-When prompted for password, enter it
-Re-start your computer.
My computer crashed. Can I have a copy of FIAlab software for my new computer?
Dear Brandon,
You can download the software on-line. Please consult this PDF file for a short description of where to go for downloads and how to install the software. Note that:
- you need to make two installations, one for the FIAlab software, and another one for the Ocean Optics driver (if you are using a spectrometer for detection)
- in order for the software to work, the new computer needs to have a 32-bit version of Windows.
When you first start the newly installed software, it may ask for a registration key (Key 2). If you email us the Key 1 that the software displays, we will email you back the corresponding Key 2.
Also, the software will need to be configured for your FIAlab-3500 in order for everything to work. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need assistance with the configuration.
How shall I avoid entrapment of bubbles in the flow cell?
Hi Brenda,
Nice work tracing the bubble source in the heating coil. I have one question about your carrier and reagent solutions: Do you refrigerate the solutions, or are they always kept at room temperature? These are some methods you can try in order to reduce the out gassing:
Degas your solutions. This can be done by placing them under vacuum for a couple of minutes (e.g. in a side-armed Erlenmeyer
flask, with a vacuum line on the side arm). Another method is helium sparging, but helium is expensive so most labs do not have that option. Install a back pressure regulator downstream of the flow cell. If you email me your mailing address, I can send you one.
How shall I reinstall OO Spectrophotometer software?
Dear Kwang Woo Lee,
The ramp-like spectrometer curve which you see on the screen is almost always caused by incorrect spectrometer type in hardware definitions.
You can fix this problem as follows:
Go to Spectrometer Setup -> Hardware.
A window will pop up. For "Spectrometer Type", select S4000. Press OK.
Go to Spectrometer Setup -> Hardware.
A window will pop up. For "A/D Converter Type", select USB4000. Press OK.
Go to Spectrometer Setup -> Hardware.
A window will pop up. For "USB Serial Number", select a serial number from the pull-down menu.
Note: it is important that you press OK after every setting change, rather than try to set all of them at once. If you attempt to set them all at once, the software will freeze (this is a bug in the Ocean Optics driver).
Also note that to get correct wavelength readings, you will need to press the "Get Coefficients" button in the Spectrometer Setup window.
Shall I clean the flow path of my FIAlab Instrument using sodium hydroxide solution?
Dear Yolanda,
It is safe to run a dilute solution of sodium hydroxide through the instrument. However, it is not a good idea to let it sit for too long, as alkaline solutions are somewhat corrosive towards the quartz windows on the flow cell.
Our first recommendation for a cleaning solution is always a dilute detergent solution. A good starting point is 0.1 % detergent concentration. This should be followed by a thorough rinse with water.
For bacterial growth, bleach is quite effective. A 10-fold dilution of household bleach with water works well. Again, it should be followed by a rinse with water.
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