Asymptote VIA Freeze Duo, User Manual

Page 1: ...Asymptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 1 of 86 VIA Freeze system User Manual ...

Page 2: ...Creasey John Sendall 6 Proof Reading and corrections 28 10 14 Stuart Milne Sarah Acton 7 Proof Reading and corrections 30 10 14 Chris Creasey Stuart Milne A Released 30 10 14 Stuart Milne B Images updated to reflect software updates 27 8 15 Chris Creasey C Images and menu structure updated 10 12 15 Ellis farmery Chris Creasey D Moved menu structure to appendix 14 12 15 Chris Creasey E Removed sect...

Page 3: ...d carrying 7 3 3 Operating environment and conditions 8 3 4 Cold surfaces 8 3 5 Disposal 8 4 Getting started 9 4 1 Before switching on 9 4 2 Switching on and logging in 9 4 3 Notes on the touchscreen 13 4 4 Notes on the Main Menu 14 4 4 1 The navigation bar 14 4 4 2 The status column 15 5 System Overview Orientation 16 5 1 Overview of a Cryopreservation Run 16 5 1 Loading and unloading vials 17 5 ...

Page 4: ...screen 32 6 2 4 Service screens 33 6 2 5 Log Out and Shut Down screen 34 6 2 6 System mode icons 34 6 3 Performing a run 35 6 3 1 Protocols 36 6 3 2 Record details 38 6 3 3 Running 38 6 4 Heating 40 6 5 Exporting Run Data 41 7 Routine Maintenance 42 7 1 Cleaning 42 7 1 1 Cleaning products 42 7 1 2 Cleaning protocol 42 7 2 Heat transfer pad replacement 43 7 3 Servicing and Calibration 44 8 Plate lo...

Page 5: ...a new user 67 9 7 Service screens admin only 67 9 8 Systems administration 68 9 8 1 Hardware 68 9 8 2 Operating system Boot process and Sys Admin access 68 9 8 3 Network and Security 69 9 8 4 Software maintenance 69 9 8 5 Setting the time zone do this before setting the time 69 9 8 6 Setting the time and date 70 9 9 Events 71 9 9 1 Export event log 72 9 10 Alarms 72 9 11 Remote access 75 10 Menu s...

Page 6: ...A Freeze product This manual describes the operation of the VIA Freeze range of controlled rate freezers The freezers use free piston Stirling coolers to freeze samples and there are three freezer models available full details can be found in the Technical specifications section 10 of this document Figure 1 The three VIA Freeze models ...

Page 7: ... are correctly earthed should they have been changed or damaged Only connect to earthed grounded mains outlet 3 1 1 Instruction regarding positioning to avoid difficulty in operating the disconnecting device Disconnection from the mains supply should be performed by either switching mains power at the wall or by the power switch located at the rear of the unit where the IEC cable enters the produc...

Page 8: ...s designed for benchtop mounting and both the VIA Freeze DUO and QUAD can be benchtop or floor mounted 3 4 Cold surfaces The potential danger symbol is positioned near the working surfaces of the freezer which get very cold during operation Temperatures of the working surface can reach as low as 110 C At this temperature contact with skin can lead to cold burns Please ensure that suitable gloves a...

Page 9: ... such as a carpet 3 Plug the supplied power cable into the IEC power socket at the back of the freezer see section 5 2 and into the mains supply In the unlikely event that something unforeseen has happened during shipping we recommend performing a portable appliance test for electrical safety before plugging the unit into the electrical supply outlet 4 If networking or remote access is required th...

Page 10: ...s that the system has correctly booted up and the temperature sensor on the top right hand side of the screen is reading approximately room temperature or the temperature that the unit has been stored at Figure 3 The Login Screen Two types of user accounts exist user and admin and you can log in as either from the login screen If you log in as an Admin you will have access to certain system settin...

Page 11: ... there is no need to type anything into this field We recommend that these login details are changed and user accounts created for system security and traceability as follows username a unique identifier for every user password a string of characters and or numbers unique to each user for authentication When a text input field is touched on the touch screen an on screen keyboard will appear as sho...

Page 12: ...6 Figure 4 An onscreen keyboard appears when entering text If the login attempt failed e g because the wrong password was entered an error message will be shown and the display will remain on the login menu Otherwise the main menu will appear on the display see Figure 5 ...

Page 13: ...touchscreen The operation and user interface is identical for all VIA Freeze freezers The only difference is the capacity or number of samples of each freezer All freezer models have a 25 6cm 10 1 touchscreen display mounted on the front of the system This allows the user to control all aspects of the freezer through a touch based menu system If the user does not wish to use the touch interface th...

Page 14: ... show the current menu location Figure 6 Main menu areas 4 4 1 The navigation bar The navigation bar at the top of the screen shows the user which menus and windows are currently active It also allows users access to any currently active operations or menus These are listed along the bar and can be selected as required by tapping them The button furthest on the left on the navigation bar contains ...

Page 15: ... cryo plate in C please note that samples placed on this plate will be a few degrees warmer due to the thermal gradient in the system which must be accounted for 2 Setpoint This is the temperature that the cryo plate is programmed to reach and is set by the protocol which is currently running 3 Status This is the current status of the cryo plate and can be one of the following Standby The default ...

Page 16: ...engine has left 5 System Overview Orientation This section is intended to give the user a high level overview of the workflow software and hardware of the systems before more detailed descriptions in subsequent chapters 5 1 Overview of a Cryopreservation Run Figure 7 shows an example cryopreservation run with 4 C sample loading This shows the intended workflow for a typical protocol This can be ch...

Page 17: ...s is shown in Figure 8 Turn on VIA Freeze After boot make sure system is OK and Login Start chosen protocol with 4 C Dwell Precool SBS Plate in VIA Freeze Prepare Samples User protocol e g Add cryoprotectant Place samples in cooled SBS plate Continue Run Place SBS Plates in VIA Freeze Close Lid Wait for run to finish Run can be held at any point if required Remove SBS Plate from VIA Freeze Use cor...

Page 18: ...age 18 of 86 Figure 8 Loading an SBS plate into a VIA Freeze Alternatively the vials can be loaded individually into a SBS plate in the system that has been precooled to the correct temperature using a dwell and hold in the protocol This is shown in Figure 9 ...

Page 19: ...Asymptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 19 of 86 Figure 9 Loading vials individually into an SBS plate ...

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Page 29: ...se of each screen is given in the following sections and the menu structure detail is shown in section 10 Figure 10 Menu tree corresponding to the home screen 6 Detailed use 6 1 The back and forward buttons These buttons are the main method for cycling through the screens and performing important operations Each button has several different functions depending on what is displayed in the main wind...

Page 30: ...to the next screen 6 2 Menu icons These icons are intended to guide the user through the menu structure in an intuitive way similar to the use of a touch screen phone or tablet The overall menu structure is shown in section 5 1 6 2 1 Home screen On logging in you will be presented with the home screen The following icons will present themselves in the main window for navigation through the user in...

Page 31: ... St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 31 of 86 6 2 2 Settings screen Selecting the Settings icon on the home menu will take you to the Settings screen The following options will present themselves ...

Page 32: ...ote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 32 of 86 6 2 3 System Manager screen Selecting System Manager on the home screen will take you to the System Manager screen showing the following options ...

Page 33: ...ptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 33 of 86 6 2 4 Service screens Selecting Service Screens on the System Manager screen will take you to the Service Screens with the following options ...

Page 34: ... Log Out and Shut Down screen Selecting Log Out and Shut Down on the Home screen will present the following options 6 2 6 System mode icons The system mode icons are displayed the status column on the right hand side of the screen and display the systems current operation mode ...

Page 35: ...ote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 35 of 86 6 3 Performing a run To perform a run on the freezer press the Select and Run Protocol button on the Home screen this enters the protocol screen ...

Page 36: ... 3 1 Protocols The protocol screen allows the user to select their required protocol from those available on the system Up to six protocols can be displayed on each screen The left and right arrows at the bottom of the screen allow multiple pages of protocols to be viewed ...

Page 37: ...otocol to be inspected Protocols are the cooling temperature profiles that the freezer will follow They are made up of ramps where cooling happens at a set rate holds where the temperature holds until a command is pressed and dwells where the temperature holds for a set amount of time For advanced instructions about creating and editing protocols see sections 9 3 and 9 4 When the protocol has been...

Page 38: ...nter comment Any required details of the run The run can be started by pressing the Start button 6 3 3 Running When a run has been started the main window displays a live graph showing temperature vertical axis against time horizontal axis There are two plots displayed on the graph and these are referenced in the key at the top right Cryo plate blue line this is the current recorded temperature of...

Page 39: ...t the current setpoint temperature by pressing the Hold button The run is continued by pressing Resume At any point during the run it can be stopped by pressing the Abort button Information about when to load and unload samples or plates can be in section 7 When a run is complete press the Finish button and confirm ...

Page 40: ...ation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 40 of 86 6 4 Heating After a run has been completed and the Finish or Abort button has been pressed and confirmed the freezer will enter a heating cycle The Status will now change to Heating ...

Page 41: ...rmed until this cycle has finished due to the potential build up of ice If the heating cycle needs to be stopped before it is complete then press the Abort Heating Cycle button This is found on the Home screen for users and on the System screen for admins The Abort Heating Cycle command needs to be confirmed before it switches off 6 5 Exporting Run Data When a run has been completed all the data f...

Page 42: ...clean room products from STERIS have also been tested and approved for use cleaning VIA Freeze products These are Environ Vesphene st diluted 1 128 Environ LpH st diluted 1 125 Spor Klenz RTU Do not use acetone to clean the system since this can damage the paintwork Some stronger cleaners may also damage the paint and other surfaces of the freezer If a product is not on the above lists then contac...

Page 43: ...g cycle 7 2 Heat transfer pad replacement All VIA Freeze freezers are supplied with spare heat transfer pads It is recommended that you replace the heat transfer pad when it gets dirty or damaged as this will optimise the performance of the freezer 1 Before heat transfer pad replacement ensure that a heating cycle has been completed and then switch off the freezer 2 Peel the old pad from the SBS m...

Page 44: ...eze freezers instructions for the use of specialist sample holders are supplied with them and not included in this manual We recommend that you contact either Asymptote or your supplier to discuss your specific application and requirements For standard 2ml cryo vials and the Asymptote supplied sample holder ASY_10146 there are 2 methods for placing and removing samples from the freezer 8 1 Sample ...

Page 45: ...Asymptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 45 of 86 System manager is selected leading to Create new protocol is then selected leading to ...

Page 46: ...mptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 46 of 86 Which is the default starting profile for an edit The first segment is highlighted and if this is edited the following dialog is displayed ...

Page 47: ...WS Page 47 of 86 Any of the numbers can be highlighted by touching on them and the number that is highlighted can then be changed using the up and down arrows In this example the rate has been changed to 2 degrees per minute to give the following protocol ...

Page 48: ...Asymptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 48 of 86 The next segment can now be edited by pressing the right button at the bottom left of the screen ...

Page 49: ...Asymptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 49 of 86 The second segment can now be edited and the hold at end of this segment should be checked to allow for sample loading ...

Page 50: ...Asymptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 50 of 86 The new segment is shown above with a hold at the end and this should now be given a title and description and saved ...

Page 51: ...Asymptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 51 of 86 The protocol should then be run by going back to the select and run protocol screen ...

Page 52: ...Asymptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 52 of 86 Selecting the protocol after checking the segments are correct ...

Page 53: ...Asymptote St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 53 of 86 And entering the record details and press start As the VIA Freeze is cooling the run can be held or aborted ...

Page 54: ...e loading outside the freezer It is also possible to remove the SBS plate from the system to fill vials outside the freezer This will enable use cases such as automated vial filling in a SBS tray or use of the SBS tray to minimise thermal excursions during cryoprotectant addition When designing SOPs that use the SBS trays outside of the cryo chamber we recommend you discuss your proposed workflow ...

Page 55: ...Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 55 of 86 9 Advanced operation 9 1 Records The Records screen allows users to access a log of previously run protocols the protocol information bar will display the time date user protocol type and comments of each run ...

Page 56: ...ox and selecting the Export button will display pop up window with the export options Select confirm to export a report NOTE please make sure a USB memory stick has been plugged into the USB ports on the back of the system prior to selecting Export Once exported select Eject USB before safely removing the memory stick 3 Selecting the Export Settings button will display a dialog box that will allow...

Page 57: ...Clicking edit here opens a new menu to change these settings Automatic export means that after each run a report will automatically be exported to your default export location Report type specifies whether you want just the csv Raw data only or both pdf and csv Full report ...

Page 58: ...d email and FTP The user has the option to change their password email and FTP information via the Settings menu Simply select either the relevant icon and follow the on screen instructions on the subsequent screen 9 3 Creating a new protocol admin only Via the System Manager menu an admin user can access the protocol editor to either create new protocols or edit existing ones To create a new prot...

Page 59: ... of 86 Here a protocol title and description should be filled in to do so simply select the input box and fill in the on screen keyboard which will appear Control the currently selected segment of the protocol with the controls in the bottom left of the main window ...

Page 60: ...on the desired segment the user can select to delete the segment edit the segment or create a new segment to follow using the controls in the bottom right of the screen Selecting Edit Segment will access a pop up window whereby users can choose a desired state for the segment ...

Page 61: ...Once the protocol cooling rate has been completed and all information correctly added to the input boxes simply select Save in the bottom of the status column The new protocol has been created and can be accessed via the Select and Run Protocols option on the home screen ...

Page 62: ...hn s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 62 of 86 9 4 Editing an existing protocol admin only As in section 8 5 the protocol editor can be accessed via the System Manager menu and existing protocols can be edited ...

Page 63: ...stalled on the system Selecting a protocol will bring up a fully populated protocol editor screen Navigate through the graph segments using the controls on the bottom left of the main window edit or delete the selected segment with those on the bottom right of the main window or create new segments Edit the title and description by selecting the input boxes ...

Page 64: ... St John s Innovation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 64 of 86 Finally select Save in the bottom of the status column To view the newly edited protocol go back to the Home screen and choose Select and Run Protocol ...

Page 65: ...WS Page 65 of 86 9 5 User management admin only An admin user can access the User Management screen via the System Manager menu Selecting the user information bar accesses a pop up window where the user can control the status of the selected user account ...

Page 66: ...ntre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 66 of 86 Selecting the Enable Automatic Login option brings up a confirmation box which when confirmed removes the need to log in to the system each time The system stays logged in as the current admin user ...

Page 67: ...ymptote by default and this can be changed from the My preferences or settings menu depending on user type on the home screen 9 7 Service screens admin only Technical information and servicing tools such as updating and backups can be accessed on the Service Screens menu Each of these options will take the user out of the familiar user interface structure which can be returned to from each of the ...

Page 68: ...tu OS 2 Asymptote Software dependencies 3 Asymptote Proprietary Software The boot process goes through the following distinct steps to present the UI to the user 4 uBoot 5 Linux Kernel loading and booting 6 Standard LXDE boot process 7 Upstart processes to load Asymptote Backend processes 8 Upstart process to load Asymptote Frontend UI The Frontend UI is displayed in a Firefox Web browser run in f...

Page 69: ...ect access to the internet we recommend that the Linux OS is kept up to date monthly with the sudo apt get update sudo apt get upgrade standard package manager commands to maintain security of the system The VIA Freeze software is maintained by Asymptote As new VIA Freeze software is released Asymptote will contact you by email to make you aware of the new software The update process requires a us...

Page 70: ...r installations where users allow direct access to the internet the system will interface with the Ubuntu Network Time Protocol server to keep synchronised to live atomic clocks More information can be found here https help ubuntu com 10 04 serverguide NTP html If not connected to the internet it is possible to a timeserver on your intranet or to manually set the time and date of the system To man...

Page 71: ... all errors and events in chronological order Each information bar will show the time date and user and give a brief message detailing the event or alarm type To scroll through the pages of the list use the controls at the bottom left of the main window and use those in the bottom right to export or clear the log or to eject the USB safely from the system ...

Page 72: ...at the back of the system Next select Export at the bottom right of the main window to access the export pop up menu and select confirm Before removing the memory stick first select Eject USB before safely removing from the USB port 9 10 Alarms The Alarms panel is displayed in the Status Column When no alarms are active the panel will state System is healthy No action required ...

Page 73: ...ms button with become active and the panel will read System is alarming Action is required Press the Alarms button to view the alarm type A pop up will appear stating the type of alarm a timestamp of when it occurred its status active Yes or No and whether or not it has been acknowledged Select the ...

Page 74: ...dge CB4 0WS Page 74 of 86 Acknowledge button to proceed To confirm acknowledgment enter a comment into the input box to explain the nature of the alarm and how it was resolved All details of alarms and their comments will appear in the alarms log ...

Page 75: ...een This is accessed through the System Manager Service Screens Engineering Display menus The IP address is shown as inet addr in the second line of the engineering screen as shown below in Figure 11 Figure 11 Engineering screen with IP address highlighted Note this number down from the VIA Freeze and then go to another computer on your intranet with access to the subnet that the VIA Freeze is con...

Page 76: ...ed to the VIA Freeze user interface the functionality is exactly the same as if you were using the system in the lab but from the comfort of your desk This is especially useful for monitoring runs Multiple users can login to the system and if remote access to your intranet is available via VPN Virtual Private Network then the system can be accessed from the internet Should you have any problem con...

Page 77: ...vation Centre Cambridge CB4 0WS Page 77 of 86 Note on the VIA Freeze to exit the Engineering page scroll down to the bottom and press the Return to main menu button as shown in Figure 13 Figure 13 Exiting the Engineering Page ...

Page 78: ...ings Change Password ChangeEMail ChangeFTP System manager Create new protocol Delete Segment Edit Segment Ramp Dwell Equation New Segment Edit existing protocol List of protocols Delete Segment Edit Segment Ramp Dwell Equation New Segment User Management List of users Active Click to Change Changeuser state Change usertype Reset password Suspend Delete EnableAuto Login New User Start Heating Cycle...

Page 79: ...cord Details Show Run Change Graph Temperatu re Temperatu re Rate Output Graph TC Selection Settings Change Password Change EMail Change FTP Login Screen Home System manager Create new protocol Delete Segment Edit Segment Ramp Dwell Equation New Segment Edit existing protocol List of protocols Delete Segment Edit Segment Ramp Dwell Equation New Segment User Management List of users Active Click to...

Page 80: ... Home System manager Service screens Update Manager Return to main menu Detect update script Eject USB Update Software Engineering Display Return to main menu Backup Manager Return to main menu Backup locations Backup now Unmount USB Login Screen Home Alarms and Event Log List of Events Eject USB Clear Export Log out or shutdown Log Out Shut down ...

Page 81: ...e Ambient operating temperature 5 C to 30 C Cooling temperature limit 100 C 18oC ambient Cooling rate 1 C minute down to 70 C 18oC ambient Cooling temperature control range 1 C Operating voltage 100V to 240V Fuse T5A H250V Maximum input power 250VA Software Embedded Linux Ports 3 x USB RJ45 Ethernet 4 x T type thermocouples External dimensions W x D x H 29 3cm x 35 9cm x 44 9cm 11 5 x 14 1 x 17 7 ...

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Page 83: ... temperature 5 C to 30 C Cooling temperature limit 100 C 18oC ambient Cooling rate 1 C minute down to 70 C 18oC ambient Cooling temperature control range 1 C Operating voltage 100V to 240V Fuse T5A H250V Maximum input power 350VA Software Embedded Linux Ports 3 x USB RJ45 Ethernet 4 x T type thermocouples External dimensions W x D x H 44 6cm x 38 3cm x 61cm 93 7cm open 17 6 x 15 1 x 24 36 9 open N...

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Page 85: ...g temperature 5 C to 30 C Cooling temperature limit 100 C 18oC ambient Cooling rate 1 C minute down to 70 C 18oC ambient Cooling temperature control range 1 C Operating voltage 100V to 240V Fuse T5A H250V Maximum input power 650VA Software Embedded Linux Ports 3 x USB RJ45 Ethernet 8 x T type thermocouples External dimensions W x D x H 63 8cm x 38 3cm x 61cm 93 7cm open 25 1 x 15 1 x 24 36 9 open ...

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