Unbalanced centrifuge rotors
can result in injury or death
. Sample container breakage can release aerosols that are harmful if inhaled. The majority of all centrifuge accidents result from user error. … High-speed centrifuges rely on rotors designed for the particular make and model.
How balanced does a centrifuge have to be?
Balance the centrifuge
Balancing masses
to the nearest 0.1 gram
is advisable, and it is important to balance tubes by mass, not volume. For example, do not balance a sample consisting of liquid with a higher or lower density than water with an equal volume of water.
Why balancing is important in centrifuge?
One of the most important characteristics for a centrifuge is balance. You see,
centrifuges spin at extremely high speeds to separate material
. And an unbalanced centrifuge will not operate at peak efficiency. In fact, diminished product quality or inconsistent product output can be an indicator of an unbalanced bowl.
Can a centrifuge explode?
Unfortunately, centrifuge explosions
occur frequently in laboratories
. These can be disastrous. … The amount of mechanical stress that is placed on a centrifuge’s rotors results in corrosion of the rotor over time. Damaged and corroded rotors can easily result in a centrifuge explosion.
Can you use an odd number of tubes in a centrifuge?
Note also how
any odd number of tubes can be balanced
with a balanced triplet of tubes (e.g. in holes 2, 10 and 18), and then simply adding balanced pairs. … On the other hand, the worst centrifuges are those with a prime number of holes (marked in orange), as they are only balanced when full or empty.
What is the purpose of centrifuge?
Centrifugation is a
very common technique to separate solid particles dispersed in liquid medium, e.g., blood cells and plasma
. The liquid sample is placed in a special vial or holder, which is rotated very fast. Sample components are separated due to the centrifugal force, based on their density difference.
Why do we need a centrifuge?
A centrifuge is
used for the separation of heterogeneous mixtures
. The separation is achieved by spinning a vessel containing your product at high speed. This will result in that the centrifugal force pushes heavier materials to the outside of the vessel and you will have your product separated as needed.
At what speed do you centrifuge blood?
Centrifuge for at least 15 minutes at
2200-2500 RPM
within one hour of collection. Transfer the serum to a plastic screw-cap vial for transport to the laboratory.
What is the principle of centrifugation?
A centrifuge works by using the principle of sedimentation:
Under the influence of gravitational force (g-force), substances separate according to their density
. Different types of separation are known, including isopycnic, ultrafiltration, density gradient, phase separation, and pelleting.
What happens if you spin blood too soon?
Failure to adhere to these wait periods may result in
fibrin clots forming within the serum phase of the centrifuged sample
, which may require additional handling to rim the clot and may introduce sample contamination.
What is centrifuge safety?
Do not leave centrifuge until full operating speed is reached
and appears to be running safely without incident. Stop centrifuge immediately if you notice any unusual noises or shaking. Confirm rotor is balanced. To prevent rotor failure, do not exceed maximum speed and maximum mass limits for the rotor.
What is the most unsafe event regarding a centrifuge?
User error
is the biggest cause of centrifuge malfunction. Common causes of centrifuge malfunctions include: Failure to place the lid on the rotor. Failure to properly secure the rotor lid.
What are the common accidents in centrifuges?
Hazards. The most hazardous aspect of the centrifuge is the rotation assemblies. The most common type of centrifuge accident results
from a failure to balance the load, or to use the trunnion buckets correctly
. If the centrifuge rotor is poorly balanced, and there is no strong barrier, debris can be ejected.
How do you properly balance a centrifuge with an odd number of samples?
If you have an even number of sample tubes, place them directly across from each other in the rotor. For an uneven number of samples,
add another test tube to the rotor that’s filled with liquid of the same volume and density
to keep your load balanced.
How do you stop a centrifuge?
Even though many centrifuges have a “safety shutoff” if the lid is opened, the only thing this does is stop powering the rotor. The rotor will still spin due to its own inertia for a while until
friction slows
and eventually stops it. 4. If you see it wobbling or shaking, turn it off or pull the plug.
