Roche BenchMark ULTRA User manual

VENTANA Quick Start Guide

BenchMark ULTRA System Instrument with Ultimate Reagent Access

This handbook was designed as a convenient reference guide that will assist with implementation of VENTANA BenchMark ULTRA instruments

in the following areas:

• Optimization of laboratory work ow with VENTANA BenchMark ULTRA instruments,

• Enhancement of utilisation of VENTANA System So ware,

• Explanation of BenchMark ULTRA protocol  exibility and creation,

• Facilitation of rapid implementation by providing quick tips.

For more detailed instructions, please refer to the VENTANA BenchMark ULTRA Operators’ Manual located in the Operator’s Manual provided

with the system.

101404500a_EN 2014_Sep

Table of Contents

Visual Management 1

Using the Slide Histogram ..................................................................... 1

Grouping Visualisation—Blue lights .................................................... 1

What Each Slide Drawer LED Colour Signiﬁ es ................................. 2

Reagent Management 3

Printing a Pre-Run Pick List .................................................................. 3

Maximise the Use of the Reagent Carousel ...................................... 3

Using the Reagent Grid ........................................................................... 4

Printing the Reagent Grid ....................................................................... 5

Ultimate Reagent Access Feature 6

Using Ultimate Reagent Access...Step by Step ................................ 7

Reagent Access from Slide and Reagent Histogram Views ......... 8

Histogram Reagent Access Buttons .................................................... 9

Using the Reagent Access Pick List .................................................... 9

Viewing a Selected Access Point and the Reagent Pick List from

the Reagent Access Icon ......................................................................10

Tech Tips 11

Using the Slide Control Panel .............................................................11

Aborting Slide ..........................................................................................11

Applying Antibodies Manually ............................................................12

Signing Off Error Messages .................................................................12

Cleaning the Slide Drawers 13

When to Clean the Slide Drawers ......................................................13

Before Running a Cleaning Cycle ......................................................13

Starting a Cleaning Cycle Using the Clean Icon ...........................13

Aborting a Cleaning Cycle ...................................................................13

Clean Icon Status Indicators ................................................................13

pH of Bulk Fluids 14

Preparing Bulk Fluids.............................................................................14

Managing Inventory 15

Creating Custom Inventory Filters ......................................................16

iii

Table of Contents continued

VENTANA BenchMark ULTRA IHC

Optimisation Process (for iView and ultraView ONLY) 38

VENTANA BenchMark ULTRA IHC

Optimisation Process (for OptiView ONLY) 39

Central Management 40

Using the Central Management Feature ..........................................40

Quick Tips .................................................................................................40

Archiving 41

What is Archiving?..................................................................................41

Why is Archiving Important to the Performance of My

Instrument? ...............................................................................................41

When Should Archiving Be Performed? ...........................................41

How Long Does Archiving Take? .......................................................41

Best Practices for Archiving ................................................................42

Slide Reports 18

Batch Run Reports .................................................................................19

Case Reports ............................................................................................18

Setting up a Case Report......................................................................20

Consolidated Run Report......................................................................22

Using the Consolidated Run Report—Examples of Multi-Select

Options .......................................................................................................24

Setting up a Consolidated Run Report .............................................24

VENTANA System Software 27

What’s New in VSS v 12.3 .....................................................................27

Protocol Editor .........................................................................................29

Selectable Protocol Options ................................................................30

Protocol Views .........................................................................................31

Protocol Flexibility 32

How to: 34

How to Filter Protocols ..........................................................................34

How to Search Protocol Steps by Keyword .....................................35

How to Print from the Protocol Editor ...............................................36

How to Use the Zoom Feature ............................................................37

Visual Management

Using the Slide Histogram

• Refer to the Slide Histogram to see the completion time for

each individual slide.

• It is recommended that you keep this screen up throughout the

day while your instrument is running.

• Click the Slide Histogram icon to see slide status.

Grouping Visualisation—Blue lights

The blue lights on the slide drawers grouping visualisation can be

used to indicate a STAT case, a group by the requestor, or a manual

antibody application.

• To activate this feature, go to the “Orders View” screen.

• Select the desired slide/case and click “LED ON.”

Red Line is the

current time.

Click the Slide

Histogram icon

to see slide

status.

Displays when

slides will be

completed.

Solid green: slide drawer available

Blinking green: slide has ﬁ nished processing

Solid yellow: slide in progress

Blinking yellow: acquiring information

Rapidly blinking yellow: manual antibody application required

Red: attention required

Grouping visualisation (see

the previous page)

Slide drawer access button

Visual Management continued

What Each Slide Drawer LED Colour Signiﬁ es

Reagent Management

Printing a Pre-Run Pick List

A pre-run list of required reagents can be created from the Orders View.

• After the desired barcode labels are printed, go to the Orders View screen and select “Printed case slide orders” from the drop-down list.

• The ordered assays will populate the table below.

• Highlight the desired orders, click the printer icon, and select “Pick List” to print.

Maximise the Use of the Reagent Carousel

Filling the reagent carousel with the most commonly used ancillaries,

reagents, and antibodies will ensure that the instrument is ready to receive a

sample at any time.

Keep the 35 most used reagents on the carousel whenever the instrument is

in use. This includes detection and ancillary reagents, and as many primary

antibodies that can be accommodated, even if a test for that antibody has

not been ordered.

Reagent Management continued

1. Click to view the

reagent grid on the

Reagent Histogram View.

2. A reagent grid appears that

displays recently scanned

reagent information.

Using the Reagent Grid

Reagent details across single or multiple

VENTANA BenchMark ULTRA platforms can be

quickly assessed by viewing the Reagent Grid.

This feature eliminates the need to mouse over

individual reagent dispensers to view reagent

details, maximizing reagent management

throughout the work day. You can monitor,

display, and print reagent types, remaining tests,

expiration dates, and other information using the

Reagent Grid.

The Reagent Grid can be accessed if the

instrument is in Sleep, Ready, or Running mode,

as long as the reagent carousel was scanned

at the start of a run. Each time a new reagent is

added to the wheel and scanned, the reagent

grid will be updated. It can also be printed to

facilitate reagent management across

multiple shifts.

Reagent Management continued

• To view the reagent grid for the Reagent Histogram View, click the Histogram icon.

Printing the Reagent Grid

To print the reagent grid, click the

Print Icon:

• To sort the data displayed in the grid, click on the column headings.

• To increase or decrease the size of the font, click the up or down arrows on the Zoom dial.

• Click to close the reagent grid and return to the previous reagent dispenser view.

Ultimate Reagent Access Feature

The Ultimate Reagent Access feature allows access to the

reagent carousel in the event a new dispenser needs to be

added or removed (e.g., a new order arrives requiring a reagent

not currently in the instrument).

Reagent Access is a user selectable option and uses reagent

access points to allow the reagent hood to be opened during

slide processing.

Reagent access points are four-minute windows of time when

slides on the instrument are either incubating or being rinsed,

and no reagent dispense is required.

Reagent access points are automatically calculated and

displayed on the reagent access shortcut icon and the slide and

reagent histograms.

Using Ultimate Reagent Access...Step by Step

The Reagent Access shortcut icon allows you to set a reagent access point without having to navigate to the Slide or Reagent Histogram views.

Before starting, make sure the instrument is in a normal running mode and not a cleaning or maintenance mode. Follow the ﬁ ve basic steps below.

Ultimate Reagent Access Feature continued

Step 1

Click the

Reagent

Access

shortcut icon.

Step 2

Click on your

choice of

reagent access

times.

Step 3

When it’s time for the

reagent access point,

the blue lights ﬂ ash

and the hood unlocks.

Open the hood before

a minute passes.

Step 4

Add or remove the

reagents. You have at

least three minutes to

complete this step.

Step 5

Close the hood

before the “minute

to close hood alarm”

and the red-light

countdown ends.

Ultimate Reagent Access Feature continued

Reagent Access from Slide and Reagent Histogram Views

Description of Histogram Blue Bands

1. Medium-blue bands indicate when reagent access is available.

2. Light-blue bands indicate when reagent access is NOT available.

3. A square button indicates there are multiple contiguous access points

available for selection.

4. A round button indicates that only one reagent access point is available.

5. Once a reagent access point has been selected, a dark-blue band

displays, the non-selected reagent access points are disabled (grayed

out), and a reagent pick list is available for viewing and printing.

Notice that the medium-blue

and light-blue bands are not

always the same size. This is

because in certain instances

you will have only one reagent

access point at a time, or you

will have multiple contiguous

reagent access points. The

size, number, and colour of the

sections that display depend

on the type and number of

protocols being run at any

given time.

You can also view and set reagent access points from both the slide and reagent histogram views. To view the time of the reagent access

point, hover over the button. To select a reagent access point, click the corresponding button. If multiple access points are available for

the same band, a menu of reagent access times displays. Click the access point you want to select. See the next page for a complete

description of each of the button types.

Histogram Reagent Access Buttons

The following table describes the four button styles that may be present

on the Reagent or Slide Histogram. These buttons are used to display and

select available reagent access points.

Button Style Description

Ultimate Reagent Access Feature continued

The single reagent icon button indicates that there is only one

reagent access time available. This button depicts the reagent

access icon. To view the time of the reagent access point, hover

over the button.

This button depicted displays both the

reagent icon and reagent access time.

A square button with a small down-facing

triangle indicates that there is more than

one reagent access point from which to

choose. Click the button, and a menu

of reagent access times is displayed. If

a triangle appears next to the last time,

there are more times available.

The rectangular button displays both the reagent icon and the

ﬁ rst reagent access point available from a menu of reagent

access times. Click the button, and a menu of reagent access

times is displayed.

Using the Reagent Access Pick List

You can print a “Pick List” of reagents that must be

added during the scheduled pause.

Once an access

point has been

selected, click this icon

to display the Pick List for

printing.

Ultimate Reagent Access Feature continued

The Pick List

• eliminates the need to memorise reagents to be added

• shows which reagents can be removed from the carousel.

Viewing a Selected Access Point and the Reagent Pick List

from the Reagent Access Icon

1. Click the Reagent Access

Shortcut icon. The selected

time and a reagent pick list

displays to help you manage the

reagents that need to be added or

removed.

2. To display the Pick List, click the

icon.

3. To deactivate the reagent access

point, click the button with the red

hood icon and time.

Note: If a selected Reagent Access Point is reached and the slide is not

ready to be loaded into the instrument, proceed to add the appropriate

reagents. When the slide is ready, it can be loaded into an available slide

drawer and will immediately begin staining.

Tech Tips

Using the Slide Control Panel

The slide control panel is used to conveniently

• open all available drawers,

• open all drawers with completed slides, or

• close all open drawers.

The slide control panel is located between drawers 15 and 16 to

provide an easily accessible location to operate multiple drawers

simultaneously.

Aborting Slide

Abort individual slides by

• clicking to select a slide on the Instrument View, and

• right clicking with the mouse to choose Abort Selected.

Open all available drawers

Open all drawers with completed slides

Close all open drawers

Abort multiple slides by

• holding the CTRL key down on your keyboard and selecting

each slide you would like to abort, and

• clicking abort once.

Each slide that you stopped will begin to ﬂ ash red.

Tech Tips continued

Applying Antibodies Manually

Having individual slide staining drawers is extremely useful when

manually applying an antibody. This feature allows a titration run

to be performed simultaneously with any other assays that do not

require manual application of an antibody.

To manually apply an antibody:

1. Select “Titration” when creating the protocol. Once the

instrument reaches the titration step, it will audibly alarm and the

slide drawer LED will rapidly blink yellow.

2. Open the slide drawer, apply 100µl of PAB and close slide drawer.

3. Press and HOLD the slide drawer access button until the

blinking yellow LED returns to solid yellow.

Signing Off Error Messages

Multiple error messages may be signed off by

• selecting one error message, and

• pressing CTRL + A on your keyboard.

When to Clean the Slide Drawers

It is recommended that a cleaning cycle be performed once per day. However, instrument cleaning cycles can be run on an as needed basis,

depending on the volume of slides being stained and reagent residue. The instrument cleaning cycle is a fully-automated process that is easily

started with just one click.

Cleaning the Slide Drawers

Before Running a Cleaning Cycle

Verify the following before running a cleaning cycle:

• The system is in

mode.

• All slide trays are in the closed position.

• All slides are removed from the slide drawers.

Starting a Cleaning Cycle Using the Clean Icon

From the Instrument, Reagent Histogram, or Slide Histogram

Views, click the

icon to perform a cleaning cycle. Once the

instrument begins a cleaning cycle, the

icon indicates that the

system is running.

Clean Icon Status Indicators

The clean icon changes colour to indicate whether the Clean function is

disabled, enabled, or running.

Clean

Icon

Clean Function

Status

Indicates

Disabled The system is in READY or RUNNING mode, and you cannot run

a clean cycle. (Note: If required, you can still access the Clean

function within the maintenance menu.)

Available The system is in SLEEP mode, and you can run a cleaning cycle.

Running An instrument cleaning is being performed.

Aborting a Cleaning Cycle

If you need to abort a cleaning cycle, click the

button located on the bottom left corner of the Instrument View screen.

Reagent pH

Reaction Buffer 7.4-7.8

EZ Prep No pH needed (not a buffered solution)

SSC 6.5-7.5

ULTRA CC1 8.0-8.5

ULTRA CC2 6.0

ULTRA LCS No pH needed

pH of Bulk Fluids

Preparing Bulk Fluids

1. Fill buffer carboy with approximately 18 liters of DI water.

2. Add concentrated buffer solution.

3. Mix thoroughly.

4. If applicable, check the pH of the bulk solution.

Note: If pH of buffered solution is incorrect, determine if the

reagent was mixed correctly and check DI water quality. Do not add

an acid or a base to adjust the pH.

Managing Inventory

Select “Active Status Only” from the

Layout drop-down list to help manage

inventory. You can also select an option

in the Group By ﬁ eld to further sort data.

Using the Inventory List to view Active Status items helps you to manage your inventory.

Click the Inventory icon to

view the Inventory List.

Managing Inventory continued

1. Click the Filter Icon.

2. Click Customize to open the

custom ﬁ lter builder.

Creating Custom Inventory Filters

Create a custom ﬁ lter to deﬁ ne Active Status

settings by doing the following.

Roche BenchMark ULTRA User manual

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