QIAcube and QIAcube Connect Accessories

Yes, rotor and/or buckets can be removed from the QIAcube for cleaning. For information on how to remove these parts, refer to the QIAcube User Manual.

Yes. At the end of each protocol run on the QIAcube, a report file is generated that contains important information such as number of samples, liquid volumes measured during the load check, and run time. A log file is also generated that contains information about instrument actions, such as movement of the robotic arm.

Report files can be automatically transferred from your QIAcube Connect using the QIAsphere Export Tool. For this, just connect your QIAcube Connect to QIAsphere. More information can be found on the QIAsphere webpage.

You can stop a QIAcube protocol if there is an emergency by pressing “Cancel”. To confirm that you want to stop the protocol run, press “OK”. To cancel the 'stop protocol' command, press “Cancel”.

Note: If a protocol run is stopped, the run cannot be restarted. The samples must be processed manually. The last protocol step performed by the QIAcube will be displayed in the touch screen. For more information, refer to the QIAcube User Manual.

New software or software updates can be accessed via the QIAcube Web Portal at www.qiagen.com/MyQIAcube. To access them directly, go to User Support.

The following disinfectants and detergents are recommended for cleaning the QIAcube:

• Mikrozid® Liquid (Schülke & Mayr GmbH) — ethanol-based disinfectant for spraying onto surfaces (consists of 25 g ethanol and 35 g 1-propanol per 100 g Mikrozid Liquid)
• RBS®-35 Detergent Concentrate (Pierce Chemical Co.) — anionic and nonionic surfactant based detergent for cleaning the touch screen and worktable door
• RNaseZap® (Ambion) — for complete removal of RNase contamination from glass and plastic surfaces
• 0.1 M NaOH — for cleaning the worktable and racks to remove RNase contamination (alternative to RNaseZap)
• Note: Alcohol is not recommended for cleaning of the door.

Europe 

Lysetol® AF (Gigsept® Instru AF) (Schülke & Mayr GmbH) — disinfectant for submerging worktable items (consists of 14 g cocospropylene-diamine-guanidine diacetate, 35 g phenoxypropanols, and 2.5 g benzalkonium chloride per 100 g Lysetol AF, with anticorrosion components, fragrance, and 15–30% nonionic surfactants).

USA

DECON-QUAT® 100 (Veltek Associates, Inc.) — quaternary ammonium salt based disinfectant concentrate for submerging worktable items (contains 5% alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride and 5% alkyldimethylethylbenzylammonium chloride).

Note: If you want to use disinfectants different from those recommended, ensure that their compositions are similar to those described above.

Yes, this is absolutely necessary. If the lids are not securely fixed in the rotor adapter slots during processing on the QIAcube, they will become detached from the elution tubes and columns during centrifugation and will collect at the bottom of the centrifuge chamber.

Yes. The heated shaker on the QIAcube Connect can be operated independently if the QIAcube is not performing a protocol run. For instructions on how to operate the shaker, refer to the QIAcube Connect User Manual, chapter 5 "Operating Procedures", section 5.9 "Independent heater/shaker operation".

The shaker can be used to heat and shake samples simultaneously, shake samples without heating, or heat samples without shaking.

Please refer to Section 6.2 "Disinfection" and Section 6.6 "Periodic maintenance" of the QIAcube Connect User Manual. 

You can stop a QIAcube protocol if there is an emergency by pressing Stop Run. To confirm that you want to stop the protocol run, press Yes. To cancel the "Stop Run" command, press No.

Note: If a protocol run is stopped, the run cannot be restarted. The samples must be processed manually. The last protocol step performed by the QIAcube will be displayed on the touchscreen. For more information, refer to the QIAcube Connect User Manual.

No. The QIAcube is designed for fully automated processing of up to 12 samples using QIAGEN spin-column kits. Do not use spin columns manufactured by other suppliers with the QIAcube. Damage caused by use of other types of spin columns will void the instrument warranty.

See:  http://www.qiagen.com/products/catalogpagecontrols/header/qiacube/360/default.aspx for a demonstration on how the QIAcube is used with the RNeasy Mini Kit for automated purification of RNA.

No. The QIAcube is equipped with an optical sensor, which determines the tip size and the number of tips loaded onto the worktable prior to starting a run.

The QIAcube can use partially used tip racks from previous runs, provided that the racks contain sufficient tips to process the number of samples loaded for the current run.

Dedicated QIAcube kits are the RNeasy Mini QIAcube Kit, QIAamp DNA Mini QIAcube Kit, the QIAamp DNA Blood Mini QIAcube Kit, and the QIAamp Viral RNA Mini QIAcube Kit. In addition to these kits are the QIAamp PowerFecal Pro DNA QIAcube Kit, the DNeasy PowerSoil Pro QIAcube Kit using Power technology, and the DNeasy Blood & Tissue QIAcube Kit.