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“Air is everywhere and vacuum sucks”

Incomplete vial evacuation is a problem in most labs.

If you think your Exetainers™ are evacuated, then you better test some of your tubes: hold an "evacuated" vial upside down underwater and remove the cap. If it were evacuated it would fill completely with water. The bubble shows you how much air was in the "evacuated" vial. The photo below shows how much air was in these evacuated vials. The 4 vials in the middle were "pre-evacuated" vials purchased directly from Labco! "Lab B" results were from evacuating through a needle. The  Exevacuatorr Chamber solves this problem and gives results like "Lab A" on the left.

small bubble: good            Large Bubble: Bad

 

 Air will leak into the evacuated vial as you pull the needle out. This graph shows the pressure in a vial as it is evacuated. the jump up in pressure is the moment after the needle is withdrawn. That is air leaking back in through the needle hole in the septum. The needle hole does not seal instantly.

Published Protocols have not yet addressed the issue of incomplete vial evacuation.

 

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Automated flux sampling in the field with the Bandolero X6

Sampling from flux chambers can be a marathon and the number of chambers is limited by your ability to run around and around to all chambers to draw samples. The Bandolero X6 sampler takes a set of 6 timed samples and logs the time and chamber temperature.

 

Old style manifold: Obsolete!

Causes leaks in vial septum and is awkward to use. Swagelock fittings are good for some things but only if you follow the correct procedures for assembly. Conventional valves are prone to vacuum leaks.

 

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Here is a helpful 'tip': make your disposable needles "non coring" : bend the tip like this:

 

 

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