Freedom Rocker™ FAQs for models before 2015: FRSK22, FRSK42, FRSKDX2, FRSKDX4
Specifications
Can the Freedom Rocker work in labs in other countries?
Yes. A wall transformer will convert the voltage from your wall outlet to 12V DC for the Freedom Rocker™. Select the proper voltage when you order your instrument.
How much room does the Freedom Rocker require?
The Freedom Rocker takes up only 10 inches (25 cm) of lab bench. It is 10 inches (25 cm) wide by 15 inches (38 cm) deep, including the pump and the rocker. The bottles for wash buffer, waste, and reagent collection can be placed behind or to the side of the Freedom Rocker, or even on a shelf above or below the lab bench.
Can the Freedom Rocker drain the waste to a sink?
Yes, the hose for waste liquid can either run to a container or to a sink.
What happens at the end of the final wash step?
After the programmed duration of the final wash step, the instrument beeps to let the user know that the wash is complete. However, to keep the membranes, gels, or slides from drying out, the rocking continues and the wash buffer is not pumped from the tray(s).
How many trays can the Freedom Rocker run at once?
The Freedom Rocker model FRSKDX2 can run 1 large tray or 2 tray small or medium trays. With the purchase of AHDS24 Small Aspiration Head, one small or medim tray can be used. The FRSKDX4 model runs 4 trays or 2 trays at once. To run just 1 tray at a time, a different aspiration head is required. Aspiration heads and different tube sets can be ordered separately. See the pricelist for ordering information and current pricing.
Do all the trays follow the same protocol?
Yes, the Freedom Rocker pumps the liquids in and out of all the trays simultaneously to/from the same reagent/waste containers. Different reagents can be manually poured in the different trays initially, or automatically with the multi-dispense option, however, when these reagents are aspirated out of the trays, they will be combined in the waste or recover bottle.
Can I dispense different antibodies into each tray?
Yes, with the Multi-dispense (MD) models. Individual antibodies are loaded into the syringes on the dispense head. Antibodies cannot be individually recovered.
Operation
How do I switch from 4 to 2 trays?
The DX4 model can use 1, 2 or 4 sample trays. To switch between 2 and 4 trays, on newer models, simply move the plunger in the manifold of the tube set. In older tube sets, you may have to swap out the tube set.
How do I use just a single tray?
To use just a single sample tray, set up the Freedom Rocker just as you would for using 2 trays. Then attach the small dispense head AHD24. Since the instrument is now dispensing and aspirating into a single tray, twice as much buffer or reagent will be pumped into or out of the single tray, so set your volumes to half the desired amounts.
How do I dispense as little antibody as possible?
To dispense 10 ml or less per tray, attach the 50 mL tube to the blue tubing and set the fill volume to 30 mL and the clearing rinse to on. The Freedom Rocker can only dispense as much antibody as is in the tube, so if the 50 mL is full, i.e. there is tubing and about 46 mL in the 50 mL tube, only about 11 mL will go to each tray. If using just 2 trays, only fill the 50 mL with about 22 mL of antibody. Actually, about 1 mL per tray will be lost. The clearing rinse step will replace the buffer in the tubing with the antibody, by pumping the antibody into the tubing. To make sure that there is practically no buffer left in the tubes, about 1 mL of antibody will be pumped out the other end of the tubing. When the Freedom Rocker tries to pump 30 mL, it will pump about 10 mL into each tray. After that, it is just pumping air since there is no more antibody to pump. By pumping air, most all of the antibody is forced into the trays.
