CyTOForum

Hi CyTOFers

Our Helios started beeping today for about 5 minutes after tuning. We passed tuning (after many issues) with flying colors (Tb mean duals ~2.3M, hopefully our cones won't cave). Has anyone had this issue before? The machine stopped beeping and we ran wash and water without issues, we just wanted to put some feelers out to be on the safe side.

Thank you!

Hi Martha,

I don't recall ever hearing a CyTOF itself beeping. There have been times there's been vibration noise from the interface pump or something, and there have been times that odd beeping noises have come from the computer tower or a UPS.

But not from the CyTOF itself.


Mike

Adding onto this comment that it sounds like it could be the UPS.
As the machine is starting up and igniting the plasma, it often pulls more amperage than the UPS is initially built for (30A+), and so it will set off an alarm from the UPS for a few minutes during startup. I do not believe there is any long-term damage from this effect happening.

Sam