Toxinometer ET-7000/E Analysis Module

PYROSTAR is Fujifilm Wako’s range of endotoxin testing instruments and reagents, based on the Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay.

The LAL assay operates using lysate isolated from the blood of the Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus). When exposed to bacterial endotoxins, generally arising from lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in the bacterial cell wall, these lysates coagulate and in turn cause the crab’s blood to clot. The Pyrostar LAL assay harnesses this process to provide the most sensitive endotoxin detection method.

The PYROSTAR ET-7000 Toxinometer is a combined incubation and photometric measuring device, allowing for the use of all 3 PYROSTAR Bacterial Endotoxin Test (BET) methods, the Gel Clot Assay (GCA), Kinetic Turbidimetric Assay (KTA) and Kinetic Colorimetric Assay (KCA), all on the same system.

The Toxinometer can operate as a heating block, providing reliable, uniform heat to each of the 16 tube slots at 30°C or 37°C. .The photometric reader of the ET-7000 operates by passing a 430nm light, generated by an Ultrabright-Blue-LED, through the sample before impacting a silicon photocell, generating a current proportional to the amount of light impacting it. When used in conjunction with a computer and Toximaster® QC8 software, this current is recorded as the sample’s transmission ratio.

Negative controls have a transmission ratio of 100%, however if endotoxin is present, this causes the sample to coagulate and allow less light through, reducing the transmission rate. If the transmission rate drops below a threshold, endotoxin can be said to be present in the sample. Using the time taken to reach this threshold, reported as Gelation time (Tg) for the KTA method and activation time, (Ta) for the KCA method, the ET-7000 can calculate the endotoxin level in the sample.

Each tube is measured independently and simultaneously, allowing processing of 16 samples per run. This ET-7000 analysis unit provides just the toxinometer module itself, without a PC or software, providing expansion of existing ET-7000 based systems. Up to 8 ET-7000 expansion units can be connected, allowing for simultaneous analysis of up to 128 samples per run in 1 system.

The ET-7000 replaces the older ET-6000 toxinometer, retaining all of the functionality while also offering many improvements including:

•An improved temperature control mechanism and algorithm improves the reliability of results by reducing the effects of ambient temperature.

•Improvements in stability, including an improved test tube insertion mechanism reduce the effect of vibrations on the system thereby increasing result reliability even further.

•The tube detection sensor and algorithm have also been improved so that when used with the Toximaster QC8® software measurements can be started automatically when a tube is inserted, reducing waiting time.

•A single run of measurement data can now be stored in the Toxinometer, so when used with the Toximaster® QC8 software, results can be retrieved even if the PC malfunctions and disconnects in any way. This prevents data loss and reduces the need for retesting, speeding up your testing and increasing your maximum sample throughput.