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At 03:39 PM 13/02/97 -0800, Karel Drbal wrote:
>I ask you whether anyone have recorded a strange laser failure (Ar-15mW,
>air-cooled) in the BD instrument (FACSort). It happens almost everyday during
>data acquisition. The laser power and current drops to zero and after
approx. 1
>minute come back to the normal value. Normal values for laser power and
current
>were OK. Nothing I have tested helps. The laser have 5000 hours which is
close
>to its lifetime.
>My questions:
>1) Could overheating be the cause?
Yes, it could.
Is the airflow obstructed?
Dirty filter?
Fan(s) not working?
Hot air exhaust restricted?
Does it go off repeatedly, or only once per day?
>2) How one can decide when the laser should be replaced?
I've never seen one go like yours; usually the current increases slowly
during the life of the tube, then one day it refuses to work.(ever again)
>Any other suggestions?
What does BD suggest?
What does the laser manufacturer suggest?
If a component is failing due to heat, it is likely to be some small
electronic bit rather than the laser tube.
Cheers, Joseph.
-- Joseph Webster Flow Cytometry Facility Centenary Institute
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CD-ROM Vol 3 was produced by Monica M. Shively and other staff at the
Purdue University Cytometry Laboratories and distributed free of charge
as an educational service to the cytometry community.
If you have any comments please direct them to
Dr. J. Paul Robinson, Professor & Director,
PUCL, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907.
Phone: (765)-494-0757;
FAX(765) 494-0517;
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