25-01-2013, 01:57 PM
CryoGrinder™ System User’s Guide
[attachment=48451]
Introduction
The CryoGrinder™ is a miniaturized mortar and pestle system that combines the effectiveness of manual
grinding with the convenience of a handheld homogenizer. The CryoGrinder™ is designed for processing
multiple small samples, i.e., less than 0.5 grams and most effective at 100 mg or less, by reducing the size of the mortar and motorizing the pestle. The small size of the mortar also makes transferring the pulverized sample to a tube very efficient.
Like the traditional application of cryogenically grinding with a larger mortar and pestle, the CryoGrinder™ makes use of liquid nitrogen to chill the mortar, pestle, and sample prior to grinding. The optional cryogenic cooler contains a rack that accommodates up to twelve mortars and a reservoir for liquid nitrogen which
maintains cryogenic temperatures. The complete system includes eight small mortars composed of a
porcelain/zirconium composite, 16 porcelain/zirconium pestles (two different sizes) adapted with a motor compatible shaft, a motorized torque wrench, and a cryogenic cooler with racks. The components can be purchased individually, as a kit, or as a system.
Cryogenic sample preparation can be a difficult process because of the challenge of maintaining an optimal cryogenic temperature below 130ºC under standard conditions. Biological molecules such as RNA are
susceptible to degradation at room temperature and are best harvested at cryogenic temperatures. Thus, it is important to maintain a temperature well below -130ºC when working with such labile molecules.
The CryoCooler™ component of this system was designed as a portable, cryogenic station aimed at increasing working time during sample preparation and collection. Once the chamber is fully charged with liquid nitrogen it will maintain temperatures well below -130 ºC for up to 4 hours (see graph below). Consequently, the
CryoCooler™ can be used for sample collection outside of the laboratory and for processing samples in the laboratory. The CryoCooler™ is suited for sample transport, preparation, sample collection in operating rooms, and short-term storage. It is not designed for overnight shipping of cryogenic samples. When used in
conjunction with the CryoGrinder™ it is effective for disrupting samples of less than 100 mg within a cryogenic
Liquid nitrogen is an essential component of cryogenic grinding. Liquid nitrogen has a temperature of -196°C, and has the potential to cause severe burns of the skin and eyes. Materials and items that come into contact with liquid nitrogen or liquid nitrogen vapor are also extremely cold. Consequently, DO NOT let liquid
nitrogen or chilled items come into contact with hands, skin, or eyes. Wear protective gloves, laboratory coat, and safety glasses when handling liquid nitrogen. Review safety rules and procedures established by your
lab/organization for handling liquid nitrogen.
Dry grinding the mortar and pestle, i.e., grinding without a sample in the mortar, will cause unnecessary wear on the components and generate porcelain dust. Porcelain dust can be a respiratory health hazard, therefore, DO NOT grind without a sample. If dust is generated, simply rinse the mortar and pestle with water to
remove.
The CryoGrinder™ is designed to be powered by a low speed torque wrench. This torque wrench has a speed of less than 300 rpm and is considerably slower than handheld homogenizers. This slow speed is important; it prevents sample splattering and the generation of airborne particles from the sample. However, as a
precaution, a dust mask should be worn if the samples contain biohazardous materials and grinding should be performed in a biological safety hood. Furthermore, following homogenization of biohazardous materials, work surfaces should be decontaminated with 70% isopropanol or similar disinfectant, and mortar and pestles should be autoclaved or chemically disinfected.
Prior to using the CryoGrinder™, the mortar and pestle can be sterilized by autoclaving or with dry heat.
Normal autoclave cycles are suitable for the mortar and pestle, i.e., 121°C for 15 min. Dry heat sterilization can be done at 200°C for 2 hours. The pestles should not be heated above this temperature. Allow mortars and pestles to cool before handling. Allow the mortar and pestles to thoroughly dry before exposing to liquid nitrogen. Never submerse or expose the torque wrench directly to liquid nitrogen.
The torque wrench used for powering the pestle is a standard commercial tool that has been tested in this system. Review the manufacturer’s documentation for this tool that has been enclosed prior to its use.
Liquid nitrogen (LN2) is necessary to charge the CryoCooler™ to the appropriate cryogenic temperature, thus several pre-cautions must be taken to prevent injury. CAUTION: Liquid nitrogen has a temperature of -196 ºC and will cause severe burns. Any materials and items that come into contact with the LN2 or its vapors will also become very cold and will cause burns. Therefore, safety goggles, gloves, and a laboratory coat must be worn while working with LN2. Review the safety rules and procedures established by your lab/ organization for handling liquid nitrogen in addition to the ones provided by this manual.
Never overfill the CryoCoolerTM the maximum capacity of the reservoir is 3 Liters.
NEVER clean the CryoCooler™ with acetone. It will degrade the cooler’s insulation. Also, DO NOT submerse or rinse the cooler with water or any other substance.
The chamber contains a pillow that absorbs liquid nitrogen. Handle a Liquid Nitrogen Absorbent Pillow that has been charged with liquid nitrogen with care. Use the same pre-cautions that were previously stated for working with liquid nitrogen, when working with the pillow. Charged pillows are very cold, brittle, and may release liquid nitrogen in its liquid and vapor forms.
Cleaning the CryoCooler™ can be done by first removing the tray and Liquid Nitrogen Pillow and then
disinfecting the chamber by wiping surface with 70% isopropanol.
Preparation of Sample
Harvesting and preparing tissues for cryogenic grinding is a vital step in obtaining good results. Many
biomolecules, such as mRNA, are quickly degraded in cells, thus rapid freezing after harvest is necessary.
Perhaps the most efficient method for freezing tissue is to rapidly harvest and drop the tissue into liquid
nitrogen. However, liquid nitrogen can be a source of contamination and the potential effect of that
contamination on the experiment should be considered. Alternatively, a metal plate (e.g., sheet of 1/8” thick aluminum or stainless steel) can be chilled in liquid nitrogen vapors and used as a “cold skillet” to quickly freeze tissue. The metal acts as a cold sink and pulls heat from the sample in seconds. Once frozen, most
tissues can be stored before processing.
Samples that will be used for RNA isolation should be stored at temperatures below the glass transition point of water, or 120°C. At this cryogenic temperature, biological activity ceases. At ultralow temperatures, e.g., -80°C, RNA will still degrade, albeit more slowly than in a standard refrigerator or freezer. Tissue that will be harvested and stored in liquid nitrogen freezers for repeated analysis should be quickly cut into thin strips or tiny cubes (5 mm3) assuming positional integrity of the tissue is not important. Sample frozen in this manner are much easier to process than tissues stored in large solid chunks. Whether plant or animal, large chunks of cryogenically frozen tissues are very difficult to dissect for processing without warming them up.
Instructions for Use
The CryoGrinder™ is most effective on small samples of 100 mg or less, though samples up to 500 mg can be processed. Following is a general procedure for grinding samples.
1. The CryoGrinder™ can be prepared by washing with a biologically compatible detergent and then by
rinsing thoroughly with water. Allow the mortar and pestle to completely dry before using. If sterile
grinding is required then the mortar and pestle can be autoclaved at 121°C for 15 min. Allow the
CryoGrinder™ to dry before use. If a nuclease-free and nucleic acid-free grind is needed, then the mortar
and pestle can be treated with a commercial decontamination solution and/or dry heat sterilized at 200°C
for 2 hours. Do not heat the CryoGrinder™ pestles above 200°C.
2. The CyroCooler™’s surfaces can be mildly disinfected with 70% isopropanol prior to use. Sanitize its surfaces
by wiping them with 70% isopropanol. DO NOT submerge the cooler or pour any other liquid beside liquid
nitrogen into the reservoir.
3. First, wear safety goggles, gloves, and laboratory coat. Open the CryoCooler™ lid and ensure the metal rack
is in place by tightening the thumb-nuts before pouring 1 liter of liquid nitrogen into the reservoir. Pour the
liquid nitrogen, close the lid, and wait 5 minutes. Take caution when initially charging the cooler. The LN2
will violently boil until the CryoCooler™ has cooled. DO NOT submerse the cooler in liquid nitrogen or place
in a cryogenic freezer to pre-chill it.
4. Re-charge the CryoCooler™ after the initial chilling. Add an additional 1 liter of liquid nitrogen to the
reservoir. A layer of liquid nitrogen should be visible above the perforated metal grate, which will then
gradually be absorbed by the reservoir, and start to evaporate. Once the liquid nitrogen has been added,
allow the CryoCooler™ to charge by closing the lid and letting it sit for 20-30 min before placing any samples
into it.
5. Once the CryoCooler™ has chilled, place the two aluminum Z-brackets on top of the tray with the
corresponding sides facing up. The Z-brackets allow the motors and pestles to rest at an angle and still allow
for the lid to close. Place mortars and pestles into the CryoCooler™ and pre-chill for 10-20 minutes.
thus an optimal cryogenic temperature below -130ºC may be maintained for up to 3 hours. A digital
thermometer can be used to monitor the cooler’s internal temperature. The cooler can be recharged if
the temperature rises above -130°C by following steps 3-5 above.
6. Small samples are most efficiently ground in the CryoGrinder™. For best results, sample should be smaller
than 5 mm3 which is about 125 mg of tissue. Samples can be pre-frozen or frozen upon harvesting by
dropping into a pre-chilled mortar (allow several minutes for the sample to come down in temperature).
brackets in the reservoir and then fill with liquid nitrogen. This is method is quicker, but it does not prevent
the mortar and pestle from becoming contaminated by the liquid nitrogen. CAUTION: Liquid nitrogen is not
sterile and can be highly contaminated, especially if it is retrieved from a tank where cell lines in plastic
cryogenic vials are stored submersed. Consequently, mortars and pestles that are directly exposed to the
liquid nitrogen should not be considered sterile or nucleic acid and nuclease free. However, depending
upon the intended use of the samples ground in the CryoGrinder™, such minor contamination may be
inconsequential, especially if the homogenized sample will be used for enzyme assays.
7. The mortar needs to be held for operation, so protect hands by wearing gloves. Choose gloves that fit well,
allow dexterity, and still prevent cold burns. With the sample in the mortar, fit the hex nut of a chilled
pestle into the torque wrench, hold the mortar firmly with a gloved hand, and tap down on the sample with
the mortar. Grind by pressing the clockwise button on the motorized wrench while pressing down firmly
on the sample. Grind for a couple of seconds and then grind counter clockwise for the same duration.
Repeat this forward and reverse grinding for a total of 15-20 seconds. Examine the sample. It should
appear as a fine powder and at this point can be transferred to a tube. If large particles are still present,
repeat the grinding.
8. For larger samples, it may be necessary to mix the ground tissue several times during the processing. To do
this, chill a thin metal spatula and use the tip to dislodge any compressed tissue. Continuing grinding with
the pestle. Repeat the process until the tissue is finely ground.
9. Once pulverized, the sample can be transferred to a tube (e.g., 15 ml centrifuge tube) for downstream
processing or storage. Using a chilled spatula, loosen any sample that is compacted on the bottom of the
mortar. To transfer, invert the tube and place over the opening in the mortar, invert tube and mortar
together, and tap the powdered sample into the tube. Check the mortar for residual sample, loosen and tap
into the tube as necessary. Typically recovery of the sample is greater than 95%, much higher than a
traditional mortar and pestle that yields less than 70%. Keep the sample cold following the transfer until
needed.
10. Following grinding, allow the mortar and pestle to warm up to room temperature before decontaminating
and cleaning. Refer to step 1 for cleaning guidelines.
The CryoGrinder™ mortar and pestle can be routinely re-used if cared for properly. The porcelain/zirconium composite that is used to craft the CryoGrinder™ is extremely wear resistant as it is more durable than even the hardest biological samples, such as bone. However, the mortar and pestle will wear significantly when used against each other in the absence of sample, referred to here as dry grinding. The mortar and pestle will produce a visible powder, or dust, when used without sample. This powder is a result of wearing of the mortar and pestle, and dry grinding will reduce the life of the CryoGrinder™.
DO NOT DRY GRIND WITH THE CRYOGRINDER™. ALWAYS GRIND WITH A SAMPLE.
The porcelain/zirconium composite used to form the mortar and pestle is very wear resistant, however it is a ceramic-based item and sensitive to impact. Avoid dropping or impacting the mortar and pestle on hard
surfaces.
The mortar and pestle can be autoclaved and heat sterilized. DO NOT USE DRY HEAT ABOVE 200°C. Allow the mortar and pestle to dry and/or cool before using and exposing to liquid nitrogen.
The mortar and pestle can be washed with detergents, though it is suggested that biologically compatible
detergents be used to prevent carryover contamination of biological samples. One good detergent/wetting agent is 1% sodium carbonate solution. It is both effective and inexpensive.
The CryoCooler™ can be re-used on a regular basis if it is cared for properly. However, certain substances such as acetone can degrade the insulation. Wipe the CryoCooler™’s surfaces clean with 70% isopropanol.
Routinely check the cooler’s reservoir when not in use for the white cellulose absorbent powder residue. If large amounts of white powder are found in the reservoir or on the surface of the perforated metal grate, replace the pillow.
[attachment=48451]
Introduction
The CryoGrinder™ is a miniaturized mortar and pestle system that combines the effectiveness of manual
grinding with the convenience of a handheld homogenizer. The CryoGrinder™ is designed for processing
multiple small samples, i.e., less than 0.5 grams and most effective at 100 mg or less, by reducing the size of the mortar and motorizing the pestle. The small size of the mortar also makes transferring the pulverized sample to a tube very efficient.
Like the traditional application of cryogenically grinding with a larger mortar and pestle, the CryoGrinder™ makes use of liquid nitrogen to chill the mortar, pestle, and sample prior to grinding. The optional cryogenic cooler contains a rack that accommodates up to twelve mortars and a reservoir for liquid nitrogen which
maintains cryogenic temperatures. The complete system includes eight small mortars composed of a
porcelain/zirconium composite, 16 porcelain/zirconium pestles (two different sizes) adapted with a motor compatible shaft, a motorized torque wrench, and a cryogenic cooler with racks. The components can be purchased individually, as a kit, or as a system.
Cryogenic sample preparation can be a difficult process because of the challenge of maintaining an optimal cryogenic temperature below 130ºC under standard conditions. Biological molecules such as RNA are
susceptible to degradation at room temperature and are best harvested at cryogenic temperatures. Thus, it is important to maintain a temperature well below -130ºC when working with such labile molecules.
The CryoCooler™ component of this system was designed as a portable, cryogenic station aimed at increasing working time during sample preparation and collection. Once the chamber is fully charged with liquid nitrogen it will maintain temperatures well below -130 ºC for up to 4 hours (see graph below). Consequently, the
CryoCooler™ can be used for sample collection outside of the laboratory and for processing samples in the laboratory. The CryoCooler™ is suited for sample transport, preparation, sample collection in operating rooms, and short-term storage. It is not designed for overnight shipping of cryogenic samples. When used in
conjunction with the CryoGrinder™ it is effective for disrupting samples of less than 100 mg within a cryogenic
Liquid nitrogen is an essential component of cryogenic grinding. Liquid nitrogen has a temperature of -196°C, and has the potential to cause severe burns of the skin and eyes. Materials and items that come into contact with liquid nitrogen or liquid nitrogen vapor are also extremely cold. Consequently, DO NOT let liquid
nitrogen or chilled items come into contact with hands, skin, or eyes. Wear protective gloves, laboratory coat, and safety glasses when handling liquid nitrogen. Review safety rules and procedures established by your
lab/organization for handling liquid nitrogen.
Dry grinding the mortar and pestle, i.e., grinding without a sample in the mortar, will cause unnecessary wear on the components and generate porcelain dust. Porcelain dust can be a respiratory health hazard, therefore, DO NOT grind without a sample. If dust is generated, simply rinse the mortar and pestle with water to
remove.
The CryoGrinder™ is designed to be powered by a low speed torque wrench. This torque wrench has a speed of less than 300 rpm and is considerably slower than handheld homogenizers. This slow speed is important; it prevents sample splattering and the generation of airborne particles from the sample. However, as a
precaution, a dust mask should be worn if the samples contain biohazardous materials and grinding should be performed in a biological safety hood. Furthermore, following homogenization of biohazardous materials, work surfaces should be decontaminated with 70% isopropanol or similar disinfectant, and mortar and pestles should be autoclaved or chemically disinfected.
Prior to using the CryoGrinder™, the mortar and pestle can be sterilized by autoclaving or with dry heat.
Normal autoclave cycles are suitable for the mortar and pestle, i.e., 121°C for 15 min. Dry heat sterilization can be done at 200°C for 2 hours. The pestles should not be heated above this temperature. Allow mortars and pestles to cool before handling. Allow the mortar and pestles to thoroughly dry before exposing to liquid nitrogen. Never submerse or expose the torque wrench directly to liquid nitrogen.
The torque wrench used for powering the pestle is a standard commercial tool that has been tested in this system. Review the manufacturer’s documentation for this tool that has been enclosed prior to its use.
Liquid nitrogen (LN2) is necessary to charge the CryoCooler™ to the appropriate cryogenic temperature, thus several pre-cautions must be taken to prevent injury. CAUTION: Liquid nitrogen has a temperature of -196 ºC and will cause severe burns. Any materials and items that come into contact with the LN2 or its vapors will also become very cold and will cause burns. Therefore, safety goggles, gloves, and a laboratory coat must be worn while working with LN2. Review the safety rules and procedures established by your lab/ organization for handling liquid nitrogen in addition to the ones provided by this manual.
Never overfill the CryoCoolerTM the maximum capacity of the reservoir is 3 Liters.
NEVER clean the CryoCooler™ with acetone. It will degrade the cooler’s insulation. Also, DO NOT submerse or rinse the cooler with water or any other substance.
The chamber contains a pillow that absorbs liquid nitrogen. Handle a Liquid Nitrogen Absorbent Pillow that has been charged with liquid nitrogen with care. Use the same pre-cautions that were previously stated for working with liquid nitrogen, when working with the pillow. Charged pillows are very cold, brittle, and may release liquid nitrogen in its liquid and vapor forms.
Cleaning the CryoCooler™ can be done by first removing the tray and Liquid Nitrogen Pillow and then
disinfecting the chamber by wiping surface with 70% isopropanol.
Preparation of Sample
Harvesting and preparing tissues for cryogenic grinding is a vital step in obtaining good results. Many
biomolecules, such as mRNA, are quickly degraded in cells, thus rapid freezing after harvest is necessary.
Perhaps the most efficient method for freezing tissue is to rapidly harvest and drop the tissue into liquid
nitrogen. However, liquid nitrogen can be a source of contamination and the potential effect of that
contamination on the experiment should be considered. Alternatively, a metal plate (e.g., sheet of 1/8” thick aluminum or stainless steel) can be chilled in liquid nitrogen vapors and used as a “cold skillet” to quickly freeze tissue. The metal acts as a cold sink and pulls heat from the sample in seconds. Once frozen, most
tissues can be stored before processing.
Samples that will be used for RNA isolation should be stored at temperatures below the glass transition point of water, or 120°C. At this cryogenic temperature, biological activity ceases. At ultralow temperatures, e.g., -80°C, RNA will still degrade, albeit more slowly than in a standard refrigerator or freezer. Tissue that will be harvested and stored in liquid nitrogen freezers for repeated analysis should be quickly cut into thin strips or tiny cubes (5 mm3) assuming positional integrity of the tissue is not important. Sample frozen in this manner are much easier to process than tissues stored in large solid chunks. Whether plant or animal, large chunks of cryogenically frozen tissues are very difficult to dissect for processing without warming them up.
Instructions for Use
The CryoGrinder™ is most effective on small samples of 100 mg or less, though samples up to 500 mg can be processed. Following is a general procedure for grinding samples.
1. The CryoGrinder™ can be prepared by washing with a biologically compatible detergent and then by
rinsing thoroughly with water. Allow the mortar and pestle to completely dry before using. If sterile
grinding is required then the mortar and pestle can be autoclaved at 121°C for 15 min. Allow the
CryoGrinder™ to dry before use. If a nuclease-free and nucleic acid-free grind is needed, then the mortar
and pestle can be treated with a commercial decontamination solution and/or dry heat sterilized at 200°C
for 2 hours. Do not heat the CryoGrinder™ pestles above 200°C.
2. The CyroCooler™’s surfaces can be mildly disinfected with 70% isopropanol prior to use. Sanitize its surfaces
by wiping them with 70% isopropanol. DO NOT submerge the cooler or pour any other liquid beside liquid
nitrogen into the reservoir.
3. First, wear safety goggles, gloves, and laboratory coat. Open the CryoCooler™ lid and ensure the metal rack
is in place by tightening the thumb-nuts before pouring 1 liter of liquid nitrogen into the reservoir. Pour the
liquid nitrogen, close the lid, and wait 5 minutes. Take caution when initially charging the cooler. The LN2
will violently boil until the CryoCooler™ has cooled. DO NOT submerse the cooler in liquid nitrogen or place
in a cryogenic freezer to pre-chill it.
4. Re-charge the CryoCooler™ after the initial chilling. Add an additional 1 liter of liquid nitrogen to the
reservoir. A layer of liquid nitrogen should be visible above the perforated metal grate, which will then
gradually be absorbed by the reservoir, and start to evaporate. Once the liquid nitrogen has been added,
allow the CryoCooler™ to charge by closing the lid and letting it sit for 20-30 min before placing any samples
into it.
5. Once the CryoCooler™ has chilled, place the two aluminum Z-brackets on top of the tray with the
corresponding sides facing up. The Z-brackets allow the motors and pestles to rest at an angle and still allow
for the lid to close. Place mortars and pestles into the CryoCooler™ and pre-chill for 10-20 minutes.
thus an optimal cryogenic temperature below -130ºC may be maintained for up to 3 hours. A digital
thermometer can be used to monitor the cooler’s internal temperature. The cooler can be recharged if
the temperature rises above -130°C by following steps 3-5 above.
6. Small samples are most efficiently ground in the CryoGrinder™. For best results, sample should be smaller
than 5 mm3 which is about 125 mg of tissue. Samples can be pre-frozen or frozen upon harvesting by
dropping into a pre-chilled mortar (allow several minutes for the sample to come down in temperature).
brackets in the reservoir and then fill with liquid nitrogen. This is method is quicker, but it does not prevent
the mortar and pestle from becoming contaminated by the liquid nitrogen. CAUTION: Liquid nitrogen is not
sterile and can be highly contaminated, especially if it is retrieved from a tank where cell lines in plastic
cryogenic vials are stored submersed. Consequently, mortars and pestles that are directly exposed to the
liquid nitrogen should not be considered sterile or nucleic acid and nuclease free. However, depending
upon the intended use of the samples ground in the CryoGrinder™, such minor contamination may be
inconsequential, especially if the homogenized sample will be used for enzyme assays.
7. The mortar needs to be held for operation, so protect hands by wearing gloves. Choose gloves that fit well,
allow dexterity, and still prevent cold burns. With the sample in the mortar, fit the hex nut of a chilled
pestle into the torque wrench, hold the mortar firmly with a gloved hand, and tap down on the sample with
the mortar. Grind by pressing the clockwise button on the motorized wrench while pressing down firmly
on the sample. Grind for a couple of seconds and then grind counter clockwise for the same duration.
Repeat this forward and reverse grinding for a total of 15-20 seconds. Examine the sample. It should
appear as a fine powder and at this point can be transferred to a tube. If large particles are still present,
repeat the grinding.
8. For larger samples, it may be necessary to mix the ground tissue several times during the processing. To do
this, chill a thin metal spatula and use the tip to dislodge any compressed tissue. Continuing grinding with
the pestle. Repeat the process until the tissue is finely ground.
9. Once pulverized, the sample can be transferred to a tube (e.g., 15 ml centrifuge tube) for downstream
processing or storage. Using a chilled spatula, loosen any sample that is compacted on the bottom of the
mortar. To transfer, invert the tube and place over the opening in the mortar, invert tube and mortar
together, and tap the powdered sample into the tube. Check the mortar for residual sample, loosen and tap
into the tube as necessary. Typically recovery of the sample is greater than 95%, much higher than a
traditional mortar and pestle that yields less than 70%. Keep the sample cold following the transfer until
needed.
10. Following grinding, allow the mortar and pestle to warm up to room temperature before decontaminating
and cleaning. Refer to step 1 for cleaning guidelines.
The CryoGrinder™ mortar and pestle can be routinely re-used if cared for properly. The porcelain/zirconium composite that is used to craft the CryoGrinder™ is extremely wear resistant as it is more durable than even the hardest biological samples, such as bone. However, the mortar and pestle will wear significantly when used against each other in the absence of sample, referred to here as dry grinding. The mortar and pestle will produce a visible powder, or dust, when used without sample. This powder is a result of wearing of the mortar and pestle, and dry grinding will reduce the life of the CryoGrinder™.
DO NOT DRY GRIND WITH THE CRYOGRINDER™. ALWAYS GRIND WITH A SAMPLE.
The porcelain/zirconium composite used to form the mortar and pestle is very wear resistant, however it is a ceramic-based item and sensitive to impact. Avoid dropping or impacting the mortar and pestle on hard
surfaces.
The mortar and pestle can be autoclaved and heat sterilized. DO NOT USE DRY HEAT ABOVE 200°C. Allow the mortar and pestle to dry and/or cool before using and exposing to liquid nitrogen.
The mortar and pestle can be washed with detergents, though it is suggested that biologically compatible
detergents be used to prevent carryover contamination of biological samples. One good detergent/wetting agent is 1% sodium carbonate solution. It is both effective and inexpensive.
The CryoCooler™ can be re-used on a regular basis if it is cared for properly. However, certain substances such as acetone can degrade the insulation. Wipe the CryoCooler™’s surfaces clean with 70% isopropanol.
Routinely check the cooler’s reservoir when not in use for the white cellulose absorbent powder residue. If large amounts of white powder are found in the reservoir or on the surface of the perforated metal grate, replace the pillow.