Applications FAQs

1. How long can a GYN specimen collected in PreservCyt be held for ThinPrep Pap Testing?

GYN specimens collected in PreservCyt may be held for up to 6 weeks at temperatures between 15-30° C following collection and prior to processing for the ThinPrep Pap Test.

2. What are some factors that may affect the presentation of a ThinPrep Pap Test slide?

For all pap tests, the use of interfering substances (i.e. lubricants) should be minimized prior to specimen collection. Improper collection techniques, including use of the wrong collection devices, can also adversely affect slide presentation. Please refer to the Customer Training Bulletin on Collection, the Dear Colleague Letter on Lubricants, or the CLSI Document: Papanicolaou Technique; Approved Guideline and ACOG Practice Bulletin, no. 45, August 2003. You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™.

3. Should lubricants be used during pap testing?

Lubricants increase the risk of contaminating or obscuring the cellular sample with both conventional pap smears and all liquid-based methods. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI; formerly the NCCLS) recommends that lukewarm water be used to lubricate and warm the speculum. If a lubricant must be used due to patient discomfort or other circumstances, it should be applied sparingly on the outer portion of the speculum with great care to avoid the tip, using a water-based lubricant such as KY Jelly® or Astroglide®. Please refer to the Customer Training Bulletin on Collection, the Dear Colleague Letter on Lubricants, or the CLSI Document: Papanicolaou Technique; Approved Guideline and ACOG Practice Bulletin, no. 45, August 2003. You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™.

4. What is the proper technique for collecting a sample for the ThinPrep Pap Test?

For the proper collection technique, please refer to our PDF file: ThinPrep Pap Test Quick Reference Guide. You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™.

5. Where can I find Material Safety Data Sheets?

Material Safety Data Sheets are available in several foreign language versions. To view or download an MSDS, please click here.

Disposables FAQs

6. How long are cells preserved in PreservCyt? In CytoLyt?

Cells are preserved in PreservCyt for 6 weeks at 15-30° C. Cells are preserved in CytoLyt for 8 days at room temperature.

7. How much CytoLyt do I need for non-gynecological specimen transport?

The minimum ratio of CytoLyt to sample is 1 part CytoLyt to 3 parts sample. Please see the ThinPrep 2000 operator's manual, P/N 70354-001.

8. How do I ship a PreservCyt vial? What is the maximum amount of vials that I can ship?

For PreservCyt Shipping Requirements, please see our PDF file: Shipping Requirements and Recommendations for ThinPrep PreservCyt Vials. You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™.

Technical FAQs

9. What are the instrument specifications for the ThinPrep 2000 instrument?

Please refer to the ThinPrep 2000 operator's manual, P/N 70354-001.

10. When and how do I perform Filter Cap maintenance?

For information on Filter Cap cleaning, please see the ThinPrep 2000 operator's manual, P/N 70354-001.

11. How do I clean the Cap Seal/Vial Elevator/Slide Holder areas?

From the Main Menu, press "7", Maintenance, and then option "2", Waste System. Next, remove all disposables from the instrument and press "ENTER". Wait for the system to complete its movements and display the "ENTER when finished" message. Using a lint-free wipe dampened with de-ionized water, clean any dust, debris, dried salts, etc. from the underside of the cap seal, vial elevator, and slide holder. (NOTE: Cap seal cleaning is recommended daily, whereas general cleaning, such as vial elevator and slide holder cleaning, is recommended on a monthly basis.) Upon completion, press "ENTER" to return to the main menu.

12. When and how do I run a Pneumatic Test?

Hologic recommends running this 5-minute test on a weekly basis to confirm proper operation of the entire pneumatic system. From the Main Menu, press "8" (Test) and select option "2-Pneumatic" from the System Test menu. This will prompt the user to load the sealed cylinder (or white sealed filter cylinder) into the instrument and perform the test. Upon completion of the test, the user should observe a "Test Successful" message on the display. If the test is successful, the user can then continue operating the instrument; otherwise, if the test fails, the user should call Hologic’s technical support.

13. What does "REMOVE SLIDE/INSERT SLIDE" mean?

The instrument detected the presence (Remove Slide) of a slide when there was no slide in the slide holder, or no slide (Insert Slide) when there was actually a slide inserted into the slide holder. The following actions should be taken: From the Main Menu, press "7", Maintenance, and then option "2", Waste System. Next, remove all disposables from the instrument and press "ENTER". Wait for the system to complete its movements and display the "ENTER when finished" message. Using a lint-free wipe and distilled water, clean the roller ball bearing on the slide holder's underside and the adjacent vertical clamps, whose tension holds the slide in place.

14. When and how do I check the waste bottle in order to empty its contents?

For information on emptying the waste bottle, please see the ThinPrep 2000 operator's manual, P/N 70354-001.

15. What does a "SE 5n 01" error mean? What causes it?

"SE 5n 01" (where n=2,3,4,5) errors are related to the instrument detecting a fault with the sample vial elevator's position. In the sample preparation process, the vial elevator's purpose is to lift the PreservCyt vial to the filter during the cycle. The most likely causes for a "SE 5n 01" error are the following:

• A collection device, or piece of a device, was left in the vial from collection. Remove the device and re-process.
• The PreservCyt vial was not sitting flat on the vial elevator platform due to labels being affixed to the underside of the vial. Remove the labels and re-process.
• There is sufficient dried solution or debris on or under the vial elevator area to obstruct its movement. Please see the ThinPrep 2000 operator's manual, P/N 70354-001 for instructions on cleaning the vial elevator and the area below it.