Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

For additional information not provided on this page, please call Technical Support at: 1-800-442-9892, select option 6.

Applications FAQs

1. How long can a Gyn specimen collected in PreservCyt® be held for HPV typing?
   Gyn specimens collected in PreservCyt may be held for up to three weeks at temperatures between 4-37° C following collection and prior to processing for the HPV DNA Assay. (For more info: Call Digene Technical Support at 1-800-344-3631).
2. What are some factors that may affect the presentation of a ThinPrep® Pap Test slide?
   The use of interfering substances (i.e. lubricants) should be minimized prior to specimen collection. Improper collection techniques including the use of the wrong collection devices can also adversely affect slide presentation. Please refer to NCCLS Document: Papanicolaou Technique; Approved Guideline and ACOG Practice Bulletin, no. 45, August 2003.
3. Should lubricants be used during Pap testing?
   NCCLS Guidelines recommend that no lubricant be used during Pap testing¹. ACOG recommends that care be taken not to contaminate the specimen with lubricant² because this may lead to an unsatisfactory result. Please refer to NCCLS Document: Papanicolaou Technique; Approved Guideline and ACOG Practice Bulletin, no. 45, August 2003. For physicians using plastic specula, or in instances where a lubricant must be used, take care not to contaminate the cervix or collection devices with lubricant. A tiny amount of lubricant may be used, just enough to sparingly coat the speculum with a gloved finger, avoiding the tip of the speculum.
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. Requires Adobe® Acrobat® Reader.

Disposables FAQs

5. How long are cells preserved in PreservCyt? In CytoLyt®?
   Cells are preserved in PreservCyt for 3 weeks at 4-37° C or 39-98.6º F. Cells are preserved in CytoLyt for 8 days at room temperature.
6. 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 ThinPrep 2000 Operator's Manual, P/N 70354-001.
7. 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. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Technical FAQs

8. What are the instrument specifications for the ThinPrep 2000 instrument?
   Please refer to the ThinPrep 2000 Operator's Manual, P/N 70354-001.
9. When and how do I perform Filter Cap maintenance?
   For information on Filter Cap cleaning see ThinPrep 2000 Operator's Manual, P/N 70354-001.
10. 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 the 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.
11. When and how do I run a Pneumatic Test?
    Cytyc 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 Cytyc's Technical Support.
12. 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.
13. When and how do I check the Waste Bottle in order to empty its contents?
    For information on Emptying the Waste Bottle, please see ThinPrep 2000 Operator's Manual, P/N 70354-001.
14. 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 labels and re-process.
    • There is sufficient dried solution or debris on or under the vial elevator area to obstruct its movement. Please see ThinPrep 2000 Operator's Manual, P/N 70354-001 for instructions on cleaning the vial elevator and the area below it.