User`s manual

Chapter 1: Introduction and Setup
1-8
1.4 AlphaImager System Quick Guide
Note: This is intended as a quick reference guide for acquisition. For more detailed
information on the individual features reference section 1.6 of this manual.
1. Power on the system:
a. Turn on the computer, monitor, and optional printer.
b. After the computer has booted up completely to the Windows
desktop, turn on the power to the cabinet.
c. The AlphaImager 2200 software is activated by double clicking on the
AlphaImager icon.
2. Positioning and Focusing on the Sample:
a. In the ‘Tool Bar’, select the ‘Acquire’ icon to activate the image acquisition
software features.
b. In the Image Acquisition window, select the button.
c. Open the door to the cabinet and position your sample on the preferred
illumination source. Fluorescence samples that require epi or transillumination
of UV energy should be placed on the purple UV filter glass. For colorimetric
samples such as protein gels, film, or blots, use the fold-down the white light
table for your sample.
d. Open the aperture on the camera lens all the way open to the smallest number -
F1.2 - manually or via the software controls for motorized optics.
e. With the door still open to allow light to enter into the cabinet, use the monitor
real time readout display to position and focus your sample in the middle of the
image acquisition window.
f. Adjust the zoom setting manually or via the software controls so that the area of
interest on the sample takes up all of the image size on the screen.
3. Capturing a bright sample like fluorescently labeled gels, colorimetric samples and film:
a. Close the cabinet door.
b. Choose the appropriate optical filter for your sample type:
a. Position #1 for colorimetric gels and film (no filter)
b. Position #2 for ethidium bromide gels
c. Positions #3-5 for other fluorescently labeled gels (optional filters).
c. Turn on the illumination source (UV or white light) using the touch panel or
‘virtual’ software controls.
d. Select the green button.
e. Select
f. Select (for details on how to adjust the auto expose settings refer
to section 1.6.3 of the manual)
g. Once the image in expose preview does not contain any saturation (red false
color palette for white bands, green for dark bands) select
. The
exposure bar will turn green when this is complete. If the exposure bar is pink in
color, saturation is still present in the image. For really bright images,
particularly in white light applications, it may be necessary to reduce the aperture
setting until the saturation is removed from the image.
4. Save the original image
a. Click on the Save Image function in the FILE menu or click on the SAVE or
SAVE AS icon in the “ToolBar” window.