Introduction to the Agilent 7100 Capillary Electrophoresis System

Troubleshooting and Diagnostics 6
CE Problem Solving
Empty Injection Vial
Access the vial position specified in the Sample info or the Sequence table using
the Get vial function in the Tray control screen.
• Check if the vial is filled.
Dirt in the Vials
Clean all vials prior to use. First, flush them with water followed by, for
example, some isopropanol.
• Use compressed air to dry the vials inside.
Air Bubble in Injection Vial or Run Buffer Vials
When filling sample or buffers into the vial, an air bubble is sometimes
formed. This happens very frequently when using microvials. Air bubbles can
cause air to be injected instead of the sample.
• To avoid air bubbles, carefully fill vials starting from the bottom.
• If you cannot avoid the formation of air bubbles, adjust the lift offset in the
Home values dialog box so that the capillary doesn't reach into the bubbles.
Air Bubble in Capillary
Small air bubbles in the capillary may cause spikes in your electropherogram.
Larger air bubbles expand so much during analysis that the current drops
below the lower alarm limit.
• Flush your capillary with buffer to remove air bubbles.
Agilent 7100 Capillary Electrophoresis System User Manual 167