If you are using gel cards manually, have you experienced problems with the cards recently? When we peel the foil back, a filmy-plastic-like layer is staying on top of the gel cards. Sometimes it is not much, sometimes it covers the entire opening of the gel well. It can be hard to see, and can interfere with pipetting.

(I emailed Ortho about this problem, but there has not been time for them to reply, since it is the weekend.)

Linda Frederick

I haven't noticed it but we are currently just in the process of validating our gel procedures so I'm not using them everyday. I'll watch for it though.

we use ProVUe but I have noticed same thing few times with manual gel.

I've seen it with just this last lot of gel cards, and only on an occasional card. Seems to be more prevalent on the last two microwells ...

Our gel use is all manual and we have definitely seen the problem. Sometimes partial covering of a well or two. Sometimes all of the wells on a card. I've been using an applicator stick to rim out the film on the worst ones.

Just recently. Keep us posted on what Ortho says.

Sorry I didn't reply sooner.

Ortho says this appears to be just one lot. They don't know why it has happened.

They will replace the cards, although there really isn't anything wrong with performance.

They are sending out a customer letter.

We experienced the same problem. It was so sporadic that we did not worry about it. We skipped those wells. The next lot cleared up the problem so we figured all was well (no pun intended) that ends well.

Thanks for the update!

I've only seen it on a few of the cards from the most recent lot number. Ortho sent us an informational bulletin regarding this problem and (of course) they recommend that the card not be used. However, it's easy to remove the excess film with an applicator stick and the card seems to work just fine.

All's well that ends well? I knew that one was coming from somewhere:cool: