The leak flow is indicated in Pascal [Pa] because any leak flow generates a pressure drop along the pneumatic tubing, which we can measure with our pressure sensors. In a perfectly tight system the air flow should be 0 ul/s and the corresponding pressure drop is also 0 Pa.

    Warning < 1 Pa = no problem

Values below 1 Pa are still safe to work, despite the warning by the system. Continue with your experiment as usual.

    > 1Pa = something is wrong

In case the leak generates a pressure drop above 1 Pa, troubleshooting is required:

1. Gripping: Drop and grip the probe again. Often this resolves the issue.

2. Gripping height calibration: If you can see that gripping looks "odd" and the probe does not come into the center, please calibrate the Z stage level again. Also calibrate the XY position of the Z stage again.

3. Tubing: Check if the tubing is connected properly and/or if there are visible damages in the tubing.

4. Dirty head: The sealing screw and/or prism are dirty or the O-ring is damaged. Please follow the instructions here.

5. Probe defect: In rare cases the consumable might have a defect if the above methods didn’t solve the problem. Have a look under the stereoscope onto the probe reservoir if you see any cracks or chipped parts please contact your FluidFM distributor sending a detailed written description of the problem.

More information is available in the latest version of ARYA (when operating the BOT, press F1 to access directly to it).