The Beckman Coulter Microfuge 22R is a compact, exceptionally user-friendly, refrigerated bench top centrifuge. Obviously designed with simplicity in mind, the operation of this centrifuge is simple and straight forward. The easy to use control panel includes two knobs, a start, stop and a door-open button…and that’s it. One dial-type knob selects time, speed, or temperature, while the other adjusts these values. An LCD screen shows the timer, a refrigeration thermometer and a RPM/RCF scale. A blinking arrow moves on the scales indicating selections. The best feature, in my opinion, is the parallel, proportional RPM and RCF scale, which allows quick translation between RPM and RCF for any of the rotors used. No more hanging up conversion charts…or worse…mathematically converting by hand.
Four rotors are available for this unit, including four, 45 degree fixed angle rotors (capacities: 30x2.2mL, 24x2.2ml, 96x200mL), a 30 degree fixed angle rotor (40x200/400uL) and a swinging bucket rotor (96x200mL). The maximum speed for all of the rotors is 14,000 RPM, which can be adjusted in increments of 500 RPM. The maximum RCF is 21,920g, which can be achieved with the F301.5 rotor. A plastic lid screws securely to the top of the rotors for spill containment. The refrigeration unit in the centrifuge cools to temperatures between –10C and 40C (only when the door is closed, requiring about 15 minutes to cool down after initial start up) and operates between 4C and room temperature. The housing and the door are composed of sheet steel and the rotor chamber itself is composed of stainless steel, all of which are conducive to easy, aseptic cleaning. The footprint of the unit is 14.4 in x 23 in x 11.8 in (width x depth x height).
This centrifuge can be timed to run up to 30 minutes or can be set for continuous or pulse operation. The noise emitted by the centrifuge is minimal compared to older counterparts, at no more than 58 decibels. Safety features include an imbalance detector, which automatically shuts down the centrifuge when samples are not properly balanced, and an electromechanical door-locking mechanism that keeps the door securely closed when the rotor is spinning. When a spin is completed, the unit beeps, to indicate that the samples are ready to be removed from the machine. A stop button allows any spin to be aborted at any time.
With minimal knowledge of centrifuge operation, an individual can learn to proficiently use this centrifuge within 5 minutes. Without access to the user’s manual, I was able to negotiate operation of this centrifuge within minutes of my first exposure. In those instances where the centrifuge acts up (which I have never personally experienced, in a year’s time), Beckman Coulter offers excellent tech support, including online manuals and RPM/RCF conversion charts.
Lisa B. Davidson
Research Technician
University of Arizona