FastPrep^® Instruments

Although FastPrep® has been tested for use in cold environments (e.g., at 4 °C), it is not recommended for use in a cold room due to the risk of condensation, which can adversely affect the motor oil.

No. MP Biomedicals has tested various tubes, many of which either did not fit the FastPrep® instrument or were damaged by the vigorous shaking required for grinding. MP Biomedicals Lysing Matrix tubes are specifically designed to provide the most accurate and reliable results, making them the best choice for use.

Generally, you do not need to balance the tubes on the adapters. However, to ensure system longevity, it is recommended to distribute the tubes evenly across the adapter instead of placing them all in one area.

Each instrument is equipped with two springs. We include spare springs to prevent delays that could be caused from a broken spring. We recommend that users change each spring approximately every two years, depending on the frequency and intensity of instrument use. The procedure for replacing a spring can be found in the user manual.

FastPrep-24 Classic, 24 5G, 96, and 96 Pro are shipped with the emergency stop button for safety reasons and will not operate until it is disengaged. To disengage the emergency stop, turn it clockwise until it pops out.

On the FastPrep-24 5G, you can pull the dome release cable located at the back of the device. For the FastPrep-96 and 96 Pro, you can manually unlock the dome by pressing the front "unlock" button.

The rpm value used by other bead beating systems refers to rotations per minute. However, FastPrep instruments do not use a rotating motion but rather a tridimensional motion (figure-8). The FastPrep’s m/s refers to the distance traveled by the sample or adapter bottom during one second. To convert from rpm to m/s, compare the number of turns carried out by the axis of the engine against the meter per second below. Motor speed at 4 m/s is equivalent to between 3400 to 4100 rpm. Motor speed at 6.5 m/s is equivalent to between 3700 to 4500 rpm. Note that this conversion depends on the adapter used and the distance from tubes to the axis of the FastPrep.

If the FastPrep instrument is run at speeds higher than recommended, the heavy ceramic spheres and cylinders may crack or weaken the tubes, especially at the bottoms, potentially causing them to break when spun. For samples that are difficult to lyse, run the FastPrep instrument at the highest recommended speed for 20-30 seconds, then place the tubes in an ice bath to cool. Afterward, process the samples again in the FastPrep instrument. This process can be repeated until lysis is complete. Tubes may also leak if there is less than 0.5 mL of empty space inside. During mechanical lysis, the temperature inside the tube rises, increasing the pressure, which can lead to tube failure.

Yes, Lysing Matrix A tubes can induce the lysis of viruses together with the animal cells. When the garnet sand is removed and the homogenization process is performed with one ceramic bead, the animal cells are lysed but not the virus, keeping the protein capsid intact. To perform this, set the FastPrep Instrument at a speed of 6.5 m/s for 20 seconds. Reference: Klempa B. et al. (2005) J.Clin.Microbiol. Vol 43(6); 2756-2763.

Use Lysing Matrix A and do 4 runs of 20 seconds on the FastPrep Instrument at a speed of 6.0 m/s. Incubate samples on ice for 2 minutes between each run.