Quick Guide

scil Vet abc Plus+

1.866.382.6937 | www.scilvet.com
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

Table of Contents
Start Up Cycle 1
Reagent Pack Change 1
Status Icon And Log In 2
Archive Results 2
Quality Control Target Values 3
Quality Control Handling 5
Running A Quality Control 6
Analyzing A Patient Sample 7
Machine Shutdown Procedure 8
Minimizing Reagent Usage Concentrated Cleaning 8
Blockage Removal Procedure 9
Chamber Cleaning Procedure 10
Calibration 11
Flag Descriptions 12
Troubleshooting Status Messages 13
Icon Descriptions 14
Photometer Adjustment 15

Please visit our downloads section at www.scilvet.com for additional

troubleshooting procedures and support
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Start Up Cycle
A start up cycle is performed every time the machine is powered on by turning
on the switch at the back of the machine. A temperature check cycle will initiate
on power up and once it passes, the Start up cycle will begin. Samples should
not be run until a start up has passed.

To initiate a start up cycle press the status button located at the top left of the screen
and then press the green start up button on the bottom right corner of the screen.

▶Installing the Reagent Pack

1. Remove the 4 red caps (3 on the bottom ports and 1 on the top waste port)
2. Firmly place the reagent pack into the right side of the Vet abc Plus+ and Connect the
waste line to the top of the pack. ABX should be facing out
3. Press the maintenance button
4. Press the reagent tab at the top of the screen
5. Press the delete button to close the old reagent
6. Press the replace button
7. Press the OK button to confirm the reagent replacement
8. Press the edit button
9. Press the internal keyboard button
10. Enter the lot number in the text field. The lot number is located on the front of the reagent
pack. (Ex. 090706W3) if the lot number is entered correctly the pack information will be
loaded into the empty text fields
11. Press the OK button. The pack should now be at 100%
12. Press the prime button
13. Perform a chamber cleaning procedure on page 13 if the chambers look like they have a
crystal build up
14. Perform a concentrated cleaning
15. Run a start up

1
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+
▶Status Indicator
The status Indicator button located in the top right of the screen has 3 states.

GREEN Indicates that the machine is functioning fine with no alarms

ORANGE Indicates that an alarm has been raised. You are still able to analyze a
sample
RED Indicates that an alarm has been raised and the machine is locked. You
cannot analyze samples until the alarm is resolved

The 5 possible categories for alarms in order as shown on the status screen are;

Instrument Alarms (Vet abc Plus+ Icon)

QC Alarms (QC Icon)

Reagent Alarms (Drop Icon)

Archive Alarms (Archive Icon)

Application Alarms (Disk Icon)

A message will be displayed explaining the reason for the alarm. More information on these
alarms can be found on pages 14 of this Quick Guide. Ensure your startup has passed, and
your QC has passed. This will help prevent and resolve most status alarms.

▶CBC % Left in Pack

Press the maintenance button
Press the reagent tab
The percentage remaining is found on this screen

▶User Log In
• Admin – Password is SCIL
• Vet – No password required
• Tech – Used only by tech support
2
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Archive Results
1. Insert a USB Stick into the front of the machine
2. Press the maintenance menu button
3. Press the Arch. Tab at the top of the screen
4. Press the purple button beside analyses
5. Press the incremental archive button to save the last 30 days of results
6. If you want to save the entire history of results stored in the machine use the complete
archive button

▶Quality Control Target Values

Download QC Target Values to USB

1. Insert a USB Stick into a computer with Internet access

2. Open the USB Stick on the computer. It’s usually the removable disk (E:)

3. Make sure there are no other files on the USB Stick that start with the name “qcget_mx”. If
there is one, delete it
4. Open Internet Explorer. Do not use Google Chrome, Firefox etc
5. Go to www.scilvet.com and scroll to the bottom of the home page to find the control file

6. Right click on the control file link and select “save target as”

7. Navigate to the removable disk and save the file on the usb stick. Do not open the file!
8. To remove the USB stick, right click on the usb icon near the time and date and select
eject usb mass storage device

3
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Loading QC Targets

1. Insert the USB stick into the front of the scil Vet abc Plus+
2. Select the QC menu icon from the main screen
3. Press the import button
4. (a) If you only run green top normal controls, select only the green control
(b) If you run all three levels of controls, press the ALL QC’s option
5. Press the import button again
6. Confirm the entries by pressing the check mark
7. A lot number can only be used once, if a multiple LOT # needs to be used you can
change one digit of the LOT number to allow entry of ther targets EX. MX075N - MX075G

▶Deleting QC Target Values

To delete the QC target values from the scil Vet abc Plus+

1. Press the QC button

2. Press the circle button at the top of the column that you want to delete
3. Press the delete button at the bottom to close the current control
4. The column will now be empty and you can load a new set of quality control target
values for the next control vial that will be used

4
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Daily Quality Control Handling

Materials required:
- One 2.5-mL vial of minotrol, blood control
- QC target values loaded for the appropriate lot #
- Dust free gauze

Caution:
The Blood Controls:
- Must be stored in a refrigerator between 2 and 8 degrees celsius
- Can never be frozen at any time
- Cannot be left out for more than 10 minutes at room temperature
- Cannot be held in your hand while waiting for control results, may get too warm
- Do not use a blood rocker
- Only remove the control that you are going to use from the refrigerator
- Do not store controls in the refrigerator door

Blood Control Preparation**

• Read entire quality control procedure in this Quick Guide
• Remove one blood control vial from the refrigerator
• Invert the vial back and forth slowly, paying attention to the concentration of cells at
thebottom of the vial. There should not be a concentration of cells at the bottom of the
vial when the vial is properly mixed. The bottom of the vial should be almost transparent
when in the inverted position. DO NOT SHAKE
• Once the control is properly mixed, roll the blood control vial in your hands until the vial is
almost at room temperature. Cooler is better than warmer
• When running multiple Blood Controls, always invert the vial 10 times before each sample.
Do not continue to roll the vial in your hands

TIPS:
If a control has been left out of the refrigerator too long the HGB value will be either too
high or too low and usually accompanied by the ! flag.
If a control is dropped it may damage the cells and cause SCH, MIC flags as well as the
$ flag.

If dried flakes of blood have fallen inside the vial due to flaking around the rim and cap
there is a chance that the * flag or the $ flag may appear beside the WBC or RBC
measure value and could possibly create a low value due to a blockage. PLT counts are
affected as well.

Minotrol is stable until the printed expiration date if unopened. Once the control is opened
it is good for 16 days in a refrigerator stored between 2 and 8°C as long as proper handling
procedures have been followed.

5
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Running a Quality Control

1. Confirm that the start up passed before running a blood control sample.
2. Press the sample identification button
3. Enter the lot number of the blood control you are going to run in the “Sample ID” field.
(eg. MX075N)
4. Blood control preparation as detailed in this guide
5. Press the OK Button
6. A quality control information screen will appear and the needle will come down. Remove
the cap and place the vial under the needle, press the sample bar to aspirate the
sample
7. Place the vial upright in a holder beside the machine until it is time to run another sample.
8. When the analysis of the sample is complete, the results will display on the screen. The
machine will indicate if any values are out of range by assigning an “L” for LOW or an “H”
for High beside the value(s) that is/are out of range
9. If any of the values aren’t within range on the first sample, fax in your results and make
sure you call technical support
10. If the results are not satisfactory and you suspect there could be a slight blockage
perform a “Blockage Removal” followed by a start up cycle before re running a blood
control. Most problems are resolved by following this process. Make sure you put your
control back in the refrigerator before starting this procedure
11. If at anytime you feel you need assistance with any of the steps outlined or help with
troubleshooting your Vet abc Plus+, please call scil animal care technical support. Fax
any failed or questionable results and start up cycle print outs to the fax number below

Technical Support Phone

1-866-382-6937

Technical Support Fax

(705) 726-9202

6
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Analyzing a Patient Sample

Requirements:
• Use EDTA K2 lavender top tubes
• Ensure tubes are filled at least half way
• Mix sample thoroughly by inverting for 2 minutes
• Check for clots
• Analyze the sample as soon as possible

Procedure:
1. Log on as Admin or Vet
2. Press the species selection button to change the species
3. Press the internal keyboard button and enter the sample ID and any other fields you wish
to input. An auto ID is generated for the sample ID
4. Press the OK button
5. When the needle comes down place the sample tube under the needle and press the
sample bar to aspirate the sample
6. Once the analysis is complete, the measured results and histograms will appear on the
screen
7. If you notice any flags or alarms and are unsure of what they mean, please consult the
flags and limits section of the Quick Guide

Sample ID► Is the only field that must be filled in to run a sample. AUTOSID is default

Animal ID► The patient will be saved internally and can be identified by this. Also
used to identify patient in Practice Management Software
Date of Birth► If you use this field, you must enter all fields (Month, Day, Year)

7
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Machine Shutdown Procedure

It is very important to follow the shut down procedure for your scil Vet abc Plus+

1. Press the exit button located at the bottom left of your screen
2. Press the logout button
3. Power the machine off by switching the black button located at the back of the machine
to the off position

Other Buttons:

Reset button will reboot the instrument without switching off the power
Logout button will end a session and return to the log in screen

Always cover the scil Vet abc Plus+ after it is shut down with the provided dust cover

▶Minimize Reagent Consumption

1. Never turn the scil Vet abc+ on unless you need to use it
2. Once the analyzer has been turned on, leave it on until the end of the day
3. Never press the shut down button
4. If your blood control does not pass, call scil animal care tech support. Do not continue
running controls until tech support has advised you to
5. Perform a blockage removal procedure instead of running a concentrated cleaning
when results indicate that a cleaning is required. The blockage removal procedure does
not require any reagents (Pg. 9)
6. Maintain your scil Vet abc Plus+ by performing one concentrated cleaning and one
chamber cleaning procedure per reagent pack change to reduce crystallization in the
chambers

8
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Concentrated Cleaning
Once per reagent pack change

1. Press the maintenance button

2. Press the customer service button
3. Press the circle located beside concentrated cleaning
4. Press the start cycle button
5. Press the OK button to proceed
6. Follow the instructions on the screen. WBC is on the left RBC is on the right. Minoclair is
50/50 javex/distilled water for a total of 6 ml
7. Use your key to open the front door. Close the front door once you have finished
following the instructions.
8. Press the OK button to begin the process. The process will take 10 minutes to
complete

▶Blockage Removal Procedure

This procedure will use no reagents from your pack and can be used to resolve
blockages (Low WBC or Low RBC) , constant flags (* and $) and start up failures.

1. Log in as ADMIN (Password:SCIL)

2. Select the maintenance menu
3. Select serv. tab at the top
4. Select customer service menu
5. Select chambers draining and press start cycle icon
6. Open front door
7. Put 3ml of 50/50 bleach/distilled water mixture in each of the chambers
8. Close door
9. Select backflush and press the start cycle icon to run the backflush
10. Repeat the backflush 10 times
11. Select drain chambers and press the start cycle icon
12. Press the status icon at the top right of the screen
13. Press the start up button
9
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Chamber Cleaning Procedure

This procedure should be done when changing the reagent pack

1. Log in as VET and press the maintenance button

2. Select the service sub menu at the top left of the screen
3. Press the customer service button
4. Press the purple button beside chambers draining
5. Press the start cycle button
6. Open up the front door of the scil Vet abc Plus+
7. Use the vet abc 2.5mm allen key screw driver to loosen the
one screw holding the black cover on. Once the screw is
loosened (about 3 turns) the cover will lift up. Pull the cover
towards you to remove it
8. Use a dampened kimwipe with distilled water to clean around the rim of each chamber.
Be very careful not to allow any of the crystallized flakes to land inside the chambers

9. Put 3ml of distilled water in each of the chambers and start the chambers draining cycle
again
10. Slide the black cover back on making sure the cover sits flush against the frame and no
tubes are pinched. Run a concentrated cleaning once you have finished

10
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+
▶Calibration
The scil Vet abc Plus+ should be calibrated every six months

Before Calibrating
• Perform a blockage removal and run a start up
• Check your photometer reading and adjust if necessary
• Value should read 220 - 245
• Instructions are included at the back of this Quick Guide
• Run 1 daily quality control and make sure the values aren’t too far out of range. Slightly
out of range is acceptable
• If you are unsure of your results please call technical support before proceeding with the
calibration

DO NOT remove the Calibration Fluid from the refrigerator until step 6 is complete and
you understand the instructions.

Do not follow the instructions that come with the calibrator. Only follow these
instructions to complete the calibration.

When calibrating your machine the measured value of each parameter may not reflect
the target values indicated on the sheet provided with the calibrator vial.
Your goal is not to recreate the values on the target sheet provided with the calibrator
vial; the targets are used as reference for calibrating the instrument.

If you are in the middle of doing a calibration and need to call technical support make
sure you return your calibration fluid to the refrigerator.

1. Press the quality control (qc) menu button

2. Press the cal. Tab at the top of the screen
3. Press the calibration creation button
4. Press the internal keyboard button and fill in all required data. This information comes
with your calibrator vial on the sheet provided
• Set the number of cycles to 6
• Enter the expiry date of the calibrator vial and the cx lot #
• Enter the target values as shown on the calibrator vial sheet
• Press the exit button when all data has been input
5. Remove your calibrator vial from the refrigerator and follow the blood preparation
instructions found in the daily quality control instructions
6. Press the OK button and the calibration cycle will begin
7. The needle will come down. Aspirate the sample by placing the vial under the needle
and press the sample bar
11
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+
8. Results will be displayed. Press the OK button to accept the results
9. You can press the cancel button to discard a run and re run the sample if you feel that
the results are not satisfactory

If the results are displayed and there is no OK button, the machine

won’t accept that run due to a flag on one of the parameters. Press the cancel button to
Proceed. You will have to re run the sample by pressing the sample bar again.
If your calibration fails, return your calibrator vial to the refrigerator immediately.
Keep your print out and all related information and call scil animal care technical
support line for further instructions. You can also fax your print out to the scil animal
care technical support fax line.

▶Flag Descriptions
* - following either WBC, RBC HCT or PLT -- system analyzed the sample 3 times but all 3
counts differed and were outside the system’s precision limits. Result should be verified by
repeating the sample.

$ - between the test result and the units -- 3 counts were made and 2 were within the
system’s precision limits. The result can be accepted.

! - next to the HGB result -- the difference between HGB blank done for this analysis and the
HGB blank done for the previous analysis was outside the system’s precision limits. Instrument
provides a result based on the previous HGB blank. Result can be accepted. If flag persists
for more than 3 consecutive times call scil animal care

H / L – behind result: Result is higher / lower than the reference value.

---D or < printed instead of a result -- linearity range for that parameter has been exceeded .
Repeat using a 1:2 dilution with saline solution. Multiply your results by 3.

MIC following PLT Flags -- microcytes present in the platelet measurement zone. Verify result
with manual count.

SCH following PLT Flags -- schistocytes or platelet aggregates present in the platelet
measuring zone. Review slide before reporting results.

SCL following PLT Flags -- small particles in the 2 - 3 fl zone. Reanalyze sample. If flag persists,
perform an automatic cleaning cycle and repeat again. If flag still persists, perform manual
platelet count.

AG1 and AG2 – Flags for big Leucocytes aggregates (> 1,5 % / 2,5 % of total Leucocytes).
Mix sample properly and repeat measurement.
12
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Troubleshooting Status Messages

Instrument Status Button Start Up Cycle Failed • Make sure there is fluid left in the re-
agent packs port 2 and 3
• Re run startup
• Perform blockage removal and re run
start up
• Check the photometer
Invalid Start Up Cycle • Initiate the start up cycle
Cycle Cancelled by User • Initiate start up cycle
Critical Cycle Error • Usually due to a canceled start up. Re
run start up
Reagent Temperature Error • If the clinic is below 16deg celsius in the
morning this may trigger the alarm
• If the machine is placed near a win-
dow this may trigger the alarm.
• Restart unit to clear error
QC Status Button Invalid QC Lot Number • Cannot use lot # more than once
• Edit the lot # loaded in the qc menu by
selecting the edit/keyboard buttons

QC Values are out of range • Call tech support if controls aren’t

passing
Reagent Status Button Reagent Empty • Pack is empty and needs to be re-
placed
• A pack was replaced but the user for-
got to reset the reagent count
Reagent Pack Expired • Verify the expiry date, replace reagent
pack
Low Reagent Level PACK • Reagent is getting low, pack needs to
be replaced soon
• Monitor the % of reagent remaining or
replace pack to be safe
Archive Status Button Settings Archive should be Archived • Archiving alarms should be disabled
Analyzer Archive should be Archived • Archiving alarms should be disabled
Logs Archive should be Archived • Archiving alarms should be disabled
QC Archive should be Archived • Archiving alarms should be disabled

Analyses Archive should be Archived • Archiving alarms should be disabled

Application Status Button LIS Connection Failed • There is a problem with transferring
data to a computer
• User accidentally pressed the “send
button”
Printer Error • Make sure printer is turned on, plugged
in, has paper or toner

13
 Actions Quick Guide
Quality Control
Start Up – Initiates a Start Up Cycle scil Button
Import Vet abc Plus+
– Used to import Quality
Control Target values
Shutdown – Shuts machine down (DO Control History – Shows the control history
NOT USE) stored in machine
Restart – Restarts machine QC Expired – Loaded QC data is out of
date
Logout – Disconnects current user and Inter QC time has elapsed – Instrument
displays the Log In screen expects a QC to be run
Edit – Allows user to begin making chang- Invalid QC – Some of the parameters are
es within the current screen out of range on the last ran QC
OK – Validates an action QC Passed – All parameters are within
range
Cancel – Cancels an action QC Icon – displayed when proper QC lot
# is entered in Sample ID
Reset – Resets the entered fields or by- Calibration Creation - Used to calibrate
passes the need to archive machine, opens menu
Delete – Deletes the selected item Reagent

Back – Returns to previous displayed Reagent Replace – Used to replace the

screen current reagent pack with a new one
View – Displays additional information Prime – Used to prime the machine with
reagent
Print – Forces the machine to print the cur- Start Cycle – Starts a selected cycle such
rent screen as priming etc.
Send – Sends data to computer Service

Species – Allows user to change species Settings – (Date, time, printer, network,
species, alarms)
OK – Confirms an action Customer Service – (Prime, back flush,
concentrated clean, chambers draining)
Cancel – Cancels an action Service Cycles – (Needle, carriage,
valves etc.)
Emergency Stop – Stops a cycle in prog- Archive
ress
New User Button – Used to create a new Complete Archive – Archives all data
user in the settings menu found in machine
Keyboard – Opens virtual Keyboard Incremental Archive – Archives the last 30
days of information
Valid – Validates keyboard entry and Restore Button – Settings and analyzer set-
moves to next field tings can be restored to an older configu-
ration
Close – Closes keyboard after entries are
all complete
Menu
Sample ID – Enter data for running a Status – Displays all alarms, run a Start Up
sample from this screen
Quality Control – (Quality control data, Exit – Change user, restart or shut down
calibration) machine
Results Archive – Stored and searchable Help – Provides help with the current
results up to 1000 results screen
Maintenance – (Reagents, archive, stats,
logs, service)
14
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

▶Photometer Adjustment
Note: The photometer should read between 220 and 245

Tools Required:
• 2.5 mm allen wrench screw driver (scil Vet abc Plus+ screwdriver)
• Precision flat head screwdriver

Procedure:
1. Log in as TECH (password: 01HB05)
2. Press the maintenance button
3. Press the adjustment icon
4. Press the “gains” tab at the top of the screen

5. Press the purple circle beside photometer

6. Press the “adjust” button
7. A cycle will begin and after a short time a number is displayed on the screen for 30
seconds. Record this number. If the number is above or below the target values (220-245),
proceed with the photometer adjustment Step#8
8. Remove the main cover. Follow the cover removal procedure found on the scil animal
care company website www.scilvet.com under scil Vet abc Plus+ downloads.
9. With the cover removed, identify the small brass screw attached to the rectangular
VR97 POT on the top right area of the main circuit board. You will need to turn this screw
clockwise to increase and counter clockwise to decrease the value displayed on the
screen during the photometer check. The last page of these instructions is a detailed
drawing of the main circuit board. Identify and locate the HGB assembly in the top right
corner of the circuit board. VR97 and R97 refer to the same POT. The POT may be blue,
gray or yellow in colour
10. When you are ready, begin the photometer adjustment as outlined above. You will have
30 seconds to position your precision flat head screwdriver onto the small brass screw
15 14
 Quick Guide
scil Vet abc Plus+

11. Once the number is displayed you can begin to turn the VR97 brass screw. Watch the
screen to make sure the number is changing. When you reach 240 approximately, stop
turning the screw and wait for the cycle to finish
12. Place your cover back on the machine and close the door without putting the cover
screws back in. Run a Start Up
13. If the Start up passed you can secure the cover to the machine with the screws and you
are done!

Diagram of the main circuit board

16
 scil animal care company
www.scilvet.com

Hematology | Chemistry | Digital Radiography | Ultrasound | Orthopedics | Education

© 2015 scil animal care company