If you are not sure that this fabrication method is best suited for your envisioned application, or if you require only a few test prints, then the recommendation is to choose to either have a feasibility study done or to ask for a few test prints.
New users, even if they previously worked with Nanoscribe machines, must be trained by the facility’s staff.
The machine should be used during typical working hours. Overnight and weekend prints can be arranged.
Staff should be notified if any irregularities are observed inside the laboratory.
The system’s logbook should be filled out both at the beginning and the end of the session.
Safety
Laser Safety
The Nanoscribe Quantum X is a class 1 laser system, although it uses a class 3B laser source. An internal array of interlocks ensures that users cannot get exposed to the class 3B laser beam.
The only time when the Quantum X does operate as a class 3B laser system is whenever a Nanoscribe Service Engineer is visiting the system. These visits will be announced beforehand, and the system will not be available for booking during that time. Entrance in the printing laboratory is forbidden during the maintenance visit.
Such strict safety measures are necessary because exposure to the direct beam or specular reflections from a 780 nm femtosecond pulsed laser may cause instantaneous and permanent retinal damage due to the combination of limited visual warning (barely visible beam), retinal focusing, and extremely high pulse peak power, thus access to the laboratory will be strictly prohibited during the maintenance visits.
Laboratory safety practices will also be covered during the hands-on training session.
The following basic rules should be always followed:You are not allowed to bring food or drinks into the laboratory.
Please clean up after yourself. Unlabeled samples will be disposed of.
The development solvents should be discarded after use, unless instructed otherwise. A C-waste container is located inside the fumehood.
Rinse the development containers with acetone and let them dry inside the fumehood.
If any consumables are missing, please inform the laboratory responsible.
Gloves are to be worn when preparing a print sample, handling the objective, or developing a printed sample.
Contaminated gloves and cleaning wipes should be disposed of into the yellow bin next to the fumehood, while broken and old substrates should be disposed of into the yellow sharps bin inside the fumehood.
Training Information
New users need to get a hands-on training session, regardless if they have used any Nanoscribe systems beforehand, before being allowed to use the system by themselves.
Please send an e-mail to biofab@sdu.dk (I’m waiting for IT to confirm if they can create a separate e-mail address for the website) if you are interested in getting trained on the Quantum X (Qx) printer.
Before scheduling the hands-on training session, the users will be requested to provide specific information regarding their research project in order to set up an account. Currently, this will also be done by e-mail.
Once the information has been provided, the user will be given access to NanoGuide, which is the Qx online knowledge base. Going through the first 3 sections of the ‘Quantum X Training Course’ is strongly recommended before scheduling the hands-on training session.
Data Management
The Qx is connected to a workstation PC. This workstation can be used for creating and modifying print jobs both in DeScribeX and in nanoPrintX, before sending them to the Qx for printing.
Transferring data to the Qx workstation PC by USB is forbidden.
Transferring data should be done in the following way:
Your project’s print files (either STLs or already processed STL files) should be loaded on a sharing platform: Onedrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
Log-in to your sharing platform via an incognito tab and download the necessary files and copy them to your folder.
Each print project should have its individual folder.
The folder’s name should start with the day of the booking: “202x-xx-xx_PrintProject”
Upload any modified files or print feedback before finishing your printing session.
Close the incognito window once finished.
Booking Information
The system can be booked only by users who have participated in a hands-on training session and have set up an account.
Booking, currently, is handled by sending an e-mail to biofab@sdu.dk with your desired booking date, starting time, and booking duration. A reply e-mail will be sent that confirms the booking time and cost. Alternatives will be suggested in case the requested date, time, and duration is not available.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements:
We appreciate your use of our facility and ask you to acknowledge BioFab in all publications derived through the use of the facility or collaborations with the facility's staff.
We recommend the following statement: "The research was performed (fully or in part) at BioFab Odense, University of Southern Denmark, supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) (grant number NNF23OC0082495)."
Please notify us whenever you publish articles that made use of the BioFab facilities or collaborations with the facilities staff by sending us the DOI or, alternatively, the title and journal.
Publication policy:
Help given (structure design, print structure and print project optimization, etc.) beyond initial training should result in co-authorship by persons responsible for the work in addition to an acknowledgement statement.