Some time in early August. I was trying to avoid Dr Eugene because he had so many questions for me. I have a day job too and I need to get things done. Unfortunately we were in the same recreation committee and the team wanted a meeting over lunch.
Dr Eugene: Phyliss... I have something to consult you
Me: Ok what..?
Dr Eugene: It’s the TOF, when I try to do an infusion, the signal keeps dropping... and then it was gone.
Me: Ok... try purging...?
Dr Eugene: I have done it, many times. I have purged many times, but there was nothing. I even took out tubing by tubing to check. There was no flow. I suspect something is clogged in the tubing, I changed the whole probe. (I think he rebuilt the capillary). There was still nothing!
Me: The usual things to check.. purge more times, maybe there’s a block somewhere else, or it could be a leak. Trace the fluidic lines. Sometimes the leak is not obvious.... and previously it took me half an hour to find the leak when Dr Little Strawberry was having intensity problems. So usually these few reasons, purge, block, leak, and make sure the wash line needs to be submerged in the reservoir.
Dr Eugene: I have checked that too, the wash line is submerged in the solvent.
Me: Ok... later we can have a look.
After lunch. I walked into the lab... And dang. Right away I could see the wash tubing was not in the solvent! It was hanging in the air. 🤦🏻♀️ And you said that you checked!!! You spent half an hour explaining the problem... and the whole morning to rectify.. it was due to this!
Me: Your wash tubing is not even submerged in the solvent!
Dr Eugene: Uh?! How could it be? I really had checked it just now!
Me: Ok ok... just purge and run an infusion now..
Dr Eugene: Ok, if you can stay for 15 mins, the symptoms will come and intensity will drop later.
A while later..
Dr Eugene: See! See! The intensity is dropping!
Me: Ok then purge again and set a higher infusion rate.
.
.
.
The intensity never dropped afterwards.
Me: It’s ok now...
Dr Eugene: Let me take out the tubings again to check if there is a flow.
Me: Obviously there would be a flow since you can see signals in lockspray!
Dr Eugene: There is flow and signal now, but the signal is at e^3 (negative mode), it is low...
Me: So what is the usual intensity you get?
Dr Eugene: I don’t remember but this looks really low.
I changed to positive mode and it shot up to e^5. So intensity is high, and we know the flow is ok. You don’t have anything to compare against but say the signal is low? 👊🏻
Me: The flow is ok, check your standards again.
He was in denial... he could not accept that it was just due to wash tubing.
I can’t accept too. Wasting one whole day just because the wash tubing was not submerged in the solvent!!! What a waste of my time.
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