QwikLite® 200 Biosensor System Disposable Test Kits

Selected species of dinoflagellate plankton are prepared in a disposable test cartridge that fits into the QwikLite® 200 Biosensor System for the measurement process. The test samples are arranged in a cartridge of six cuvettes (test tubes for this experiment). The single use test kits are designed so that the first cuvette is always the experimental control sample, and the other five cuvettes are used to dose or expose the plankton to varying concentrations of the solution to be analyzed for an Endpoint Test or 100% of sample for Biological Impact Number.

The six samples in the disposable test kit contain dinoflagellate cells. These plankton cells are taken from the same production batch and all sample cuvettes in the test kits have the same cell density. The single use test kit is "light tight" so that the cells can be properly light and dark cycled prior to testing. This helps to produce the maximum bioluminescence possible (called dark phase optimization).

The phytoplankton dinoflagellates are very low maintenance organisms that require no food or water changes. Dinoflagellates are photosynthetic, so they need only controlled exposure to light (approximately 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark per day). The packaging of the disposable test kit allows the user to expose the plankton to light as well as covering the test kits for dark phase optimization. The packaging contains a simple set of instructions and a sheet to record exposure dates and times.