HeptaValve Mini Overview

The HeptaValve Mini is made up of the following parts:

• HeptaValve Mini main box
• 8 beige-colored PEEK tubes (connecting the HeptaValve Mini to the sample vials and the baseline material/compound)
• 8 PEEK connectors
• 1 translucent PTFE tubing, pre-assembled with connectors at each extremity (one black Luer connector, one beige PEEK connector)
• 1 USB cable
• 1 stand (to be assembled), comprising a base and an arm pre-assembled with a mounting rod
• A pump box to clean the HeptaValve Mini

Assembling the HeptaValve Mini

1. Take the translucent PTFE tubing and gently screw the beige PEEK connector sticking out on one side of the pre-assembled PTFE tubing into the central port labelled “NeOse.”
2. Using the 8 beige-colored PEEK tubes, place a PEEK connector at one end of each PEEK tubing. Make sure that the tubing reaches the connector but does not go past the edge.
3. Align the connectors with the slots on the lower side of the HeptaValve Mini while maintaining the PEEK tubing with your other hand. It is important to maintain the vertical alignment during the assembly procedure to prevent the connector from damaging the valve material.
4. Gently screw in the connectors into the HeptaValve Mini slots labelled Baseline and 1 to 7. Stop screwing the connector as soon as you feel resistance.
5. When resistance occurs, try gently pulling the tubing upwards. If the tubing can be pulled out, push it back inside the slot and resume screwing in the connector until you feel resistance again. Stop screwing in the connector when the tubing cannot be removed when gently pulled upwards.
   

The stand is composed of 3 parts: the arm, the mounting rod, and the base. The HeptaValve Mini box is then mounted onto the assembled stand.

1. Insert the arm of the HeptaValve Mini stand into the base, while maintaining the base steady with one hand. The mounting rod should be facing you.
   
   
2. The mount on the arm is composed of a crank system to adapt the height of the setup. Make sure you orient the crank downward to properly secure the height of the system.
   
   
   
3. Insert the HeptaValve Mini box into the mounting rod, with the inlet/outlet labels facing up. Gently twist the box sideways while pushing on it until you feel it is firmly engaged into the mounting rod.
   
   
   
4. Plug the USB cable to the rear of the HeptaValve Mini box. The cable will be supported by the hook.
   

Installing and Connecting the Samples

The baseline inlet of the HeptaValve Mini is used for the measurement of reference air, while the other inlets are used for samples. Samples connected to inlets 1 to 7 are measured alternatively, so that the headspace of each vial can be replenished between 2 measurements. The samples must follow the order of inlet’s number: sample 1 must be on inlet 1 etc. For the GOLD4, GOLD6 and GOLD7 reference samples, GOLD4 must be connected to inlet 1, GOLD6 to inlet 2 and GOLD7 to inlet 3.

Steps	Samples	Reference Vial
1. Vial preparation	Using a flat needle, pre-pierce 2 holes in the septum (one for the sample tubing and one for the vent system). To prevent contamination, this flat needle should be dedicated to septum piercing only. Prepare and place each sample inside of the vials. If using a magnetic plate stirrer, place a magnetic bar into each vial for consistent results and close the vial.	Using a flat needle, pre-pierce 2 holes in the septum (one for the sample tubing and one for the vent system). To prevent contamination, this flat needle should be dedicated to septum piercing only. Prepare an additional empty vial, as the baseline should be as close as possible to the ambient air captured into the sample vials. In the following, it will be referred as “blank” vial. If using a plate stirrer, do not place a magnetic bar into the "blank" vial.
2. Prepare PEEK tubing of the HeptaValve Mini	N/A	Place a PTFE filter at the end of the PEEK tubing to prevent particles from polluting the sensor.
3. Connect the samples to the HeptaValve Mini	Place the PEEK tubing from the HeptaValve Mini into the sample vials, going through the septum. Make sure that the inlet number matches the sample assigned to that inlet. Make sure that the tubing is not in contact with any liquid as it will damage the sensor.	The Baseline inlet of the HeptaValve Mini should be connected to the “blank” vial. Make sure that the tubing is not in contact with any liquid as it would damage the sensor.
4. Insert vent	Add a vent system to the samples by placing a flat needle in the septum of each vial (including baseline). The vent needle’s end must be higher than the PEEK tubing’s end to avoid any dilution of the headspace analyzed.
5. Turn on stirrer	Caution: when turning on the magnetic stirrer, make sure that the end of the tubing is not in contact with any liquid since it could damage the sensor.	No magnetic stick needed in the "blank" vial.

Connecting the NeOse Advance to the HeptaValve Mini

Connect the female Luer end of the PTFE tubing from the HeptaValve Mini with the male Luer end of the sample inlet of the NeOse Advance device. To do so, gently  push the female part of the tubing into the male part of the NeOse Advance Luer lock and screw them together. Ensure that the Luer lock on the NeOse Advance is tight. 

System Checks

To perform system cleanliness and quality check, please refer to the Aryballe Suite User Manual. 

System Shutdown and Storage

1. Gently unplug the tubing connection of the HeptaValve Mini from the Sample inlet of the NeOse Advance by unscrewing the Luer lock. Make sure that the black NeOse Advance connector remains tightly screwed to prevent potential leakage.  

2. Remove the PTFE filter from the NeOse Advance Baseline inlet. 

3. Put the translucent caps covering the two NeOse Advance inlets back in place.

After a long acquisition, a filter may be polluted by samples. This filter:

• Should not be reused for another long experiment or there is a risk that the Aryballe Core Sensor may reach the end of life faster than specified on the data sheet.
• Must never be reused with air flow going from female to male end as captured particles and pollution might be released into the system.
• Should not be reused more than 2 weeks in a row.