What kind of test tubes should I use with my Optocomp luminometer?
Polystyrene, polypropylene and glass test tubes can all be used, however there are some important considerations. Polystyrene test tubes can accumulate static electricity, which can cause erratic high backgrounds when it discharges. This effect can be minimized by carefully wiping the outside of each test tube with a clean lint-free wipe (such as a Kim-Wipe) lightly moistened with water prior to inserting it into the instrument. This removes the static charge from the exterior of the test tube. Glass tubes will not suffer from static electricity, however glass tubes can phosphoresce after exposure to fluorescent light or sunlight (any light containing ultraviolet light). The phosphorescence can also cause elevated background. If you are considering glass tubes, be sure to select tubes made from borosilicate glass. Borosilicate glass usually has lower levels of the contaminants that phosphoresce, however, some borosilicate glass test tubes will phosphoresce. You can check for phosphores
