✅ Delvotest® sample preparation on plates

Here is a summary of the information you can find in this article:

Before you start testing 

Make sure you have found the control time of the batch you are about to use, your sample is representative and your tests are at room temperature.

• Establishing control time 

We recommend taking along at least 1 (one) negative control for each incubation run, to verify the good performance of the test, to test procedure and to establish control time. Read here 'Establishing control time'. 

• Collecting your milk sample

The milk sample should accurately represent the milk to be tested and must be homogenized before analysis. Follow these steps to ensure the sample is representative and properly homogenized. Especially when testing milk from individual animals: 

• Use a clean container sufficient to hold a full milking. Do not use disinfectant/or cleaning reagents
• Milk all four quarters of the udder. Do not use the foremilk strip from the teats as a sample. Do not use a milk sample from only one quarter of the udder. 
• Mix the milk gently to avoid creating foam.
• Use a clean sampling tool/sample mug when taking a new sample. 
• Use good hygienic practices to avoid contaminating the milk samples.

• Acclimatizing at room temperature prior to use

Before using Delvotest® plates, remove the tests that you will use from the fridge to reach room temperature. Make sure that after preparation you return the remaining Delvotest® back in the fridge. Ampoules and plates should not stay out of the fridge for more than 3 hours.

Preparing your Delvotest® plates

1. Get your plates

Determine the number of plates and/or blocks of 16 wells needed and cut them off with a sharp knife or scissors. Be careful not to damage remaining blocks.  Remove the aluminum foil completely for the plates or blocks of 16 wells that you are about to use.

Return unused plates/ block back to the fridge.

2. Add the milk samples on your plate

Gather your negative and positive milk control samples and the unknown samples to be tested. 

Pipette the samples into the wells (100 μl), using a clean pipette tip for each sample. Identify the position of each sample by the letters and figures on the edge of multi plates.

Seal the plates/or blocks with the adhesive strips or sheets supplied with the test kit.

Are you preparing samples for the DAS? Read important information on how many milk samples are required in Section 4 - control guidelines.

3. Incubate your plates 

Method	Delvotest® Accelerator Smart (DAS)	Waterbath	Delvotest® Microplate incubator or other dry incubation
Incubation temperature	Preheated to 64 °C ± 2 °C.
Cover the plate	Use the provided plate stickers in your Delvotest® box
Place the plate	Add the plate/or blocks in Delvotest® Accelerator Smart  and follow the instructions	Float the plate/or blocks in a stirred lidded water bath	Put the plates/or blocks in the Delvotest® Microplate Incubator and close the lid
Prepare for reading	No further action required	Add a timer to establish control time

4. Read your plate results