Carolina BioPaddles User Manual
Biopaddles, Identification, Storage

IDENTIFICATION
Side 1 of each BioPaddle is marked with an indented laser line
at the end of the paddle.
BioPaddles
®
STORAGE
Store tightly sealed BioPaddles
®
in a cool, dry location. Shield
from direct sunlight. Store BioPaddles
®
at room temperature
(65 - 77°F/18 - 25°C). Avoid sudden temperature changes.
Temperature fl uctuations may result in condensation settling at
the bottom of the vial. This will not affect the culture properties
but could reduce the shelf-life or cause the agar to separate
from the plastic paddle support. Do not refrigerate or store
at temperatures above 80°F/27°C. Refrigeration may result in
water condensation. Avoid freezing. Freezing can promote
excess water loss and variation in media surface due to crystal
formation. If freezing occurs, wrap BioPaddle in vial in thick
towel and thaw at room temperature for 3-6 hours.
Refer to Best Before End date (See: BBE stamped on vial).
Discard if paddle agar appears oxidized and darker than the
expected color or if contaminants appear. The expiration date
is based on medium in an intact container that is stored as
directed.
SAMPLING
Liquids: Twist to remove paddle from
vial. Fill vial to 40 mL fi ll line with the
liquid to be sampled. Replace paddle.
Allow a contact time of 15 seconds.
Remove the paddle. Empty the vial.
Replace the paddle in the vial.
Surfaces: Recovery rate is about 50%. Twist paddle to remove
from vial. To ensure an accurate recovery, touch the paddle
surface (10 cm
2
) to the test surface twice to cover a 20 cm
2
area (2 X 10 cm
2
). Allow 15 second contact time. Replace
paddle in vial.
Air: Twist to remove paddle from vial. Invert the paddle and
mount the circular cap into the vial exposing the agar covered
paddle. Expose for 15 minutes. Replace the paddle in the vial.
INCUBATION
In general, incubate at 35°C ±2° for 18-24 hours. Incubation
for longer than 24 hours may produce confl uent growth
making enumeration more diffi cult. For incubation instructions
for specifi c BioPaddles see Tech Data Sheet at
www.lamotte.com/BioPaddles.html
NOTE: BioPaddles 5550, 5551, and 5552 may be incubated at room temperature for
educational purposes. Expect longer incubation times (3-5 days) at lower temperatures.
Side 1
Side 2