ATP swab for surface hygiene testing | LuciPac A3 Surface Kikkoman 60361

The Kikkoman ATP + ADP + AMP LuciPac A3 Surface hygiene-monitoring swab is a swab for testing the level of cleanliness by a technique based on the firefly luciferase bioluminescence developed with Kikkoman's unique biotechnology.

1. Applications of the LuciPac A3 Surface swab

- This test swab can be used to test the level of cleanliness by taking a surface swab sample. Do not use this swab for any purpose other than the surface cleanliness testing it was designed for. Please note that this swab cannot be used to test or measure the level of live bacteria or of specific pathogenic bacteria.
- This swab is used to control the level of cleanliness in food processing plants, medical treatment facilities and hospitals. This swab will not provide any guarantee that a given test environment is free of bacteria. The swab cannot be used to test food or food products directly.

2. Measurement principle of the LuciPac A3 Surface swab

- This swab uses an enzyme cycling method based on the combination of the luminescent reactions of firefly luciferase, pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) and pyruvate kinase (PK). This method produces an amount of luminescent substance proportional to the amount of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) present.
- ATP is an energy source required by the various life forms present in organic residues, such as microorganisms, food residues and biological substances originating from other living organisms. This Lumitester Smart ATP monitoring device allows you to measure and detect organic residues with high speed and high sensitivity by detecting ATP with luciferase, which is why it is widely used to determine the level of cleanliness in food production sites, medical treatment facilities and hospitals. However, a conventional ATP monitoring system is not sufficient because ADP and AMP produced by the complete breakdown of ATP are ignored. Kikkoman has succeeded in developing the new ATP + ADP + AMP monitoring system shown in Figure 1. This method reliably allows highly sensitive analysis of a wider range of organic residues.

- This swab is a simple integrated test device that contains both the test reagents and the swab tip needed to test the level of cleanliness.

3. Packaging

One box of LuciPac A3 Surface swabs contains 5 aluminium bags, each containing 20 swabs (100 swabs/box in total).

4. Precautions when using the LuciPac A3 Surface ATP swab

Make sure to follow the precautions listed below to get optimum performance from this test swab.
① Do not use a product that is past its expiry date. Expired products may not give accurate results (the expiry date is printed on the bottom of the aluminium bag holding the swabs).
② Make sure to use only the specified products when measuring luminescence. This swab set cannot be used with products that are not specified.
③ The swabs must be left at room temperature (see Table 2) before testing if they are taken from cold storage. Measured values may be lower than actual if the swabs are used while still cold. Use the test swabs as soon as possible once they have returned to room temperature. Do not leave the kit outdoors at temperatures above 35°C (95°F). High temperatures can reduce product performance.

*I) Temperature compensation is performed according to the measured value of the thermometer built into the main body of the Lumitester PD-30. Compensation therefore cannot be performed accurately if the temperature of the main body of the PD-30 differs from that of the LuciPac. Please make sure that the temperature of the main body of the PD-30 and that of the LuciPac are equal before use.

④ Wherever possible, make sure to use up all the swabs from an opened bag at the same time. If the remaining swabs have to be stored after the test session ends, close the aluminium bag tightly and store it in a cold environment (2°C to 8°C (35,6°F to 46,4°F)). High temperatures can reduce product performance.
⑤ Do not expose the swab or any part of it to direct sunlight for long periods. Strong light can reduce product performance.
⑥ Do not touch any part inside the sampling swab, especially not any part of the swab tip, with fingers or another object before use. Touching the parts can affect the level of cleanliness, making it difficult to determine.
⑦ Do not drop any part of the bag or subject any part of the swab to impact or strong shock. The inner aluminium sheets and other parts of the product may be damaged, reducing product performance.
⑧ Do not use the swab if several parts are damaged, such as the inner aluminium sheet. Such damage can affect product performance, making the level of cleanliness impossible to measure accurately. You can tell whether the aluminium sheet is damaged by checking whether the release reagent has leaked.⑨ Set the threshold at which the required level of cleanliness can be achieved. If the threshold is not set correctly, the level of cleanliness may not be assessed accurately.⑩ Hold the LuciPac test tube firmly to make sure that it does not shift. It may be difficult to determine the level of cleanliness accurately if the reagent starts to leak because the tube has shifted. It may be difficult to remove the LuciPac from the measuring device after the measurements have been taken. Moreover, it may cause a fault of the measuring device.

5. Disposal of the ATP swab after measurement

- This test swab set contains no hazardous material. This test swab can be disposed of as ordinary waste, but when it is disposed of, it is better to separate the parts and discard each part properly in accordance with the local regulations issued by the local authority for the correct disposal of waste.
- The main materials and parts used in this set are listed below. No PVC material is used to make the plastics in this kit.

6. Precautions for handling

① Be careful not to let the reagent or other substances in the swab get into the mouth, eyes or bare hands before or after use. Rinse the mouth thoroughly with water if any substance gets into the mouth, wash the skin with plenty of water if it gets onto the skin, and rinse the affected eyes thoroughly with plenty of water if this substance gets into the eyes. Contact a doctor immediately for advice and follow the instructions.
② Be careful when storing and disposing of the swabs and reagents to make sure that no substances get into food and other products.
③ Be careful not to catch your fingers when inserting the swab tip into the main body (housing).
④ Make sure to store this kit and its parts out of the reach of small children.
⑤ Note that the release reagent used in this swab contains a cationic surfactant (benzalkonium chloride *3)). Take precautions when disposing of this swab after use to make sure that these substances do not get into food products at food production centres and similar facilities.

*3) Benzalkonium chloride is a disinfectant and antiseptic commonly used in hand and finger disinfectant solutions.

7. Storage of the ATP swab

- Swab storage: The swabs must be stored at a low temperature (2°C to 8°C (35,6°F to 46,4°F)) for long-term storage. The swabs can be stored below 25°C (77°F) for up to 14 days or below 30°C (86°F) for up to 5 days before the aluminium bag is opened, without any adverse effect on long-term stability. Do not freeze the swabs.
- We recommend using all 20 swabs in one bag at the same time after opening the aluminium bag. If you have remaining swabs that you have to store after opening the bag, remember to store them at the recommended low temperature (2°C to 8°C (35,6°F to 46,4°F)) and use them within two weeks of the bag being opened.
- Shelf life: printed on the aluminium bag.