UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 25, Page 6
March 21, 1996
Centrifuge rotor alert

     Savant Instruments, a manufacturer of scientific equipment, has
announced a potential safety problem with one of its discontinued
lines of centrifuges, particularly the HSC10 series, produced from
1983-93.
     Under normal operation, all centrifuge rotors are subject to
forces that could cause them to fragment if the rotor has been
damaged, misused or previously over-stressed. This condition is
heightened by high-speed operation. In the event of such rotor
failure, the HSC10 may not provide complete containment of the
fragments or sample being centrifuged, and personal or property injury
may result.
     The HSC10 series was designed to meet all of the relevant
standards of the day. However, safety standards have continually
increased. Because of the potential for injury, the company has
instituted several programs to locate these units, inspect the rotor
and suggest replacement or modification of the machine to provide
containment in the event of a rotor failure.
     A safety alert was issued for this product in December 1995 and
published in ABL, Biomedical Products, Biotechniques and the Journal
of the NIH.
     This notice advised owners to contact Savant Instruments for
rotor inspections. Since then, the company has determined that a
replacement upgrade or modification of existing machines-if not too
old- provides an additional margin of safety.
     For information, call 1-800-327-2643 or (516) 244-2929 and ask
for the HSC10 coordinator.