How to clean and store your pen
The pen body never touches the liquid. Everything that does is single use: the needle and, once it is empty, the cartridge. So cleaning a pen is a wipe, not a wash. The one rule that matters is to keep liquid out of the dial mechanism.
How to clean a V2 or 510(k) pen
- Remove the needle with its outer cap and dispose of it in a sharps container.
- Take the cartridge holder off and lift the cartridge out.
- Wipe the pen body, the cartridge holder and the cap with a dry or lightly damp cloth, or an alcohol swab. Let every part dry.
- Wipe the rubber stopper of the cartridge with an alcohol pad before the next needle goes on.
- Reassemble and put the cap on.
What not to do
- Do not submerge the pen, run it under a tap or put it in a dishwasher. Water in the dial is the most common way a working pen turns into a jammed one.
- Do not use solvents. A damp cloth or an alcohol swab on the outside is enough.
- For the Auto Pen, the manufacturer says a soft damp cloth only, no alcohol or other cleaning agents, and never in water.
- Do not try to open or repair a pen. Email [email protected] if one is damaged.
Storing a loaded pen
Never store the pen with a needle on. Take the needle off, dispose of it, and put the cap back on before the pen goes away. A filled cartridge is usually kept cold, so a loaded pen goes in the fridge with it, cap on and needle off. The ReconStation Cartridge Holder and the Cartridge Vault keep spare cartridges safe in the fridge.
Storage conditions by pen
- V2 Original Style and V2 New Style: metal body, no stated temperature range. Keep it capped and dry.
- 510(k) 80 unit pen: the product page lists storage at 10 to 30°C and below 80% relative humidity for the pen itself, and a 5-year shelf life.
- Auto Pen: the manufacturer lists storage above freezing and below 30°C, out of direct sunlight, in its case, and says a loaded pen can go in the refrigerator when the room is warmer than 30°C.
Cartridges and needles
Unopened cartridges stay in their sealed sterilization pouch until you need one; do not use a cartridge from a damaged pouch. Pen needles stay in the box, each in its own seal. Neither is reused.
Taking the pen on a trip
Carrying a pen, cartridges and needles away from home, with or without the cooler case, has its own page: travel with a pen, cartridges and needles.
Products in this guide
Related guides
For research use only. Not for human or animal therapeutic, clinical, or diagnostic use. Not FDA-approved.
