A pipette is a very common laboratory tool in chemistry, biology and medicine fields. They are used to transport a measured volume of liquid as a media dispenser. There are several purposes for different kinds of pipettes including different accuracy and precision levels. Pipettes may range from a single piece pipettes to complex adjustable and electronic pipettes. For example, you can use a single channel pipette if your source and destination containers are small, such as twist-top, flip-cap, or conical tubes.
Laboratory tips
When it comes to handling liquids the results do not depend on the pipette or the tip alone, but the combination of them both. Tips function according to the positive-displacement principle, ensuring that the correct volume is dispensed with regard to the density and viscosity of the liquid used. The positive displacement system provides safer dispensing of radioactive and toxic substances as well as solutions with high vapor pressure.
It is important that you do not underestimate the use of a tip when it comes to performing tests with pipettes. Tips are the critical link in ensuring that the correct volume of liquid is aspirated and dispensed and that the liquid is not contaminated in the process.
Pipette tips
There are some important aspects to keep in mind and take into consideration when you have to choose the desired tips. First, take a few samples of the tips you are evaluating. Roll them on a flat surface and give them a visual inspection. Does there appear to be any extraneous molding flash? Is there any streaking in the plastic? Are there any irregularities in either orifice? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” the tips are not molded with quality, and that will affect pipetting performance.
Another thing you have to be aware of is if the tips have a low-retention feature since it is important for all the liquid drawn into a pipette tip to leave the tip when it is dispensed. Even with smooth surfaces, tips tend to retain small amounts of liquid, especially sticky solutions of protein or DNA. If you have a spectrophotometer, it is easy to quantify the retention of your tips. Simply aspirate and dispense a volume of green food coloring from your chosen tip, then sequentially aspirate and rinse water into the same tip, dispensing the rinse solution into a cuvette.
In addition, you should think about aerosol-barrier filter tips. These devices are filtered pipette tips serve a double purpose. They protect the pipette from aerosols created when liquids are aspirated into the pipette tip. They also protect the samples from aerosols in the pipette that were generated from prior pipetting operations. Filtered tips are particularly valuable for ultrasensitive molecular biology applications. However, all filtered pipette tips are not the same. Some tip filters contain additives that block the flow of liquid and/or change color if liquid is aspirated into them.
The sterilization process is another important aspect when it comes to these kinds of tips. Sterile tips undergo a sterilization process to ensure that no living things are on them. Typically, this is done via radiation. Complete absence of the dead things is critical for a number of biological assays. Finally, you should choose a proper fit tip regardless of the type of features selected, the proper tip is essential. It is wise to do some qualification testing of the selected tip before using it for lab work.
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