Liquid Handling
We place the pipettes, mini-robots and the corresponding pipetting techniques under the heading "Liquid Handling”. With more than 30 years of experience, we can proudly say that we have the necessary experience to offer constructive advice and assistance for your applications.
Choosing the right pipette for your application is one aspect. At least as important is accurate and reproducible pipetting, improving workflows, maximising efficiency as well as a good ergonomic work posture in order to avoid RSI.
Pipettes for every application
A first application is the serological pipettes. These come in volumes ranging from 1 to 100 ml. The pipettes can be obtained individually, in bulk or in clean room suitable packaging. Be sure to think about the environment in which you want to use them so that you can choose the appropriate packaging. The laboratory pipettes go much further. We differentiate between manual and electronic pipettes, from single and multichannel pipettes to real pipetting robots.
The choice of these pipettes is based on a few factors.
Manual pipettes are, of course, more economical to buy, but an electronic pipette allows several people to perform a certain action with the same consistency. When pipetting is a long and repetitive process, electronic pipettes will be a more ergonomic solution. Furthermore, adjustable tip distance pipettes can greatly reduce pipetting workload by pipetting from tubes to plates with a single pipetting movement.
Finally, for the large bulk it is sometimes better to choose (semi-)automatic pipetting robots. You can programme the actions to be performed in such a way that the perfect balance between time and accuracy can be found. Easily streamlining pipetting workflows and obtaining accurate and reproducible results are just some of the benefits.
The right pipetting technique
Using the right technique to get consistent results is called GLP or “good laboratory practice”. To improve your results, try to keep the following five points in mind.
- Pre-rinsing
This way you bring your pipette to the right temperature and humidify your pipette tip to avoid evaporation in the tip. - Immersion depth
Make sure you don’t aspirate too deeply below the surface. This keeps the suction pressure constant. - The right pipetting angle
Pipette as vertically as possible. - Correct dosing
When pipetting out: make sure that the last drop ends up in your container. - Be consistent
The most important thing. Try to perform your actions in the same way and at the same pace every time. If you don’t use one of the previous aspects, don’t do it consistently.
Ergonomic pipetting
In addition, your own comfort and safety mustn’t be neglected. Using the right pipettes increases the ergonomics of pipetting.
Go for devices that are lighter and also more ergonomically designed than some of the classic bulky devices. In this way, the weight is distributed in such a way that the pipette rests perfectly in the hand. In addition, there are pipettes where the pressure points have been lowered so that your thumb is not sore after a day of pipetting.
The right pipette tips also play an important role: choose tips that are designed for the pipette and that click onto your pipette leak-free without hammering! Depending on your application, choose low retention tips, wide bore tips, etc.
Save costs by minimising the dead volume
The large dead volume of reagents is a common problem in laboratories, especially when pipetting valuable liquids using a multichannel pipette.
Traditional tanks have a V-shaped bottom to minimise dead volumes. When the liquid level drops, the liquid pulls apart. As a result, one or more tips on the multichannel pipette can suck in air. The remaining liquid in the reservoir and the pipette tips are then considered dead volume.
Opt for the latest generation of tanks, developed with a SureFlo anti-sealing matrix at the bottom and a unique surface treatment. In this way, the liquid flows evenly across the bottom of the reservoir and prevents pipette tips from sealing. This means that you can get to the bottom with your pipette without blocking the pipette tips, which results in fewer reagents and therefore saves on costs.
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