Pipettes And Automated Pipettor Systems
Pipettes are small items of laboratory equipment used to transport a measured volume of liquid from one container to another
. They come in several different sizes and styles. Various designs serve different purposes. Pipettes can range from a simple glass tube with a bulb on the end to very complex adjustable electronic versions. They can also differ a great deal in accuracy.The simplest styled pipette is what we commonly call an eyedropper and is often used for dispensing small quantities of medicine to ears or eyes. These instruments are part of the series of pipettes known as Pasteur pipettes, they don't actually measure the volume of liquid but are designed simply to remove it from one container and add it to another, much like you remove the ear drops from the bottle and add it to your ear.
Volumetric pipettes measures the volume of a liquid and are usually used to make a solution from a base stock. The most accurate styles of these instruments are piston driven and use air displacement to draw in the liquid.
For measuring liquids with a volume of less than 1ML using an automated pipette is best. These instruments are made up of a plastic shaft, plunger, plunger button, volume adjustment knob, and disposable plastic tips. They are relatively simple to use as all you need to do is attach the tip, use the volume knob to set the amount of liquid you want to draw into the tip, depress the plunger, place the tip into the liquid you wish to draw from and then slowly lift your thumb from the plunger button.
You then use a sterile cloth to wipe off the sides of the tip making sure you do not touch the tip itself, then place the tip into the receptacle you want the liquid in and slowly press down the plunger until you feel resistance. Allow the liquid to drip into the receptacle and then finish depressing the plunger to force any remaining liquid from the tip.
Their uses
It is not difficult to think of many uses for pipettes and automated pipettes. They are used in both giving medicines to humans and to animals. They are used extensively in high school, college, and professional laboratories to deliver the correct amount of liquids to other substances for experimentation. They are used in hospital laboratories, and even in DNA testing. In fact pipettes and automated pipettes are probably the most used piece of laboratory equipment in the world.
They make it possible to measure the volume of very small amounts of liquid to help do accurate testing and record the results. They also allow for scientists of all kinds to dispense small amount of liquids into test tubes and other containers to study or to add to other solutions. Their uses are as varied as the instruments themselves.
Originally all pipettes were made from glass now they are normally made of durable plastic that is easy to clean and durable to use.
by: Andrew Long