Making use of micropipettor in your laboratory

Amongst the wide array of equipments used in the laboratories of forensic, biology, pharmaceuticals and the drug laboratories, the micropipette is one of the most important one. It is used to transfer rather small volumes of liquids in the microliter range. A lab can have several sizes of micropipettes where the volume of the equipment can range between 0.2 – 2uL to 100 – 1000 uL. The micropipettes are also known as micropipettors.

The micropipette tip is important

In a micropipette, the tip is of paramount importance. Depending upon the kind of usage made out of them, micropipettes have different tips. These are often disposable pipettes tips that are used in aspiration of liquid. In fact, the tip is the only part that is in contact with the solution. For the testing of every sample, a new tip is used so that any type of cross contamination can be prevented. These tips can be of a wide variety. The usage depends on the application, like low retention, filter, non-filter, gel loading etc.

Understanding the functionality before use

In order to make a proper usage of the equipment, it is imperative to know its design and make. You must have knowledge of the various parts and components of the equipment. This is how scientists can make proper usage of the equipment and maintenance people can look after the device well. A micropipette includes different parts like the tip ejector button, plunger button, volume adjustment dial, shaft, tip ejector. These components can come in different sizes, weight, design, depending on the requirement and equipment usage. The market has a large variety of such micropipettes. Each one of them comes with their own set of features and specialty. The market has several brands manufacturing and selling these equipments, designed for a wide variety of needs.

Precautions to maintain the instrument

Mechanical pipette are highly sensitive equipments. You must handle them with care and take proper maintenance measures to ensure optimal functionality. In case they are not handled in a proper manner, their calibration can get disturbed which can lead to faulty readings of experiments. Let us take a look at some of the precautionary measures to be kept in mind while using these equipments.

Handle them with care and attention. Dropping them can make them faulty and erroneous.

If you are working with harsh chemical, be sure to not to keep it in contact with your equipment for a very long time. This may damage the micropipette. Over time, the equipment will give faulty readings.

Be careful while turning the volume adjustment dial. Do not turn it past the range of volume. This can break the volume setter and indicator. It can also disrupt the other components of the equipment.

Do not jam the pipette tip into the pipette; this can damage the equipment shaft. The fitting must be easy and comfortable.