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Common Types of Micropipettes – Laboratory Equipment for Precise Liquid Handling
- Kyberlife
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
Updated: May 13
Common Types of Micropipettes – Laboratory Equipment for Precise Liquid Handling
In scientific research, diagnostics, and clinical applications, laboratory apparatus plays a crucial role in ensuring accuracy and efficiency. Tools such as test tubes, petri dishes, and pipettes are essential for maintaining sterile conditions and precise liquid handling, particularly in fields like biotechnology, biochemistry, and microbiology.
Among these, micropipettes are essential for experiments requiring ultra-precise liquid measurement and transfer. This article explores the significance of micropipettes, their key applications, and the leading scientific brands that manufacture them.
Main Components of Most Micropipettes
Plunger
Tip ejector button
Ring
Body
Tip Ejector
Tip Holder
Tip Cone
Pipette Tip
Some of the main components for most micropipettes
Plunger button
Controls aspiration and dispense of liquid with the using the thumb. It operates through two distinct stops. The first stop is used to aspirate the liquid from the tip, while the second stop is used to dispense the liquid.
Tip ejector button
To allow efficient disposal of micropipette tips, to minimize cross-contamination through direct contact between user and tip.
Volume Adjustment Knob
The knob is used to set the desired volume of liquid for aspiration and dispensation. By rotating the knob clockwise and anticlockwise, the amount of liquid decreased or increased respectively. This feature is applicable to variable volume micropipettes.
Volume Display Screen
Variable volume micropipettes feature a customizable digital volume display, to indicate the volume adjusted. Ensures accuracy in reading and allows users to adjust to desired amount of volume.
Tip Cone
The tip cone securely holds the disposable pipette tip, ensuring tight fit to prevent leakage or inaccuracies in pipetting. The size of the tip cone is altered depending on the micropipette’s volume capacity, to accommodate different pipette tip sizes.
Disposable Pipette Tip
Disposable pipette tips are laboratory consumables used to contain the liquid. They are available in different colors and sizes, made from transparent plastic to allow users to visually inspect the liquid. Tips are disposed of after each use to prevent cross-contamination.
Immersion Depth & Wait time
Micropipettes come in various sizes, with common types including P2, P10, P20, P100, P200, and P1000. Each type is designed to handle specific liquid volumes, and proper usage is essential for accuracy in laboratory applications.
Using the correct immersion depth and wait time when aspirating liquids is crucial for ensuring precise and consistent results. Proper technique helps minimize errors and enhances the accuracy of pipetting in scientific experiments.
Types of Micropipettes and Features
Single Channel Pipette
Capacity: 1000 microliters, Height: 3.0 centimeters, Included Components: Pipettor, its Manual and calibration card, Item weight 2.88 ounces, Length: 20.0 centimeters, Material ABS, Measurement System: Metric
A single-channel micropipette operates using air displacement and a single disposable tip to aspirate and dispense liquids one sample at a time. Its adjustable volume feature allows users to set the desired liquid volume manually using a volume adjustment knob, providing flexibility for various applications.
Common Use: Transferring media into petri dishes.
Multichannel Mechanical Pipette
Channels: 12-ch, Capacity: 5-100 µl
A multichannel micropipette functions similarly to a single-channel micropipette but holds multiple tips simultaneously, enabling liquid transfer across multiple channels at once. It is a mechanical pipette, requiring users to manually set the volume using a dial and apply thumb pressure on the plunger for aspiration and dispensing.
Common Use: Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and dispensing liquid media into petri dishes.
Electronic Pipette
Capacity: 20 to 300 ul, Lightweight, perfectly balanced, virtually zero pipetting force, Use while charging without compromising performance
An electronic micropipette features digital volume adjustment, reducing human error and minimizing manual effort. The electronic display provides precise control, improving both accuracy and efficiency.
Common Use: Serial dilutions and high-throughput liquid handling.
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