Choose a mechanical pipette for your needs
Our mechanical pipettes are used for a variety of fluid handling procedures in pharmaceutical laboratories, research institutes, universities, and medical and industrial laboratories. They are extremely comfortable to use and allow easy cleaning and disassembly of parts. Choose between Tacta®, Proline®, Proline® Plus and Mline® mechanical pipettes.
Source: www.sartorius.com
Documents
Pipette Resource Guide
Have you considered all these things when buying and maintaining pipettes? Download guide
How to Clean Your Pipette?
Cleaning pipettes can be easy! Download our quick guide on how to clean and maintain your pipette. Download guide
Pipette Calibration and Standards
The most import ISO standards related to pipetting are ISO8655 and ISO17025. Download guide
FAQ
Mechanical pipettes are long-lasting tools that are widely used in laboratories of all kinds. Since they are used several hours a day, ergonomics and personal preferences - such as handling comfort - are important selection criteria. Other factors such as application, laboratory workflow, required volume ranges, physical sample properties, accuracy and precision requirements must also be considered when searching for the appropriate pipette for laboratory work.
Mechanical pipettes are controlled with a piston or a plunger, usually with your thumb. The pipette is fitted with a disposable tip that holds the aspirated liquid. The piston is first pressed down before inserting the tip into a liquid and then released to aspirate. To dispense the liquid the piston is pressed and the liquid is released. After use the disposable tip is ejected with the ejector button.
There are two principal types of piston-operated pipettes:
- Air displacement pipettes - the existence of a small air space between the piston and the liquid during the pipetting process;
- Positive displacement pipettes - there is no air between the piston and the liquid but the surface of the piston is in direct contact with the liquid.
Air displacement pipettes, which are intended for general laboratory work and aqueous samples, operate by manipulating an air column between the piston and the liquid. Most pipetting work in laboratories is performed using this type of pipette. Air-displacement pipettes are available either single-channel or multi channel variants. Multi channel pipettes have 8 or 12 channels that are controlled with a single plunger. Also, mechanical pipettes can be either variable or fixed volume pipettes. Variable volume pipettes have become standard in many laboratories, but fixed volume pipettes offer additional security as the volume cannot be changed accidentally.
Single-channel pipettes are great when you need to pipette to and from different kinds of tubes and vessels. Also, for large volume pipetting (1.2-10 ml), single-channel pipettes are the only choice. However, when you work with large number of samples in 96-well or 384-plates, the multichannel pipettes are a better option.
Variable volume pipettes are industry standard. But fixed volume pipettes are great when you always pipette the same volume, like when doing clinical testing, patient samples or when operating a test kit. The advantage of fixed volume pipette is that you eliminate the user error than can come from selecting the wrong volume.
Volumetric pipettes - Volumetric pipettes are usually made of plastic or glass and have graduated markings. Their volumes usually range between 1 mL - 100 mL. Volumetric pipettes rely on users to measure volume and require a separate aspiration and dispensing device - such as the Midi Plus pipette controller.
Discover the Midi Plus pipette controller
Mechanical/manual pipettes - The basis of any laboratory, they are used in a variety of applications. Hand pipettes aspirate and dispense liquid with a piston system that actuates airbags. These pipettes always use disposable pipette tips. The user can set the volume and use the piston to aspire and discharge liquid.
Electronic pipettes - The basic principle of operation of electronic pipettes is the same as that of mechanical pipettes, but all actions are controlled by an electronic system located inside the pipette. The user only has to press a button to start aspiration, dispense liquid or remove the attachment. Electronic pipettes typically reduce human error, improving accuracy and repeatability.
Discover the new Picus® 2 electronic pipette!
Automated pipettes - Automated pipettes are similar to electronic pipettes. The key difference is that they are controlled by automation software.
Pipette Dispenser - Positive displacement pipettes rely on a syringe-like consumable for aspiration and dispensing. Available in mechanical and electronic form.
