Best practices dictate that pipettes undergo preventive maintenance and calibration at least once per year. Calibration involves dispensing set volumes of a liquid, usually water, into the weighing pan of a calibrated balance.
Best practices dictate that pipettes undergo preventive maintenance and calibration at least once per year. Calibration involves dispensing set volumes of a liquid, usually water, into the weighing pan of a calibrated balance. Service personnel correct for temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, and then compare the expected weight to the actual weight. Among the numerous service options are end-user, in-house instrument service groups, third-party maintenance organizations, and the original manufacturer. All have their benefits and drawbacks. Small, independent service providers are numerous and focus on academic customers within a relatively small geographic area. Regardless of their size, service organizations work either through “depot” arrangements (pipettes are boxed and shipped to the servicer) or on-site. Servicers generally do not require a minimum number of devices for depot service, but all have requirements for on-site service. The reason pipettes require regular maintenance is that they are mechanical devices that are, in many instances, used constantly. Volatile acids, bases, and organic solvents wreak havoc on the seals, o-rings, and metallic components.
Seventy-eight percent of the respondents feel that their current pipette(s) are adequate for their research. The sources of errors our respondents encounter with their pipettes include:
| Human errors | 27% | | Viscosity reduces accuracy | 16% | | Liquids stick to tip | 15% | | Immersed tips carry over liquid | 13% | | Surface tension reduces accuracy | 10% | | Pipettes take up more liquid | 7% | | Liquids evaporate | 4% | | Other | 4% | | Liquid temperature | 3% |
The amount of time per day our readers and/or their staff spend using the pipettes in their labs: | Less than 1 hour | 24% | | 1 - 2 hours | 29% | | 2 - 3 hours | 17% | | over 3 hours | 26% |
The top ten factors/features our readers look for when buying a pipette: | | Important | | Durability of product | 98% | Consistent performance
and accuracy of product | 97% | | Availability of tips and accessories | 93% | | Low maintenance / easy to clean | 89% | | Price | 86% | | Designed to permit recalibration | 80% | | Service and support | 80% | | Ergonomic operation | 74% | | Warranties | 73% | | Leak detection | 58% |
Types of pipettes survey respondents are currently using or planning to purchase: | | Currently Using | Planning to Purchase | | Manual: single channel | 28% | 4% | | Manual: multi-channel | 16% | 2% | | Manual: fixed volume | 11% | 2% | | Electronic: single channel | 8% | 3% | | Electronic: multi-channel | 7% | 2% | | Electronic: fixed volume | 1% | 1% | | Repeater | 12% | 2% | | Other | 1% | 0% |
For more information on pipettes, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/pipettes Completed Surveys: 398 |
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See the most recent survey results
