Pipette Tip

Content
1. What is pipette tip?
    1.1 Pipette and pipette tips
2. Types of pipette tip
    2.1 Universal pipette tips
    2.2 Filter pipette tips
    2.3 Low retention pipette tips
3. Use of pipette tip
4. Pipette tip fittings
5. How to choose pipette tip?
6. How to buy pipette tips?

Pipette is a metering tool that removes liquid from the original container to another container within a certain range. Pipettes are widely used in clinical laboratories because of their simple structure and they are very easy to use. So, they are essential instruments in biological research, and the number of pipette tips used in experiments is enormous. Pipette tip is used with pipette and pipettor to speed up processing and reduce cross-contamination. Pipettes and tips are widely used in the field of biology, chemistry, and so on.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are strong demands for pipette tips in bioassay laboratories all around the world, more than 10 times what it was a few years ago. As frequently used laboratory equipment in analytical chemistry and molecular biology, a pipette works with a piston that allows for very precise aspiration or release of the sample volume.

Pipettes are traditionally equipped with a pipette tip at their lower end. The tip is an important part of the pipette. It is a removable unit designed to collect the sample taken. It can be used for any molecular biology and genetics research application. The molecular bioproducts tips form an effective protective structure between the pipette and the sample, ensuring safe aspiration and dispensing. The lab pipette tips are traditionally made of polypropylene PP and are a disposable consumable item (disposable pipette tips). It can be stored in sterile packaging depending on the nature of the sample to be taken (sterile pipette tips).

As pipette tips need to be used with pipettes, there are corresponding classifications of pipette tips according to the classification of pipettes, such as tips of adjustable tip spacing multichannel pipette, automation pipette tips, conductive pipette tips, diamond pipette tips, dot scientific pipette tips, multichannel pipette tips, metal pipette tips, large orifice pipette tips, low protein binding pipette tips, positive displacement pipette tips, pyrogen-free pipette tips, siliconized pipette tips, and so on.

Popular pipette styles are universal pipette tips, filter pipette tips, and low retention pipette tips.

Generally speaking, the universal pipette tips can be used with universal pipettes on the market. The universal tips are designed to fit securely and tightly onto all pipette lower ends, which vary in diameter from manufacturer to manufacturer. However, of course, not all universal tips are the same, so you must check your selection carefully before procurement.

The filter element of filtered tips is made from ultra-pure polyethylene. This material is highly hydrophobic, which can block aerosols and prevent fluid and liquid vapors from contaminating the inside of the pipette gun.

a. Universal filter tips are made of medical-grade polypropylene. The filter element is made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with good hydrophobicity.

b. The filter element effectively forms a protective structure between the pipette and the sample, ensuring the safety of the sample. Meanwhile, it can reduce the risk of gas residue in the micropipette tubes during pipetting to the operator and improve the reproducibility of the experiment.

c. Autoclavable.

Low retention tips have a very smooth and durable hydrophobic surface, which makes them able to optimize liquid flow during dispensing and provide optimal sample recovery. When using low retention pipette tips to remove liquids with low surface tension, such as cleaning agents, the liquid slides off the inner surface of the tip very easily, leaving very little residual liquid inside the tip. Therefore, this low retention characteristic is beneficial in applications which are typically required the dispensing of highly viscous and detergent-laden liquids.

To ensure better accuracy and precision, it is recommended that the pipetting volume is in the range of 35% to 100% of the pipette tip range.

For most brands of pipettes, especially multichannel pipettes, installing the pipette tips is not an easy task. To have a good seal, the lower end of the pipette’s sleeve needs to be inserted with a pipette tip and tightened by turning it left and right or rocking it back and forth. Some people may tight the tips by repeatedly hitting them into the pipettes, but this operation may lead to deformation of the tips and affect the accuracy, or even damage the pipette. Such operations should be avoided.

The angle of pipette tips immersion should be in the tilt within 20 degrees and it is better to keep vertical. The recommended immersion depth of the pipette tips is shown in the table below.

For room temperature samples, tip rinsing helps to improve their operating accuracy. However, for high or low-temperature samples, tip rinsing may reduce the accuracy of the operation, so please pay special attention to it.

Pipetting should be performed at a smooth and appropriate aspiration speed. If the speed of imbibition is too fast, the sample will easily enter the sleeve handle causing damage to the piston and seal as well as cross-contamination of the sample.

After use, you should hang the pipette upright on the holder and pay attention not to drop it down. When there is liquid in the pipette tip, do not place the pipette horizontally or turn it upside down to avoid the backflow of liquid and corrosion of the piston spring.

If the pipette is not in use, you should set the range of the pipette to the maximum scale so that the spring is in a relaxed state.

a) Repeatedly hitting the pipette tip when installing makes it difficult to remove from the pipette and even damages the pipette.

b) The thumb removes quickly from the pipette during pipetting, which forces the liquid to form a turbulent flow. This flow leads liquid to flush directly to the inside of the pipette.

c) Pipetting small volumes with a large range pipette. You should choose a pipette with the appropriate range.

d) Place pipettes with residual liquid tips flat. Pipettes should be hung on pipette holders.

The pipette tip is just one of the most basic instructions in a biological laboratory. It needs to be used in conjunction with a pipette, and other equipment needs to be used with it, too. For example, pipette tip washer, pipette tip stand, pipette tip filling machines, etc.

Washing pipette tips promptly after use is very necessary for reusable pipette tips in case plugged pipette tips.

Pipette tips are available in a variety of materials and styles. Polypropylene pipette tips are popular on the market. Pipette tips are usually made of polypropylene plastic (PP) because of their high chemical inertness and their colorless and transparent plastic. However, the quality of polypropylene can vary greatly: high-quality tips are generally made of natural polypropylene, while cheap pipette tips are likely to be made of recycled polypropylene plastic.

The main forms of packaging for pipette tips are bagged pipette tips and boxed pipette tips. Box packages are the majority of the market; however, there is also a lot of demand for bags package because they are cheaper. Bagged pipette tips are pipette tips that come in plastic self-sealing bags of 500 or 1000 tips each. After purchasing the bagged pipette tips, most users would like to manually place the tips in the tip box. But this operation increases the chances of contaminating the tips which are not recommended. Besides, a new form of packaging named “refill” has emerged in recent years. A refill package means a plate with 8 or 10 tips is stacked in a tower shape, which allows the tips to be quickly loaded into the cassette head without touching the tips. This type of tip package requires less storage space and significantly reduces the use of plastic for environmental purposes. There are also individually wrapped pipette tips.

If you are interested in our pipette tip or have any questions, please write an e-mail to [email protected], we will reply to you as soon as possible.