This section provides overview, applications, and principles of pipettors. Also, please take a look at the list of 10 pipettor manufacturers and their company rankings.
Table of Contents
A pipettor is an instrument that is attached to a pipette, such as a whole pipette or a female pipette, and performs the pipetting action of sucking up and dispensing solution.
Alternatively, it may refer to a pipette that has its own aspirating function. Pipettors include manual safety pipettors, pipette pumps, and electric pipettors.
Recently, electric pipettors, which can set the pipette volume with a dial on the hand, aspirate with a single push of a button, and dispense with a single push of a button, are the most common type of pipettors.
Pipettors are used throughout the chemical and biological fields for all pipetting operations in which a fixed amount of liquid is aspirated to measure or dispense into another container.
Examples of liquids used include solvents, solutions, samples, media, additives, etc. Micropipettors are also commonly used for the injection of minute amounts of liquids of 1 mL or less.
Hole pipettes and scalpel pipettes were used in the past to suck up solutions by mouth. However, since it is dangerous to aspirate chemicals, especially hazardous substances, by mouth using pipettes or female pipettes, pipettors are now commonly used as an alternative.
Manual and automatic pipettors are used for aspirating and dispensing a certain amount of organic substances, etc., because only the tip of the pipette is wetted and the tip can be removed without touching it.
One type of pipettor, the safety pipettor, is a manual pipettor that is attached to a female pipette or similar instrument. The air intake valve is pressed to depress the rubber ball, the liquid intake valve is pressed to suck up the liquid, and the discharge valve is pressed to discharge the liquid.
Pipette pumps are constructed with a piston that moves air in and out by moving the piston up and down. The distance it moves up and down can be finely adjusted with a dial, and the amount of air to be taken in and out can be finely adjusted, making it possible to precisely control the amount of liquid.
Electric pipettors save labor by using a motor to perform a series of operations, which can be done at the touch of a button. Most products on the market today are powered by rechargeable batteries. However, recharging time and whether the product can be used while recharging vary from product to product.
While ordinary pipettes need to be cleaned and dried each time a chemical is changed, manual and motorized pipettors allow for the immediate injection of a different liquid by simply changing the tip pipette that is wetted. The pipette can be removed without touching the tip pipette, eliminating the risk of hazardous substances adhering to the body and improving not only workability but also safety.
Since each pipettor has its own characteristics, it is important to select an appropriate one for your experimental use and purpose.
First, identify the volume of liquid to be handled in a single pipetting in the experimental system you wish to use. A micropipette may be appropriate for small-scale experiments involving less than 1 mL, while a graduated pipette is appropriate for those involving more than 100 mL. A safety pipettor, pipette pump, or motorized pipettor is then preferred.
Most electric pipettors can handle female pipettes with a lower limit of 0.5mL or 1mL and an upper limit of 100mL. Pipette pumps are available in 2mL, 10mL, and 25mL sizes. Also note that charging time, usability during charging, and aspiration/dispensing speeds vary from product to product.
In order to obtain accurate experimental data, products should be considered from the perspective of contamination prevention when selecting a product. It is desirable to select a product with a cap and filter that are designed for easy cleaning. In addition, it is recommended that caps and filters be autoclavable for biologic experiments.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
Sort by Area
Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. If you are a resident of another country, please select the appropriate version of Metoree for your country in the drop-down menu.