A Guide to Pipette Controllers - Three Things to Know

Pipette Controllers allow you to quickly fill and release accurate volumes. They attach to a pipette, which can be glass or plastic, that’s holding the liquid or volume itself. The controller’s job is to be sure you’re dispensing the correct amounts of liquid at the right times, whether you’re doing research in a lab or in a medical setting. This kind of precision is crucial to getting the exact measurements of chemicals and other liquids.

Uses

Pipette Controllers have a variety of uses. During the course of your work in a medical lab, you may need to precisely measure blood samples, vaccines or potentially illness-fighting medicines. The automated nature of this product allows you to handle a variety of these kinds of fluids. They even have anti-contamination features for when you need to put them down.

Ergonomic Design

Speaking of needing a rest: Dispensing the liquids from pipettes can fatigue your hands over several hours. It is not uncommon to start to feel discomfort in one of your hands, or even both hands, after using a controller for an extended period of time. However, the right controller that’s ergonomically designed will allow you to continue your work pain-free. Some of these controllers are battery operated, cordless and rechargable, have variable speeds and controls and are capable of long hours of continuous operation.

There are several ways to use pipette controllers to meet your research needs. One way is to plan your day using the pipette controller. First, assess how much research you have to do for that day, and block it out into manageable chunks. Even if you have to go full steam ahead on certain projects without a break, you’ll have more energy thanks to motorized controllers.

Manual Versus Motorized Controller

There’s a real difference between manual and motorized controllers. Manual controllers have no battery to recharge and allow you to precisely control filling speed by touching the EZ-Flow lever. If you’re looking for variable speed control, the motorized models give you high and low pressure buttons to adjust for pipette volume and liquid viscosity. The motorized controllers also have low and high aspiration speeds so you can use them with complete accuracy. Suction can be adjusted for high aspiration speeds, up to 25mL in four seconds.

Then, you can dispense the liquid in a controlled way using a pump or gravity.

Sanitation and Contamination

Pipette controllers have a variety of filters that eliminate cross contamination. The ProPette products, which are mentioned below, have replaceable filters protected with a safety valve and a PTFE filter to protect samples, making it easy to keep your tools clean.

Determining Your Needs

If you’re looking for the right pipette controller, you’ll want to determine your most important needs in the lab, whether it’s speed, being lightweight or precision that’s at the top of your list. Luckily, many pipette controllers have all three of these qualities. Here’s a selection of Pipette Controllers, based on your potential needs.

When you need a lightweight to do a heavyweight job. If you’re using a pipette controller on a consistent basis, you’ll want one that fits comfortably in either hand. Plus, you may have a need to put down your pipette controller without the risk of contamination. All of these features and more are part of the ProPette™ Pipette Controller. With its QuickStand™ retractable stand, ten hours of continuous operation and variable speed control, this one gives you a comfortable pipette experience. For those long days filling and releasing volumes in the lab, you’ll have extra hand power by the end of the day.

When you need to work with glass or plastic pipettes. When you’re doing blood tests, it’s key to have control over how fast or slow you can fill and release the sample. The right adapter can give you a soft, precise and airtight seal. The FastPette™ Pro Pipette Controller allows you to control dispensing and aspirating speeds through two comfortable finger triggers, allowing you to get results faster and more accurately.

When you need to accommodate a certain pipette size. The manual pipette controller, including the Propette Manual Pipette Controller, takes pipettes from 0.1mL to 100mL with a flexible adapter. The battery operated pipette controller can take 1mL to 100mL. This is key for accurate aspiration and dispensing.

With this knowledge about pipette controllers, you’re well on your way to selecting the best one for you. To see which one might work best for you, visit our website or contact us.