Reverse pipetting made easy with VIAFLO and VOYAGER pipettes [Video]
Reverse pipetting made easy with VIAFLO and VOYAGER pipettes
If you spend enough time pipetting, you probably know that some liquids are very difficult to accurately pipette. Some are very volatile, others very viscous, and others still tend to foam up when too much air is introduced inside of them.
For these liquids, reverse pipetting is usually recommended, and for that, there is a mode on INTEGRA electronic pipettes. If you're pipetting such tricky liquids, it's usually best practice to aspirate a bit more than you need, dispense your desired volume, and discard the rest. This can really improve your results!
To do reverse pipetting, enter the program from the main menu. From the "Run" screen, you can enter "Edit" and you will be prompted to set your parameters. All you need to do is add your desired volume, and then the excess, or post-dispense volume. Typically, this would be about 3 to 5 percent of the nominal volume of the pipette.
You can re-use the post-dispense, meaning it will stay in the tip after the program is finished, so that it will be included in the next aspiration. How fast or slow you pipette is also controlled here. "Aspiration Speed" and "Dispense Speed" can be independently programed.
By going back to the "Run" screen, you are ready to begin. The pipette calculates how much needs to be aspirated, and pressing "Run" gives you your desired dispense. The excess, or post-dispense, is still in the tip. It can be discarded back in the source container or wherever you want.
Reverse pipetting is so easy to program on the INTEGRA electronic pipettes, and, when executed properly, can improve your results. Give it a try if you're having a problem with accuracy or precision with certain liquids.