Improve Your

Research Results
Technique directly affects the success and repeatability
of your experiments. Rainins Good Pipetting Practice
techniques will improve your pipetting performance.

Pipetting Techniques Instrument / Environment

5%
Tip immersion depth
5%
Immersing the tip too far can cause more liquid
to be aspirated. Conversely, if the tip is not
Constant temperature
An ideal temperature for pipetting is 21.5C1C the
same as is used for calibration. Avoid drafty or sunlit 5%
immersed far enough, air can be aspirated. areas that could cause large or sudden temperature
Both result in inaccurate volume. Correct tip changes that compromise aspiration accuracy. Pipetting
immersion depth can improve accuracy by up at a constant temperature can improve results by
to 5%, so use the recommended depths shown as much as 5%.
here. (>2000 l, use 6-10 mm depth)
1-10 l: 1-2 mm 10-200 l: 2-3 mm 200-2000 l: 3-6 mm

Consistent pipette rhythm and speed Volume vs. range

Maintaining consistent pipetting rhythm and Improve accuracy and precision by up to 1% by aspirat-
5% 1%
P O
speed will produce optimal, more repeatable ing and dispensing samples within the range of 35% to
results. Fast or jerky aspiration can cause 100% of a tips nominal volume.
splashing, aerosols, shaft contamination and 100%
Also, avoid setting a pipettes volume to less than 10%
loss of sample volume. With consistent rhythm
of its maximum instead, switch to a smaller volume
and speed you can achieve up to 5% accuracy
35% pipette for smaller volumes.
improvement.
10%
Good aspiration Tip that aspirated air

Vertical immersion angle Hand-warming effects

Keep the immersion angle vertical or within
2.5% 20 of vertical angles greater than that can
produce inaccurate measurements. For micro-
volume pipettes, keeping the angle close to
vertical can improve accuracy by up to 2.5%.
Over long periods of pipetting, heat from your hand can
warm the pipette, causing the air space inside to expand 1%
and produce inaccurate results.
Avoid the effects of hand-warming by using a quality
pipette made from PVDF polymers. In addition, between

P O pipetting cycles, replace the pipette on its stand instead

of holding it your hand.

Correct angle Incorrect angle

Consistent sample dispensing Consistent micrometer setting

Good dispensing technique can improve
1% accuracy by up to 1%. When dispensing
sample, make sure the tip end touches the
vessel wall, which will prevent sample from
remaining in the tip. After dispensing, sliding
the tip end up the vessel wall will release
any liquid remaining on the orifice.
Two other techniques: dispensing into the
liquid or onto the liquid surface. When
dispensing directly into or onto liquid, use
Dispensing against
vessel wall
Dispensing into Dispensing onto reverse-mode pipetting to avoid picking up
liquid liquid surface sample after dispensing.
Pre-rinse the tip
Pre-rinsing the tip two or three times forms
0.2% a liquid film on the inside of the tip that can
increase accuracy by up to 0.2%. Pre-
rinsing helps neutralize capillary effects in
Press and release
micro-volume pipettes and, for large-volume
plunger 2 or 3 times
tips, equalizes the air temperature inside the
When changing the volume from a higher to a lower
setting, dial down to the desired volume setting. However, 0.5%
when changing the volume from a lower to a higher
setting, turn the selector wheel about 1/3 turn above
the desired volume setting, then slowly back down until
you reach your desired setting. This avoids mechanical
backlash and results in greater accuracy.
Good ergonomics
Improve performance by taking it easy on your hands. Its
a fact that hand fatigue leads to errors, especially after a
large number of samples have been dispensed.
What is good ergonomics? Using good posture and
pipettes with finger-hooks that allow you to relax your grip
at regular intervals. Switching hands periodically will also
help reduce fatigue and increase your productivity.
Rainin pioneered many of the ergonomic features found in
modern pipettes. Our light spring forces and patented LTS
LiteTouch tip ejection system are considered by many life

0%
tip with the temperature of the sample.
scientists to be essential safety equipment.

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GPP and Good Pipetting Practice are
trademarks of Rainin and Mettler Toledo AG.
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