Fabrication of glass micropipettes: a semi-automatic approach for trimming the pipette tip. 1992

K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
Department of Histology and Cell Biology, University of Umeå, Sweden.

Micropipettes as research instruments are well established in cell biology, including blood rheology. However, the experimental results are, to some extent, dependent on the quality of the pipette itself; it is usually critical to have the desired pipette internal diameter and a perpendicular tip. Pipette fabrication is a two-step procedure involving: a) the pulling of the pipette from a glass capillary; b) the trimming of the pipette tip. A common method to trim and fracture the pipette tip is the use of a melted glass bead on a heated tungsten wire. Previous devices using this method were often associated with problems because the heated wire varied in length with temperature. As a result, the bead together with the attached pipette tip moved markedly and thus hampered the possibility to obtain a perpendicularly cut pipette tip. An improved design, based on the same principle with a melted glass bead, is thus suggested; it eliminates the problem with a moving glass bead and, in addition, allows semi-automatic pipette trimming by utilizing the heat-induced elongation/retraction of the heated wire to fracture the tip without requiring manual assistance. Furthermore, a simple pipette storing technique is suggested, based on standard laboratory utensils, in order to more easily handle fragile pipettes without risk of breakage.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D001790 Blood Physiological Phenomena Physiological processes and properties of the BLOOD. Blood Physiologic Processes,Blood Physiological Processes,Blood Physiology,Blood Physiological Concepts,Blood Physiological Phenomenon,Physiology, Blood,Blood Physiological Concept,Blood Physiological Phenomenas,Concept, Blood Physiological,Concepts, Blood Physiological,Phenomena, Blood Physiological,Phenomenon, Blood Physiological,Physiologic Processes, Blood,Physiological Concept, Blood,Physiological Concepts, Blood,Physiological Phenomenon, Blood,Processes, Blood Physiologic,Processes, Blood Physiological
D004867 Equipment Design Methods and patterns of fabricating machines and related hardware. Design, Equipment,Device Design,Medical Device Design,Design, Medical Device,Designs, Medical Device,Device Design, Medical,Device Designs, Medical,Medical Device Designs,Design, Device,Designs, Device,Designs, Equipment,Device Designs,Equipment Designs
D004912 Erythrocytes Red blood cells. Mature erythrocytes are non-nucleated, biconcave disks containing HEMOGLOBIN whose function is to transport OXYGEN. Blood Cells, Red,Blood Corpuscles, Red,Red Blood Cells,Red Blood Corpuscles,Blood Cell, Red,Blood Corpuscle, Red,Erythrocyte,Red Blood Cell,Red Blood Corpuscle
D005898 Glass Hard, amorphous, brittle, inorganic, usually transparent, polymerous silicate of basic oxides, usually potassium or sodium. It is used in the form of hard sheets, vessels, tubing, fibers, ceramics, beads, etc.
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012212 Rheology The study of the deformation and flow of matter, usually liquids or fluids, and of the plastic flow of solids. The concept covers consistency, dilatancy, liquefaction, resistance to flow, shearing, thixotrophy, and VISCOSITY. Flowmetry,Velocimetry,Velocimetries

Related Publications

K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
May 2014, The Review of scientific instruments,
K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
January 1964, Zhurnal eksperimental'noi i klinicheskoi meditsiny,
K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
January 1967, Microbiologia, parazitologia, epidemiologia,
K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
March 1971, The American journal of medical technology,
K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
June 1934, American journal of public health and the nation's health,
K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
January 1977, Bibliotheca anatomica,
K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
November 1980, Journal of applied physiology: respiratory, environmental and exercise physiology,
K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
November 1966, Die Naturwissenschaften,
K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
January 1934, American journal of public health and the nation's health,
K G Engström, and H J Meiselman
September 1983, Journal of neuroscience methods,
Copied contents to your clipboard!