Device

Type

Supplier

Accuracy

Cost (ex VAT)

Comments

Graduate(TM) pipet

www.invitrogen
.com

Fixed volumes, requiring a special graduated tip. These tips are marked at 150, 100, 50, 10, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0.5 µl.

Originally made by Life Technologies;
now available from Carolina Biological.

Depends upon how steady your hand is, and how well you can see! Potentially very accurate.

GBP 21.00

Uses calibrated 'Triple Check' tips from QBio-Gene (formerly BIO101). These tips are expensive, and are normally used to test conventional micropipettes.

Volac MiniPipet

www.poulten-graf.com

Fixed volume: available in 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 µl volumes.

Manufactured by Poulten and Graf. Available from the NCBE.

5, 10, 25 µl volumes: ± 0.5 µl.
50, 100 µl volumes: ± 1.0 µl.

i.e., lowest ± 10%; greatest ± 1%

GBP 10.00

Has double action to empty the tip, like a conventional micropipette. Takes both standard 'yellow' tips and the smaller (P2) type. Autoclavable.

Tricontinent dispenser

www.tricontinent
.com

Fixed volumes: available in 5, 10, 11, 14, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 75, 100, 200 µl volumes.

Several suppliers. The 5, 10 and 20 µl versions available from Bio-Rad.

> 50 µl ± 3%
50-35 µl ± 4%
30-20 µl ± 5%
10 µl ± 10%
5 µl ± 20%
 

The typical UK price is GBP 20, although we were until recently able to obtain them for GBP 6.50 each.

Our (former) supplier of these pipettes told us that after about 1000 uses, the spring weakens, reducing accuracy. Special LVM tips improve accuracy.

NCBE Microsyringe

www.ncbe.reading.
ac.uk

Fixed volumes of 2 and 10 µl.

The NCBE supplies this device but you could make it yourself by obtaining the required parts (the dispensers and tips are sold by several companies).

Similar to the Life Technologies device, in that great accuracy is possible - for those with good eyesight!

NCBE's price is GBP 15.50 for 5.

Tips from the NCBE are relatively expensive - GBP 10.70 for 300.

It can be difficult to obtain P2 tips with clear calibration marks. After several years of using tips with frankly indifferent graduations, the NCBE now supplies tips with excellent marks that even my failing eyes can discern.

Eppendorf 'pen' dispenser

www.eppendorf.
com

Fixed volume, 20 µl.

Eppendorf.

About ± 5%

Not known.

Usually this pipette IS a pen - a promotional item given away by Eppendorf! However, we found it in a schools' PCR kit developed by our colleagues at IPN in Germany. It's not available separately.

Calibrated tip on a 1 ml syringe (DIY)

A suitable calibrated 'yellow' tip is required to measure specific volumes.

Home-made.

Unlikely to be accurate, but good enough for many classroom uses that do not require precise measurement.

1 ml syringes cost about 20 pence each. Standard 200 µl 'yellow' tips cost about GBP 20 for 1000.

A 10 mm length of soft (silicone) rubber tubing is needed to ensure that the tip remains firmly on the syringe.

Wiretrol II Disposable capillary pipettes

www.drummond
sci.com

Fixed volume.
Available with calibration lines as follows:

W-5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 µl
W-10: 5, 10 µl
W-20: 10, 20 µl
W-50: 25, 50 µl
W-100: 50, 100 µl
W-200: 100, 200 µl

Note: The figures in bold are catalogue numbers.
 

Drummond Scientific Company. Also available from Carolina Biological.

± 0.5-1 %

About GBP 35 for 250.

These are what we used before micropipettes were invented. They consist of fine, disposable glass tubes with a reusable metal plunger. They come in boxes of 250 tubes, with two plungers. They are very accurate but the limited number of plungers supplied makes them impractical for whole class use.

Calibrated 'Pastettes'

www.alphalabs
.co.uk

Disposable Pasteur pipettes. A wide range of products is available, with calibrations and/or reproducable droplet volumes e.g., 40 µl from a 1 ml 'pastette'.

Various suppliers. Alpha Laboratories sells a particularly wide range.

The droplet volume can surprisingly accurate, but measurement by the calibrations on the stem of the pipette is very hit-and-miss.

The price varies. Typically non-sterile 1 ml 'pastettes' cost GBP 11 for 500.

Sterile droppers are more expensive.

Some models are available as individually-wrapped sterile items.