Pipette Tip Shaping
Pipette Tip Shaping - Related Videos
06:35
Introduction to Serological Pipettes and Pipettors
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2023
The serological pipette is frequently used in the laboratory for transferring milliliter volumes of liquid, from less than 1 ml to up to 50 ml. The pipettes can be sterile, plastic, and disposable or sterilizable, glass and reusable. Both kinds of pipettes use a pipet-aid, for the aspiration and dispensation of liquids. Different sizes of pipettes can be used with the same pipet-aid for a variety of experimental assays. For example, serological pipettes are useful for mixing chemical solutions...
05:30
Making Patch-pipettes and Sharp Electrodes with a Programmable Puller
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Cited by 22 •
2008
This video shows how to use a programmable puller to make patch pipettes and sharp electrodes for electrophysiology. The same procedure can be used to make a variety of glass tools, including injection needles.
05:12
Pressure-polishing Pipettes for Improved Patch-clamp Recording
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Cited by 13 •
2008
This is a guide to modifying the shape of glass micropipettes. Specifically, by using heat and air pressure the taper is widened without increasing the tip opening, leading to lower pipette resistance. This is critical to obtain low noise recordings of small cells but is useful in many applications.
03:37
Molecular Shape and Polarity
0 Views •
2020
Dipole Moment of a Molecule Polar covalent bonds connect two atoms with differing electronegativities, leaving one atom with a partial positive charge (δ+) and the other atom with a partial negative charge (δ–), as the electrons are pulled toward the more electronegative atom. This separation of charge gives rise to a bond dipole moment. The magnitude of a bond dipole moment is represented by the Greek letter mu (µ) and is given by the formula shown here, where Q is the magnitude of the...
09:03
Morphometric Analyses of Shape: The Analysis Software Toolbox for Craniofacial Shape Quantification in Zebrafish
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2026
This work describes a protocol for quantifying craniofacial cartilage shape using free software (tpsDigs2, MorphoJ, and PAST) to measure changes in facial structure in zebrafish larvae.
FAQs
Aperture size, taper, and surface smoothness jointly influence how liquid enters, moves through, and leaves the tip. They also affect sample retention, shear forces, and contact with biological material. Consequently, geometry must be matched to the required handling precision, especially when the experiment involves small samples or delicate cells.
Heating softens the glass, while pulling creates the capillary geometry needed for a controlled tip. This stage establishes the basic taper and opening characteristics before additional treatment. Because later beveling or fire-polishing can modify the aperture, smoothness, and mechanical properties, the initial pull provides the foundation for subsequent adjustment.
Beveling and fire-polishing refine different aspects of the glass tip after it has been pulled. These treatments can adjust opening size, surface smoothness, and mechanical properties, which changes how the tip contacts samples and biological material. Their use allows researchers to tailor the finished geometry rather than relying only on the initial pull.
Small changes in tip geometry can alter fluid flow, sample retention, and the shear forces experienced during handling. They also change how the tip contacts delicate biological material. In cell manipulation, these effects may influence cell viability, while in repeated experiments they can contribute to differences in accuracy and experimental reproducibility.
A typical workflow begins with a glass capillary, followed by heating and pulling to establish the tip geometry. The pulled tip may then be beveled or fire-polished to modify its opening, smoothness, or mechanical properties. These steps produce a tip suited to the fluid-handling or cell-manipulation demands of the planned experiment.
Selection should reflect the task and the sensitivity of the material being handled. Microinjection, cell aspiration, embryo manipulation, electrophysiology, and single-cell sampling may require different balances among aperture size, taper, surface condition, and mechanical properties. Matching the geometry to the application helps control flow, contact, and forces during the procedure.
Tip performance can be evaluated through practical outcomes such as liquid-handling accuracy, sample retention, cell viability, and reproducibility. In cell-based work, the geometry also affects contact with biological material and the forces applied during manipulation. These outcomes connect the physical design of the tip with the reliability of downstream biological measurements.