Pipettes have a diverse range of uses in a laboratory. They measure tiny volumes of liquid to carry out experiments. Researchers select these pipettes very carefully according to their needs in reference to ergonomics, high quality, and performance.
The best model of the pipette for individual experimentation is decided after a lot of observation. It is highly essential to select the perfect tips related to a specific experiment. The tips must be chosen according to their chemical compatibility and their combination with a pipette to ensure smooth functioning. This enables the user to carry out all experiments with ease and negligible room for error. Technicians should avoid buying substandard pipette tips as low-quality products are hardly compatible with chemicals.
Filter pipette tips, also called aerosol barrier tips, serve the fundamental purpose of protecting the pipettes from aerosols and the aspiration of viscous or volatile solutions. These 20μl filter tips ensure that contamination chances are minimized and protect the pipette against damage. These tips are pre-sterilized, fitted inside the proximal area of the tip, and free of DNase and RNase.
Purposes of Filter Tips
Filter tips have two primary purposes:
- Protect the pipette from aerosol
- Protect to sample from the aerosol
Their functionality makes them extremely valuable for ultrasensitive applications. Their main application includes Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The filter acts as a barrier and prevents cross-contamination by reducing the chances of carrying over the samples by pipette, thereby producing accurate results.
These tips also provide assistance to carry out innovative studies by researchers. It is a common mistake where fresh members of the lab aspirate reagents directly into a pipette mistakenly. This results in pipette contamination. Filter tips must be fitted on the pipettes to avoid this problem. Not only is it cost-effective as the tip can be discarded instead of the whole pipette, but it also improves the efficacy of the experiments.
Comparison Between Standard Tips & Filter Tips
Pipette tips are commonly used in laboratories for extensive purposes. They fulfil many performance requirements such as reagent dispensing and high accuracy with significantly increased tolerance. A standard pipette tip usually does not have low retention, thereby leading to cross-contamination. On the contrary, filter tips have the potential to eliminate the chances of cross-contamination. This feature makes them more viable for sensitive processes such as clinical diagnostics.
Filter tips are designed in a way that ensures the prevention of small particle formation, either liquid or solid, called aerosols. This is an extraordinary advantage since aerosol particles stay in the air for a long time. They can be inhaled by lab technicians and lead to infections.
Applications of Filter Tips in Covid-19 Testing
1250μl filter tips played a significant role in the testing of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic posed a significant threat around the globe and spread at a very rapid rate. Therefore, it has been crucial to test the affected people for the virus with high accuracy. In order to detect such critical diseases, pathologists must ensure that the samples or testing equipment are not pre-contaminated. In this scenario, filter pipette tips play a vital part.
Scientifically approved Covid-19 testing uses a type of PCR technology. It measures the RNA rather than the DNA. The DNA is purified from the extracted sample where the presence of the disease is detected. While carrying out this test, it is imperative that there is no risk of aerosol-based contamination, and that is where filter tips come into play.
There have been several false readings and false positives/negatives due to the contamination. If one sample gets contaminated, subsequent copies also become inaccurate, thereby producing a false diagnosis. The risk of false readings can be dramatically reduced by incorporating filter tips.
Due to the high testing rate, there is an increased demand for testing kits in bulk quantities. This requirement means that the need for filter tips is also increased. MBP is a reliable name when it comes to providing quality lab equipment. We are fully stocked with high-quality filter tips, ready to serve your requirements.
