Although few people would argue that one of the most useful items in any research lab is the hand-held, adjustable volume pipette, it seems that the overall design has not changed since the first ones appeared many years ago. Granted, engineering changes have resulted in pipettes that are light, accurate, and rugged. But, the anatomy of essentially all pipettes can best be described as a straight stick.
My laboratory has recently had the opportunity to use what can safely be described as the most innovative pipette on the market: the Ovation BioNatural Pipette from VistaLab Technologies, Inc. (Mt. Kisco, NY). The result of approximately 2 years of design and testing, the Ovation is definitely not a straight stick. It stands upright on the bench and is grasped much like one would grasp a can of soda. The pipette shaft sticks out from the top, pointing down at approximately a 45° angle. The Ovation is surprisingly light and extremely well-balanced in the hand. An audible click signifies the loading of a tip onto the shaft. The click arises from the cocking of a spring-loaded tip ejector mechanism that is activated by lightly pressing the ejector button.
Other design features include a motorized volume adjusting system with the potential to save 5 "favorite" volume settings. As seems to be the norm for electronic volume adjustors, the volume units initially change slowly and gradually pick up speed until they are flying along almost too rapidly. Although a minor flaw, this can result in a little up and down scenario until the intended volume is zeroed in on. Volume adjustment can be done incrementally so this is not much of a problem. Fluid uptake and dispense is manual, with only light pressure needed to depress the plunger. The battery, a standard 3-volt lithium photo battery, is expected to last around 6 months. All calibration and volume presets are retained even when the battery is being changed.
The Ovation pipette is available in single-volume and adjustable volume models. The adjustable model comes in 6 sizes: 0.2-2 µl, 1-10 µl, 2-20 µl, 10-100 µl, 20-200 µl, and 100-1000 µl, with each pipette a different color of the spectrum. Unlike standard pipettes, the 2, 10, and 20 µl pipettes use the same sized tip (with an additional size available that fits only the 2 µl pipette). The company claims that the smaller size, and, hence, smaller dead space, results in greater accuracy for the 20 µl pipette as compared to those that use a 200-µl tip. One very nice feature is that calibration can be performed in the lab. A new calibration factor is determined from repeat pipettings and stored electronically.
I have found these pipettes to be very comfortable, non-fatiguing, and actually fun to use. The only stumbling block may be the price. Although there has been a price drop, each unit sells for about $100 more than a standard pipette. However, the old adage “You get what you pay for” seems appropriate here.
Michael Campa, Ph.D.
Asst. Research Professor of Radiology
Duke University Medical Center