arvigrande

[arvigrande]

How to Choose a Microcentrifuge for Your Laboratory

A microcentrifuge is an essential piece of equipment in any laboratory. Laboratory personnel use it to spin a variety of liquid samples at very high speeds. A microcentrifuge enables the pelleting of proteins from a solution, microfiltration of aqueous samples, and collecting liquid into the bottom of a tube.

It is crucial to choose the suitable unit for your laboratory. There are several types of micro centrifuges in the market today, with different specifications. The procurement of a micro centrifuge is usually a long-term investment, therefore, to ensure that you have selected a suitable unit, please take into the considerations of the points below:

Is the microcentrifuge model safe enough?

Micro centrifuges operate in relatively high force, ranging from 6,000rpm to 18,000rpm. Thus, it is important to look at the safety features of the microcentrifuge model you are intending to buy.

To ensure that the centrifuge is running safely, please take note of the following points:

1.    Whether the rotor is balanced properly

2.    Is there a motor cover to cover the centrifuge motor in case tubes break during a centrifugal process

3.    The centrifuge lid mechanism stays locked during the spinning process

 How many people are going to use the unit?

While micro centrifuges can be operated easily, they are prone to damage when not used properly. Repair and maintenance procedures on the unit can be managed more effectively when only trained users are using it. Hence, do make sure that there are designated persons to operate and clean the microcentrifuge.

Hettich micro centrifuge models

Hettich has a line of micro centrifuge in the market, namely, Mikro 185, Mikro 200/R, and Mikro 220/R. These units have a speed rates of up to 18,000rpm and an RCF of 31,540 to accommodate a high quantity of samples during a centrifuge process. They likewise support microliter tube quantities from 12 to 60 per run, and come with bio-containment and phenol-resistant lids to ensure safe centrifugation.

[arvigrande]

How a Blood Tube Stripper Makes Blood Storage Easier to Handle

A blood tube stripper is a plier-like tool intended to be used with PVC blood tubing. It strips undiluted blood from the donor tubing.

The main purpose of a blood tube stripper is to remove the air or liquid from rubber tubes in infusion or connecting bags. This is important during body fluid collection, such as in blood banks, as it helps move the fluid that remains in the tube onto the bag to avoid wastage.

How a blood tube stripper helps blood storage easier to handle:

1. It can be used with different sizes of blood bag tubes.

Blood bag tubes come in different sizes. There are instances when some remaining blood remains in the tubes, making them challenging to squeeze out. A stripper then moves these remaining droplets from the tube onto the container for storage or use.

2. Faster stripping of blood tubing.

Using a blood tube stripper also speeds up the process of transferring blood from a bag onto a container or vice versa. Rather than squeeze the tube for the remaining droplets to be moved, one can immediately proceed to stripping right after transferring the bigger amount of blood onto another container.

3. Facilitates anticoagulation of blood in a blood bag tubing prior to preparing segments.

Blood may coagulate during a transfer process. Since a stripper moves the blood in the tubing, it also helps prevent it from coagulating until it is in another container, such as a new blood bag.

4. Changeable stripping speed and power supply.

Blood tube strippers can be calibrated to specific stripping speeds. This allows users to transfer and strip blood in a more efficient manner and reduce human error during the process.

Blood tube strippers are also electronically powered, and their stripping speeds can be adjusted according to a user’s preferences.

[arvigrande]

Safety Precautions when Using a Laboratory Incubator

Incubating cells to promote microbial growth can be dangerous to human health, especially when not handled properly. Some microbes, such as fungi, may trigger allergies and other health risks when inhaled; viruses and bacteria may cause infections by mere exposure to open wounds. Hence, safety protocols must be followed to avoid these health mishaps from happening.

Safety procedures should likewise be applied when handling laboratory incubators. Incubators house cell culture samples. Their surfaces are often contaminated with these specimens. Users can be at risk of falling sick by merely touching the interiors of the device through surface contact.

Among the safety precautions to follow when using a laboratory incubator are:

1. Carry out a full risk assessment prior to doing any microbiological investigation

Not all microbiological research is safe to conduct. Some studies, particularly those that involve deadly viruses and bacteria, have to be handled with utmost care to prevent contamination. You may want to assess the specimens before preparing them for study. A risk assessment allows you to determine which equipment to use to handle the specimens properly and safely from preparation, transfer, to placement inside the incubator.

2. Keep plates at room temperature.

Always keep the specimen plates at room temperature. Being in room temperature reduces the risk of microbial reactions, either due to heat, cold, or humidity.

It is also best to keep in mind that reducing the incubator’s temperature slows down the growth of culture. If your study is time sensitive, or if you are monitoring the time frames of cell culture growth, then it is best to avoid tinkering with temperature settings.

3. Inoculated plates should be taped before incubation to ensure they cannot be opened accidentally.

Taping inoculated plates secures the placement of the specimens placed on them. This reduces the risk of them being opened especially when the incubator is moved by external force, or when the device shakes.

Plates should also be incubated upside down. This prevents condensed moisture from dripping onto the plate and contaminating the cell specimen.

[arvigrande]

Serological Centrifuge and Its Role in Clinical Diagnostics

One of the most common tests conducted in hospitals and diagnostic clinics is the serology test. It comes in different forms and may involve different laboratory techniques. The purpose of the Serology tests is to find antibodies present in the blood to determine a patient’s underlying medical condition.

The role of a serological centrifuge:

A serological centrifuge is used to process various serology tests. This lab device is used to separate the different components in the blood using centrifugal force.

By separating blood components such as plasma, platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells, doctors and researchers are able to take a deeper look into the true nature of a patient’s condition.

A serological centrifuge is commonly used for different serology tests such as:

·         blood typing

·         cross matching

·         coombs testing

·         manual cell washing

The use of a serological centrifuge has become more common during the coronavirus pandemic. They are among the primary tests conducted on people suspected with the COVID-19 virus. However, serology tests are also used to determine the presence of the following antigens in the bloodstream:

·         bacteria

·         fungi

·         viruses

·         parasites

What happens after a serology test is performed

Since serology tests are performed to determine the presence of antibodies that affect a patient’s health, their results provide a clearer understanding of his or her condition, and what causes it. For instance, persons exhibiting flu-like symptoms are often suspected of COVID-19. This suspicion however, can be proven through a serological test (in particular, an antigen test).

Serology tests help doctors administer proper treatment and medication for the patient.

[arvigrande]

Applications of Cell Culture

Cell culture is a process where cells are grown under controlled conditions. Specimen cells are placed in a cell culture incubator and exposed to a habitat that induces them to grow and reproduce as they mature.

Cell culture is done to create model systems for studying cells' characteristics and behaviours and how they react to drugs and toxic compounds.

Cell culture is used for a wide variety of purposes and industries. Apart from medical research, it is used in drug screening and development and large-scale manufacturing of biological compounds such as vaccines and therapeutic proteins.

There are different applications of cell culture. Among the most popular are the following:

1. Research

Researchers use a cell culture incubator to contain cells for bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic cultures. They grow bacterial cells for gene manipulation or culture mammalian cells to monitor the effects of drugs and hormones on functioning cells (necessary in cancer studies).

Virologists meanwhile culture viruses when developing antiviral drugs and vaccines, like in the case of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Tissue engineering

Another application of cell culture is tissue engineering. Cells have to be cultured to jumpstart homo-grafting or reconstructive surgery that uses a patient's cells.

Tissue engineering is also popular in agriculture. Plant tissue culture is conducted to grow new plants or silage production.

3. Pharmaceuticals

Cell culture is also crucial in pharmaceutical activities. Pharmaceutical companies acquire genetically engineered bacteria from cell culture to develop drugs with therapeutic proteins like vaccines, insulin, and interferon.

4. Biotechnology

Cell culture is also present in food production. Food technologists use cell culture in developing brewed beverages and baking ingredients. Through cell culture, they improve the quality of preservatives and other additive on various food and beverage products.

[arvigrande]

How to Balance a Centrifuge

Running an unbalanced centrifuge poses great risks in the laboratory or clinic. Not only can it cause significant damage to the device itself, but an unbalanced centrifuge may also harm the operator and other lab personnel. In this regard, it is important that you know how to balance a centrifuge prior to operating it.

As a general rule, balancing masses to the nearest 0.1 gram is advisable, and that tubes should be balanced by mass, not volume. The total mass of each tube should be as close as possible as this becomes very important during high rotor speeds. For instance, do not balance a sample consisting of liquid that has higher or lower density than water with an equal volume of water.

Among the tips to balance a centrifuge are:

Ensure that all sample tubes are evenly filled. Check that they are all equal in mass, not just in volume.

Add a tube of equal weight directly opposite a tube inserted in the rotor, in case when you are just running a test on one sample.

Rotate the rotor 90 degrees then add 2 additional tubes directly opposite one another.

Balancing 3 tubes, 5 tubes, or 7 tubes in a centrifuge with 12 positions

Not all placements of a centrifuge are occupied during a testing activity. There are instances when you only have to run 3, 5, or 7 tubes in a centrifuge with 12 positions. Balancing these can be tricky, so it is important to know how to balance the tubes prior to operating the centrifuge.

Three tubes may be spaced evenly around the rotor.

To balance 5 tubes, create one balance tube and place 2 sets of 3 tubes across from each other.

To balance 7 tubes, create 1 balance tube and place 2 sets of 4 tubes across from each other.

[arvigrande]

Applications of a Blood Tube Sealer

One of the tools blood banks and repositories cannot work without is the blood tube sealer. Indeed, it is mainly used to seal blood bag pilot tubes for secure containment, but it offers many other peerless benefits. In hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres, blood tube sealers are used on:

●     blood bags

●     infusion bags

●     urine bags

This device used a high-frequency sealing system to ensure that spillage and risks of contamination are prevented from happening.

A blood tube sealer is a compact piece of lab equipment, and is designed in a way that it can seal with an average speed of 1 tube per 1.5 seconds. Since the tubes are sealed properly, they can be easily separated by pulling the joints from both their sides.

When looking for a blood tube sealer, one of the brands to check out is the SEALmatic P by Lmb Technologies GmbH. A portable tube sealer, it comes with a carrying band for easier handling, and is lightweight to ensure high level of mobility when used in a donation room or during field work and out-of-clinic blood collections.

Among the features of the SEALmatic P are:

●     lighter and smaller redesigned housing

●     ergonomic design

●     automatic adjustment for high efficiency and small power consumption to ensure faster sealing time

●     easier access to insert tubings

●     takes 1-3 seconds for one seal

●     easy to clean

●     small head for transparency of the sealing process

●     low haemolysis technology

●     can seal tubes even during charging mode

As a blood tube sealer, the SEALmatic P offers convenience and efficiency, which is essential in blood collection and containment activities. It can be used both inside clinics and during mobile collections, allowing users to conduct blood donation and gathering of blood samples safely and securely even when in outdoor environments.

[arvigrande]

Types of Centrifuges Available in the Market

A centrifuge is a device that is used to segregate a compound or mixture’s components using a speedy rotation at a fixed axis. It is commonly found in laboratories and facilities that conduct activities such as specimen component extraction depending on their size, density, and viscosity.

Centrifuges are available in different types and variants, and they vary on built, size, and rotor speed. In terms of function, however, they all work under the principle of sedimentation.

Among the most common types of centrifuges available in the market today are:

1. Benchtop

A benchtop centrifuge is a compact type of centrifuge that is used in clinics and research labs. It is driven by a motor where the tubes are rotated about a fixed axis. It likewise has a rotor with racks that hold sample tubes, and a lid that protects its working unit.

Since they are portable, benchtop centrifuges are the top choice for smaller labs and mobile diagnostic clinics.

2. Floor standing

Floor centrifuges are bigger and are used for high-volume processing purposes. They have bigger storage for specimen samples, and may come with more specific features. Data logging capabilities which are usually required for quality control purposes, are available for certain floor standing centrifuges.  

3. Haematocrit

Haematocrit centrifuges are used to determine the volume of red blood cells in a given sample. This type of centrifuge shows haematocrit values that are essential in biochemistry tests, blood tests, and other clinical tests. It can quickly reach speeds of 11,000 rpm and RCFs of up to 15,000 g when spinning tube samples.

4. Microliter

A microliter centrifuge is used to separate samples with smaller volumes and are operated at around 12,000-13,000 rpm speeds. It is the top choice for molecular separation of cell organelles like DNA and nuclei, as well as phenol extraction.

[arvigrande]

All You Need to Know About a Pipettor

A pipettor is a common but very helpful laboratory apparatus that aids and simplifies the process of containing, drawing out, and dispensing liquid samples into a pipette. To put it simply, a pipettor is used to dispense measured volumes of liquids. It prevents the risk of contamination, lessens hand fatigue, and even reduces stress during long and arduous working hours.

So how does a pipettor work?

A pipettor works by generating a partial vacuum above the chamber that holds the liquid and selectively releasing this vacuum to draw up and dispense to another container the same according to the preferred volume. 

Some pipettors can dispense between 1 and 1000µl while others can dispense a greater volume. Pipettors facilitate the sterile and accurate handling of liquid which is why they are commonly used in molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and medical tests. 

Pipettors are either manual or electronic, single-channel or multi-channel pipettes. Regardless of their type, each pipettor is designed for efficiency when working with varying plates, tubes, and dishes.

Complementing the efficiency and productivity of a pipettor, Hettich introduces its own quality brand of pipette controller–the HettJet™ Pipette Controller. It is a revolutionary piece of laboratory equipment that offers maximum comfort separating it from other pipette controllers.

The HettJet™ Pipette Controller has the following features:

1.    An LED display that shows the aspiration and dispenses speeds. It also indicates remaining battery life and flashes whenever the power is already low. The display intelligently turns-off after 20 seconds of non-use/non-operation.

2.    Six different adjustable speed settings for both aspiration and dispense modes.

3.    Electronic Brake System that maximizes speed and precision.

4.    Power supply is driven by a lithium-ion battery that if fully charged can provide eight hours of continuous use. It is time-efficient because it can be used even while charging.

[arvigrande]

Importance of a Veterinary Centrifuge

A veterinary centrifuge acts as one of the most essential pieces of equipment in clinics, hospitals, and laboratories providing services related to animals. 

Spinning at high rates, centrifuges, which can be big enough to stand on the floor or compact enough to rest on workbenches and counters, are typically utilized to separate components. They have been used in multitudes of applications, including separation of blood, determining components in oil, purifying chemical samples, and isolating DNA, to name a few. 

In animal clinics and laboratories, a veterinary centrifuge can be wielded to separate not only blood but also urine, hematocrit, semen, and other samples. As a staple in the lab work involving both small and large animals, this specific device is essential in veterinary practice. 

Hettich, a leading company in the manufacture of centrifuges, offers a wide array of units whose diverse functions can address the needs of veterinarians and lab workers. It allows users to select from its collection of standardized and custom accessories to increase the ability of their chosen centrifuge to meet their sample separation objectives. 

On top of thoroughly testing every unit to guarantee user safety, Hettich has gone the extra mile, as well, to ensure high sample throughput and versatility in the products it introduces to the market. Practitioners and professionals are given a choice of numerous rotors, including a swing-out mode and fixed-angle ones. 

Hettich’s veterinary centrifuges are valued pieces of equipment in small labs, veterinary labs, hospitals, blood banks, and Physician’s Office Laboratory (POL). They have been proven to withstand the daily pressures present in busy veterinary practice laboratories.

[arvigrande]

Commonly Used Laboratory Pipettes

Laboratory pipettes are laboratory instruments used to measure out or transfer small quantities of liquid either in volumes of milliliters or microliters. Laboratory pipettes come in several designs with differing levels of accuracy and precision; each utilized according to their specific applications.

Below are the most common laboratory pipettes being used in the world today:

1.    Air displacement single-channel and multi-channel pipettes

Single-channel pipette is a non-disposable instrument with an air-displacement design that allows it to produce accurate measurement results with the use of one disposable tip. On the other hand, a multi-channel pipette is similar to that of a single channel, except it takes more than one tip at a time.

2.    Electronic pipette

An electronic pipette provides significant ergonomic benefits in applications where a lot of repetitive pipetting is involved. Electronic pipettes are programmable to perform most laboratory tasks.

3.    Volumetric pipettes

Volumetric pipettes are used to precisely measure a volume of solution. They are commonly used in making laboratory solutions from a base stock as well as preparing solutions for titration.

4.    Graduated pipettes

Graduated pipettes are a type of macro pipette consisting of a long tube with a series of graduations to indicate different calibrated volumes.

5.    Transfer pipettes

Transfer pipettes are made from a single piece of plastic. Their bulb can serve as the liquid-holding chamber.

6.    Pasteur pipettes

Pasteur pipettes, usually made of plastic or glass material, are used to transfer small amounts of liquids. However, they are not graduated nor calibrated for any particular volume.

HETTICH, the premium maker of centrifuges and incubators, takes pride in offering the HettlitePRO™ series as one of its new offerings. The HettlitePRO™ Single Channel Pipette and HettlitePRO™ Multi Channel Pipette are both ergonomic, durable, accurate, and affordable providing value and efficiency to the laboratory and research market.

[arvigrande]

Different Parts of a Centrifuge

A centrifuge is a laboratory device that uses centrifugal force in order to separate the various components of a fluid. The end result is achieved after the fluid is spun at high speed inside the device.

Centrifuges are necessary equipment in most laboratories with application needs like clinical and blood banking, microbiology, tissue culture, molecular biology and genomics, drug discovery, and proteomics.

At the center of the centrifuge is the motor which creates the spin and attached to it is the rotor which houses the tubes contained with samples.

Centrifuge rotors are designed in a way that it can generate rotation speed that could bring about the separation of components in a particular sample. There are three main types of rotors used in a centrifuge, to wit: fixed-angle rotors, swinging bucket rotors or horizontal rotors, and vertical rotors.

The tubes or containers may be spun at different angles. Depending on the type of centrifuge, the tubes may either be loaded at the angle on which they will rotate or be loaded into a container that will adjust itself to a different angle upon startup.

When the centrifuge is started, its motor will run based on the given settings. During the cycle, the sample in the test tubes will separate into their various components so they are ready for analysis.

Hettich perfected a wide range of centrifuges for different applications and markets. Hettich’s centrifuges are thoroughly tested to ensure the safety of users while still being able to comply with international regulatory standards.

 Furthermore, Hettich centrifuges are available in a variety of temperature control versions which are able to maintain a constant sample temperature during operation. HETTICH’s model varieties also support the option of built-in temperature control, internal heating, external cooling, and additional configurations to meet clinical, research, and industrial requirements.

[arvigrande]

Different Parts of a Centrifuge

A centrifuge is a laboratory device that uses centrifugal force in order to separate the various components of a fluid. The end result is achieved after the fluid is spun at high speed inside the device.

Centrifuges are necessary equipment in most laboratories with application needs like clinical and blood banking, microbiology, tissue culture, molecular biology and genomics, drug discovery, and proteomics.

At the center of the centrifuge is the motor which creates the spin and attached to it is the rotor which houses the tubes contained with samples.

Centrifuge rotors are designed in a way that it can generate rotation speed that could bring about the separation of components in a particular sample. There are three main types of rotors used in a centrifuge, to wit: fixed-angle rotors, swinging bucket rotors or horizontal rotors, and vertical rotors.

The tubes or containers may be spun at different angles. Depending on the type of centrifuge, the tubes may either be loaded at the angle on which they will rotate or be loaded into a container that will adjust itself to a different angle upon startup.

When the centrifuge is started, its motor will run based on the given settings. During the cycle, the sample in the test tubes will separate into their various components so they are ready for analysis.

Hettich perfected a wide range of centrifuges for different applications and markets. Hettich’s centrifuges are thoroughly tested to ensure the safety of users while still being able to comply with international regulatory standards.

 Furthermore, Hettich centrifuges are available in a variety of temperature control versions which are able to maintain a constant sample temperature during operation. HETTICH’s model varieties also support the option of built-in temperature control, internal heating, external cooling, and additional configurations to meet clinical, research, and industrial requirements.

[arvigrande]

The Principle of Incubator Microbiology

Incubator microbiology is grounded on the principle that cell cultures and microorganisms need a distinct and controlled set of artificial conditions for them to be able to fully grow and develop. Such a principle is applied in a wide variety of research and industry dealing with living organisms.

With incubator microbiology, the incubator which is a piece of vital laboratory equipment that can be made operable and the sample organisms stored in it are provided with the optimal condition of temperature, so they could grow and multiply.

Aside from growing cell cultures, incubator microbiology also finds use in the following scientific and laboratory undertakings:

●     Reproducing germ colonies and their subsequent germ count in the food industry;

●     Reproducing germ colonies and the subsequent determination of biochemical oxygen demand which is essential in wastewater monitoring;

●     Reproducing microorganisms such as but not limited to bacteria, fungi, yeast; and

●     Breeding of insects and hatching their eggs in zoology.

Various manufacturers such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, NuAire, and Hettich offer different types of incubators with attractive new features.

Hettich, the trusted premium maker of incubators in the world, has engineered and manufactured the HettCube Incubator. It is user-friendly, features a 4.3-inch touchscreen control panel with which one can supervise the entire incubation process at a single glance. Furthermore, it also has a clear and concise dashboard that shows the target and actual display, the status of the device as well as an overview of all events and alarm messages from the past month.

 The touchscreen also allows for uncomplicated adjustment of weekly programming without additional software, the start time or the time period, and the frequency of temperature reduction in a real-time calendar.

[arvigrande]

Blood Separation Techniques Using a Blood Centrifuge

Blood separation is one of the many applications of a centrifuge. With the help of a blood centrifuge, separation of various blood components according to medical procedures is carried out.

The separation process using a blood centrifuge is crucial because every blood component has its own unique role and purpose. Thus, it is imperative to use a high-performing blood bag centrifuge like the Roto Silenta 630 RS. It is a well-recognized blood centrifuge providing rapid and efficient centrifugation of blood bags. It can spin up to 12 liters of a sample or 12 blood bags per spin.

The following are the different blood separation techniques and applications using a blood centrifuge:

Types of Bags Used

Blood bags are made for the collection, processing, and storing of whole blood and blood components. At the same time, the blood bag system greatly contributes to proving aseptic conditions for the separation of blood components. It is considered a closed system that reduces the chances of contamination.

The different types of blood bags are:

●     Single Blood Bag – contains CPDA solution and used for whole blood collection.

●     Double Blood Bag – used for separating 2 blood components through centrifugation and extraction.

●     Triple Blood Bag – used for separating 3 blood components.

●     Quadruple Blood Bag - used for separating 3 blood components through the buffy coat method.

Plates Rich Plasma (PRP)

Blood centrifuges are perfect for the preparation of Platelet-Rich Plasma or PRP, which is a liquid compound of plasma and platelets from the same patient. The PRP has high bioactive protein content, also called growth factors. These proteins promote the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues naturally.

Buffy Coat Method

BCM or the Buffy Coat Method is the most common application of blood centrifuges such as the Roto Silenta 630 RS. This is a concentration technique used to manage the blood diagnostics of parasites.