Cleaning method

Pre-rinse: After use, the residual liquid in the pipette tip should be drained as soon as possible, and then pre-rinse with deionized water or an appropriate solvent to remove most of the residual substances.

Soaking: Immerse the pipette tip in a solution containing an appropriate detergent. Generally, a mild neutral detergent can be chosen. The soaking time depends on the degree of contamination of the pipette tip, usually ranging from several hours to overnight. For instance, for pipette tips with protein residues, soaking them in a detergent containing protease inhibitors can help break down the proteins.

Ultrasonic cleaning: Place the soaked pipette tips into the ultrasonic cleaner, add an appropriate amount of deionized water, and perform ultrasonic cleaning. The power and duration of ultrasonic cleaning should be appropriate. Generally, the power is 30 to 80 watts and the duration is 10 to 15 minutes. Ultrasonic cleaning can effectively remove tiny particles and impurities on the surface and inside the pipette tip.

Rinsing: After ultrasonic cleaning, rinse the pipette tip with a large amount of deionized water to ensure that detergent and impurities are thoroughly removed. During the rinsing process, deionized water can be replaced multiple times until the water after rinsing becomes neutral.

Drying: Place the thoroughly rinsed pipette tips on clean filter paper or a dedicated pipette tip drying rack to air dry naturally or put them in an oven for low-temperature drying. The oven temperature is generally set at 30-60 ℃ to prevent the pipette tips from deforming due to high temperatures.

Maintenance measures

Proper storage: After cleaning and drying, the pipette tips should be stored in a clean, dust-free and dry environment to prevent contamination and damage to the tips. It can be stored in a dedicated pipette tip box or sealed container, and the specification of the pipette tip and the cleaning date should be marked on the container.

Avoid high temperatures and strong light: The pipette tip should be kept away from prolonged exposure to high temperatures and strong light, as these conditions may cause the material of the tip to age and deform, affecting its quality and performance.

Regular inspection: Regularly check the stored pipette tips to see if there is any deformation, damage or contamination. If any problematic pipette tips are found, they should be discarded in time to avoid affecting the experimental results.