Page 3 - Lab Supplies

The Peri-Star Pro is a popular peristaltic pump. Here we see how to calibrate the pump so that the display shows the dispensed volume accurately.

In addition to the traditional RPM control, Peri-Star Pro also allows control of pump output by setting a calibrated flow rate. Flow rate is affected by tubing ID, tubing material, and rotor speed. Peri-Star Pro stores the flow rate relation of silicone tubing and rotor speed so that you can easily switch between controls for flow rate or RPM (revolutions per minute). Calibration is required for high precision pumping or after changing to a different type of tubing.

One of the important and unique features of Peri-Star Pro is that the control of liquid flow can be expressed either as the rotation rate of the pump head (rotation per minute, or RPM) or directly as the flow rate in milliliters per minute (mL/min.) or milliliter per hour (mL/hr). This feature makes reporting and repeating the experiment much easier. In the flow rate mode, you only...more

The PUL-1000 is a microprocessor controlled, four-stage, horizontal puller for making glass micropipettes or microelectrodes. Here is a quick overview to get you started quickly.

Quick Start Setup

1. Plug the power cord into the wall outlet. An LED light on the power supply illuminated when the unit is connected to power.
2. Plug the power cord into the rear panel of the PUL-1000. Then, the power switch on the side panel illuminates.
3. Press the Power button to turn on the display.
4. To open the glass capillary clamps, place your thumb under the clamp and depress the release button with your index finger. This allows the carriages to move freely.
5. Push the carriages together toward the center.
6. Install the silicone glass capillary clamp pads matching the outer diameter (OD) of the glass capillary, by sliding them into the clamp pad spots on the clamps.
7. Mount the glass capillary onto the carriage and secure it with the glass clamps.
8. On the LCD display, choose the correct sequence. If you do not...more

The PUL-1000 is a microprocessor controlled, four-stage, horizontal puller for making glass micropipettes or microelectrodes. Here we will see how to load a piece of glass into the carriage.

The glass capillary is held by clamps mounted on two movable carriages. Both carriages synchronously slide as a program is executed.

1. Manually slide the carriages together when you are loading the glass.
2. To open the clamps, place your thumb under the clamp and depress the release button with your index finger.
3. Slide the glass capillary into the groove from one side. Slide it through the center of heating filament onto the other side. If you want two equivalent length micropipettes, be sure to center the glass in the filament.
4. Secure the glass capillary with the clamps.

That’s it. Now you’re ready to load a program. If you have any questions, just give us a call.

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The PUL-1000 is a microprocessor controlled, four-stage, horizontal puller for making glass micropipettes or microelectrodes. Here are the resolutions for some common issues with the puller.

Puller Stops

If the puller stops in the middle of a pull and the unit beeps, one of two issues may be the culprit.

• The unit may be over heating. Allow the unit time to cool down before attempting to pull more glass.
• If a program fails in the middle of a pull, you may have exceeded the parameters of the unit. For example, when you add up the distance of travel for all the stages, you may have exceeded the maximum range of travel. Check your program. You may need to alter the heating or travel parameters to conform with the unit’s maximums.

Glass Doesn’t Pull Well

If the glass does not pull well, look at one of these possible causes.

• The parameter may not be set properly for the properties of the new glass. Run the Glass Softening Test to establish a new baseline heating parameter.
• The filament...more

The PUL-1000 is a microprocessor controlled, four-stage, horizontal puller for making glass micropipettes or microelectrodes. We will show you how to run a glass softening test.

You should run the Softening Test when:

• You change the filament
• Lot numbers or capillary types change
• You create or modify a program
• The ambient environment changes

1. Press the STOP key to quit any running program. The following window displays.

2. Mount a glass capillary on the carriage.
3. Press the START key to run the Glass Capillary Softening Test. The heating power increases gradually. The heating stops when the glass begins to move.
4. Record the heating power. This is the baseline heating value for the glass type tested. It is a good starting point for the first stage of your program.

If you have any questions, just give us a call.

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The Peri-Star Pro is a popular peristaltic pump. Here we will show you how to install the tubing in the pump head so that you can use the pump.

1. First, remove the tubing fixture by pressing the Locking Tab on the left side of the fixture and pulling the fixture open.

2. Then pull the tubing through the fixture. Make sure the tubing is straight inside the fixture with no kinks.
   
   

3. Remount the fixture on the pump head. The rounded notch is on the right side of the fixture, and it fits against a steel rod on the Pump Head. When the other end of the fixture is pushed into place, the locking notch will snap into place against the inside of the Locking Tab.

4. Turn the Adjusting Screw, if necessary, to get a smooth flow.

If you have any questions about your Peri-Star Pro, just give us a call.

Buy Peri-Star Pro Peristaltic Pump

The Peri-Star Pro is a popular peristaltic pump. Here we will show how to set the system parameters for your application.

Using the Control Knob to Navigate the Menu

Press the Control Knob to enter the setup mode in the main menu, then rotate the Control Knob to toggle between the four functions. Press the Control Knob again when you get to System Setting. Turning the Control Knob toggles between the submenu items.

Define System Parameters

1. Tubing ID is the first submenu. To change tubing inside diameter, click the Control Knob. After clicking, a list of tubing IDs appears. Turn to the desired tubing ID and click the Control Knob to select it.
2. Test Time sets the flow time when performing a calibration. To change the time, click the Control Knob on this submenu item, then turn the Control Knob to the desired test time. Click the Control Knob to select it.
3. Remote enables or disables the external remote-control module. When this menu option is enabled, you may use an external remote-control...more

Let’s look at the PUL-1000, a microprocessor controlled, four-stage, horizontal puller for making glass micropipettes or microelectrodes. Here we will examine the design of the unit.

Tempered Glass Lid

For safety, the lid should be closed whenever you are pulling glass or moving the unit.

Capillary Glass Clamp Pads

These two silicone clamp pads securely hold the glass when you are pulling pipettes. Check the glass OD and install appropriate pads accordingly.

Heating Filament

The PUL-1000 comes with a circular platinum/iridium box filament, which may be easily replaced with a 2.5 x 2.5 mm box filament (WPI #13834).

Glass Groove

Slide a single piece of capillary glass into the groove from one side or the other. The groove helps line up the glass to slide easily through the filament and hold it in the proper position during pulling.

Carriage

The carriage should move freely when the clamps are unlocked. It slides apart as the glass is pulled. Then, you can manually slide the two ends...more

Vernier scales can be used on microscopes, stereotaxic frames and micromanipulators. The vernier scale was invented by French mathematician Pierre Vernier in 1631 as an upgrade on Pedro Nunes' measurement system for precision astrolobes. With a main scale and a sliding secondary scale, a vernier is used for making precise measurements. 

How a Vernier Scale Works

The vernier scale is marked with divisions slightly smaller than the divisions of the main scale. For example, a vernier scale could have 11 markings for every 10 on the main scale. That's 10 divisions on the vernier scale for every 9 on the main scale. This means that the vernier divisions are each 90% of the main scale divisions. In this case, the 0-line and the 10-line on the vernier could pair up with marks on the main scale, but none of the other divisions on the vernier would match a line of the main scale. For example, the 0 and 10-lines of the vernier scale could pair up with the 0 and 9-lines on the main scale...more

A peristaltic pump is a type of positive displacement pump used for pumping a variety of fluids, particularly clean, sterile or aggressive fluids. Here are five reasons to choose the Peri-Star Pro peristaltic pump.

1. The fluid contacts only the interior of the flexible tube and thus avoids contamination from the pump or damage to the pump. This makes it easy to maintain and clean.

2. The Peri-Star Pro peristaltic pump provides accurate and precise fluid delivery. It can run at flow rates from 0.1mL/min. to 280mL/min. with better than 0.5% accuracy.

3. Peri-Star Pro has a backlit digital LCD display and a water-resistant membrane keypad.

4. A unique planetary gear design with eight actively driven rollers (four rollers in the higher flow rate model), together with independent fine adjustment of tubing compression, increases flow accuracy and prolongs tubing life.

5. The user-friendly interface makes the setup, calibration and operation easy and problem-free.

If you have any questions about the Peri-Star...more

A peristaltic pump is a popular appliance in any laboratory. Here you will find some tips for choosing the correct tubing to use for your application with your Peri-Star Pro peristaltic pump.

Size (ID) of Tubing

In a peristaltic pump, the flow rate is determined by both the size of the tubing and the rotor speed. WPI provides two sizes of silicone tubing:

• 1/16-inch ID tubing for low flow rate at 0.2-18mL/min.
• 1/4-inch ID tubing for high flow rate at 3.5-280mL/min.

Types of Tubing

• Silicone tubing has a long service life and good chemical compatibility for aqueous and many organic solvents.
• Fluoroelastomer tubing should be used when pumping halogenated solvents.
• Vinyl tubing is used only with chemically compatible solvents.

If you have any questions about tubing for your Peri-Star Pro, just give us a call.

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When using the Peri-Star Pro, solutions pumped should never come into contact with the pump. Here we will give you some guidelines for operating your peristaltic pump in a way that is safe for both the laboratory personnel and for the machinery.

Some solvents can permanently damage a peristaltic pump. The following rules are recommended to avoid leakage when running your Peri-Star Pro peristaltic pump.

• Follow safety rules when handling aggressive solvents.
• Pull a fresh section of tubing into the tubing fixtures regularly. If the pump gets heavy use, do this weekly.
• A fresh section of tubing should be pulled through the pump rollers before the pump is left to run unattended.
• Change the tubing immediately, if it is visibly worn.
• Be sure the tubing used is compatible with the solution being pumped.
• Always turn off the power and unplug the power cord when changing the tubing.

If you have any questions about your Peri-Star Pro, just give us a call.

Buy Peri-Star Pro Peristaltic Pump

PUL-1000 is a microprocessor controlled, four-stage, horizontal puller for making glass micropipettes or microelectrodes used in intracellular recording, patch clamp, microperfusion and microinjection. The PUL-1000 is capable of producing a vast array of pipette shapes, such as a long graduated taper, a short graduated taper and a short taper bee stingers. Here's a quick introduction the PUL-1000 research puller.

The PUL-1000 puller was designed with tight mechanical specifications and precision electronics for complete control of the pulling process and accurate reproducibility. It offers programmable sequences of up to four steps with heating, force, movement and cooling time. A glass capillary is heated by a platinum/iridium filament and pulled by a controlled force. The PUL-1000 is capable of producing a vast array of pipette shapes, such as a long graduated taper, a short graduated taper and a short taper bee stingers.

Programming

The settings for a 4-stage pull may be stored in...more

NanoFil™ is a unique low volume syringe developed for improved microinjection in mice and other small animals. It comes in both 10 and 100 microliter volumes and can be paired with a UMP3 UltraMicroPump for making accurate microliter injections. NanoFil stainless steel needles range in size from 33 to 36 gauge.

NanoFil™ is a unique low volume syringe developed for improved microinjection in mice and other small animals. It makes quantitative nanoliter injection much easier and more accurate than any other method.

NANOFIL is a 10microliter syringe, and NANOFIL-100 is a 100 µL syringe. The large volume of the syringe is useful for applications that require multiple injections. The speed of the flow at the needle of the NANOFIL-100 can be 10 times faster than the 10 µL NanoFil when used with UMP3 UltraMicroPump. The limitation of the 100 µL syringe is that the injection volume resolution is lower than that of the 10 µL syringe.

Reduced Needle Size and Dead Volume

The design reduces the...more

NanoFil™ is a unique low volume gas tight syringe developed for improved microinjection in mice and other small animals. Here we show you several ways in which the NanoFil can be used for making injections. You can install the syringe on WPI’s UMP3 UltraMicroPump, using SilFlex tubing and a holder, so you can accurately inject by hand. You can install it in a stereotaxic frame. You can also directly inject by hand.

NanoFil can be used in several different configurations:

1. Install it on WPI’s UMP3 UltraMicroPump, which allows nanoliter resolution and reproducibility. For neural system injection, you can mount the UMP3 on a stereotaxic frame.
   
   
2. You can use SilFlex tubing and a holder. Mount the needle on a small plastic holder and connected it to the NanoFil by a 35 cm length of flexible tubing. Then mount the NanoFil on the UMP3 pump. This lets you hold the animal in one hand and insert the needle with the other. When the needle reaches the desired location, activate the pump using the...more