Page 8 - Videos

NanoFil™ is a unique low volume syringe developed for improved microinjection in mice and other small animals. Using a UMP3 UltraMicroPump combined with the syringe allows you to make repeatable injections in the nanoliter range. Here we'll show you how to install a NanoFil Syringe on the UMP3 UltraMicroPump.

NanoFil syringes are 10 µL and 100 µL syringes which can be installed on a UMP3 UltraMicroPump to give you repeatable injections in the nanoliter range. We will use the collar of the NanoFil syringe and the plunger as the two points to anchor the syringe to the pump.

1. The syringe clamps are located at the end of the UMP3 pump head. Depress the clamp release button to open the syringe clamps. 
   
   
2. Position the cap of the plunger into the plunger cap holder at the rear end of the UltraMicroPump.
   
   
3. Then slide the syringe collar into the into position next to the collar stop. 
   
   
4. Slide the syringe body into the syringe clamp so that the syringe collar fits snugly against...more

Pulling micropipettes or microelectrodes is a science and an art, requiring some finesse. Here we discuss the five major factors which can affect the shape of a pulled glass micropipette or microelectrode.

The PUL-1000 is a microprocessor controlled, four-stage, horizontal puller for making glass micropipettes or microelectrodes. Here we will look at factors that affect the pulling of glass. 

As the temperature of glass increases, the glass transitions gradually from a hard and relatively brittle solid state into a soft and viscous state. To form glass into certain shapes using a puller, heat is applied through a filament. Many factors affect the heat transferred from a filament to a glass capillary.

1. The filament holders heat up when current passes through the filament, which can get even hotter as the puller is used continuously. To reduce the heat residue built-up, allow time for the colder ambient air to cool the components. 
   
   
2. The convection of air in the ambient environment (both inside...more

DCAP guillotines are designed for small animal researchers, and they come in three sizes. The DCAP is considered one of the most humane methods of dispatching laboratory animals. With a single downward motion of the handle, you can euthanize a laboratory rodent quickly and without trauma.

These guillotines are designed for small animal researchers, and they come in three sizes. The guillotine is considered one of the most humane methods of dispatching laboratory animals. With a single downward motion of the handle, you can euthanize a rodent quickly and without trauma.

The blades are comprised of hardened steel, so they hold an edge and remain sharp, offering years of service. Sharp blades make the process swift for both the researcher and the subject. With proper care, the stainless steel blades resists corrosion, too.

A heavy-duty spring at the top of each guillotine securely holds the blade in an open position. This prevents the blade from accidentally falling and injuring laboratory...more

Manual micromanipulators are common equipment in a laboratory, and with proper care and handling they should last many years. Here's a few tips on how to take care of your new manipulator.

Your micro manipulator is a precision instrument, and it has been calibrated at the factory and is ready to use. As with any delicate mechanical device, your care and attention ensure long-term accurate performance. The following are some helpful hints that make this possible.

• When handling a micromanipulator like the M3301 or the KITE, always set it down carefully. Dropping it even a short distance can damage the general alignment and the adjustment.
  
  
• When it's not in use, close all the slides. When the guides are exposed, dust can get in those tracks. When you're not using you manipulator, you want to close those up so the guide track are completely covered.
  
  
• Always cover the micromanipulator with a plastic bag or some kind of covering to keep the dust off. Dust particles and...more

The M3301 is a popular micromanipulator used for laboratory research. Here we will show you how to mount a microelectrode holder on the M3301 Micromanipulator. The procedure is very similar for most manual micromanipulators.

In this video, we use the popular M3301 Micromanipulator to demonstrate how to mount a standard electrode holder. This M3301 is mounted on an M-3 Tilt Base which allows you to position it the way you want. The Tilt Base is mounted on a 5-lb. Weighted Base (WPI #5464) for stability. To mount the microelectrode holder on the micromanipulator:

1. Loosen the knurled thumb screw on the top of the micromanipulator.
2. Slide your microelectrode holder under the clamp and position where you want it.
3. Tighten the knurled thumb screw.

If you have any questions, give us a call at (866) 606-1974 (Toll free in the USA) or email us at wpi@wpiinc.com.

See All Manual Manipulators

Over time, you may experience mechanical drift in one or more of the axes of your manual micromanipulator. Here we show you how to adjust for that. The process is similar for other styles of manual micromanipulators. We will look at the process for adjusting all three axes of a KITE micromanipulator.

A micromanipulator axis may begin to move gradually under its own weight even if it's not being touched. This phenomenon is referred to as mechanical drift, and it occurs from normal use of the manipulator axes over time. Each coarse axis control of the micromanipulator has its own separate adjustment to counteract drift. Let's look at the popular M3301 Micromanipulator. The procedure we're using also works for an MD4, a KITE and an MMJ Micromanipulator. Each course axis control on the micromanipulator has its own adjustments. Your X, Y and Z axis controls are located on a single plane at the back of the manipulator. The X-axis fine control is on the top, the ...more

M3301 is a popular manual micromanipulator at WPI. These manipulators are typically mounted on a stand or table to ensure stability. In this video we show you how to mount the manipulator on an Tilt Base (WPI# M-3) with a WPI# 5464 5 lb. weighted base.

When we mount a micromanipulator on an M-3 tilt base, the tilt base can be adjusted to position the micromanipulator right where you want it. We will use our popular M3301 micromanipulator to demonstrate.

1. The first thing we need to do is remove the ring clamp from the bottom of the micromanipulator. There are two screws that we need to remove with an allen key. Save the screws, because we will use them in a minute. Set the ring clamp aside.
   
   NOTE: Notice that the mounting bracke has four holes in it. Two are used for mounting a left handed, and two are used for a right handed manipulator. You will never use all four. Likewise, you have several holes in the bottom of the manipulator. We will only use two...more

Over time, you may experience mechanical drift in one or more of the axes of your manual micromanipulator. Here we show you how to adjust for that. The process is similar for other styles of manual micromanipulators. We will look at the process for adjusting all three axes of a KITE micromanipulator.

Let's talk about mechanical drift on a micromanipulator and how to correct it. In this demonstration, we will use the popular KITE. A manipulator axis may begin to move gradually under its own weight, even if it's not being touched. This is called mechanical drift, and it happens from normal use of the manipulator over time. Each course axis control on the micromanipulator has its own adjustments. This procedure is very similar to the one we used for adjusting an M3301 micromanipulator. It also works similarily on an MD4 or an MMJ. Your X, Y and Z axis controls are located on a single plane at the back of the manipulator. The X-axis fine control is on the top, the X-axis...more

Magnetic stands act as an invaluable extra hand around the laboratory to hold an electrode, digital dials or tools. The base houses a strong magnet which can be activated by turning the switch. Position the magnetic stand on a weighted steel base plate or metal desk and rotate the dial counter-clockwise to engage the magnet. We offer multiple styles of magnetic stands, but these videos show a couple options.

Flexible Magnetic Stand  

The M11 Flexible Magnetic Stand is ideal for probe holders and other lightweight objects. The flexible arm bends like a snake and locks into position with a flick of the control lever. Here we show you how easy it is to set it up.

Magnetic Stand with Adjustment Arm

The M9 Magnetic Stand has an adjustment arm. We'll show you how to easily position it and set it in place. The magnetic base can be easily engaged or disengaged so that you can mount the stand firmly to a metal desk or weighted metal base plate.

See All Magnetic Stands

[by Gabe Gonzalez]

The PV850 Injector is designed to simplify intracellular injection and a variety of other microinjection tasks. The PV850 uses regulated air pressure for injecting cells with fluid. Injected volumes range from picoliters to nanoliters. The port supplies positive pressure for high-pressure ejection maximum of 87 PSI. The PV850 Microinjector offers separate regulated compensation (back filling prevention) and ejection pressures with a precision timing circuit that switches from injection pressure to compensation pressure automatically. Timing, injection pressure and compensation pressure are adjusted independently using the intuitive touch-screen user interface. Time intervals can range from 2 seconds down to 10 ms or less, depending on the injection pressure setting. The injection pressure interval is triggered by using a foot switch, manually or a computer controlled TTL pulse. The PV850 is designed to inject very small quantities of fluids, such as drugs into cells...more

[by Gabe Gonzalez]

The PV850 Injector is designed to simplify intracellular injection and a variety of other microinjection tasks. The PV850 uses regulated air pressure for injecting cells with fluid. Injected volumes range from picoliters to nanoliters. The port supplies positive pressure for high-pressure ejection maximum of 8 7PSI. The PV850 Microinjector offers separate regulated compensation (back filling prevention) and ejection pressures with a precision timing circuit that switches from injection pressure to compensation pressure automatically. Timing, injection pressure and compensation pressure are adjusted independently using the intuitive touch-screen user interface. Time intervals can range from 2 seconds down to 10 ms or less, depending on the injection pressure setting. The injection pressure interval is triggered by using a foot switch, manually or a computer controlled TTL pulse. The PV850 is designed to inject very small quantities of fluids, such as drugs into cells...more

Designed to simplify intracellular injection and a variety of other micro­in­jec­tion tasks, WPI’s PicoPumps (PV830 and PV820) use precisely regulated pres­sures for se­cur­ing cells and injecting them with fluid. Injected volumes range from picoliters to nanoliters. Separate ports supply positive and negative pressure—pos­i­tive pressure for high-pressure ejection, and suction for supporting the cell or for filling the pipette from the tip. In this quick series, you can see how to setup a PicoPump.

1. What's Included with a PV Pump

In this first video (#1) you can see all the components of the system as they unpack the system.

2. Connecting Tubing on the PV830 

In this video (#2) you see how to connect the hard tubing for both the pressure and the vacuum ports on the PV830. The PicoPumps use quick connectors. Push the tubing in to install it, and press the blue collar and pull on the tubing to remove it from the quick connector.

3. Setting Hold Pressure on a PicoPump...more

[by Alec Dickson] 

WPI's FluoroDish™ tissue culture dishes provide exceptional imaging quality for many applications requiring the use of inverted microscopes such as high-resolution image analysis, microinjection and electrophysical recording of fluorescent-tagged cells. We have a 50 mm diameter dish and two types of 35 mm diameter dishes.

 

Better Optical Properties than Polycarbonate

Each WPI dish has a flat (0.17mm±0.01mm thick), optical quality glass bottom, allowing the use of a much shorter working distance, larger numerical aperture (NA) and higher magnification (up to 100X). The larger NA and higher magnification provide superior quality imaging for both classical and fluorescence microscopy. Higher effective NA yields brighter images for fluorescence and higher resolution in image analysis.

The glass bottom does not fluoresce like plastic culture dishes. The lack of autofluorescence ensures a lower background signal in the fluorescence measurements. That means you can discern...more

[by Tiana Riggi] 

UV/VIS/NIR absorbance spectroscopy is governed by Beer's Law, where the absorbance signal is proportional to chemical concentration, light path length and the compound’s specific molar absorption coefficient. Typical optical pathlengths of cuvettes and flow cells are between 0.1 cm and 10 cm. Longer pathlengths are difficult to achieve due to mechanical constraints. WPI solved this problem with the LWCC Liquid Waveguide Capillary Cells. LWCCs are fiber optic flow cells that combine an increased optical pathlength range from 10–500 cm with small sample volumes ranging from 2.4 µL to about 3 mL. Compared with a standard 1 cm cell you can expect to achieve a 10-500 fold increase in sensitivity.

Give us a call today to discuss your application.

(866)606-1974 toll-free in the USA 

More Info

When using a TBR Free Radical Analyzer, accurate measurements of an analyte requires an accurate calibration. The calibration of nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen sulfide sensors is similar. WPI oxygen and glucose sensors require different methods which will not be discussed here.