In modern laboratories, efficiency and sustainability are vital. With the rise of automated liquid handlers, laboratories have experienced significant improvements in throughput and precision. However, the frequent use of disposable pipette tips has led to increased operational costs and environmental impact. Enter the innovation of reusing pipette tips with an on-deck cleaning station—a solution that not only saves time but also optimizes deck space.

The Problem with Disposable Pipette Tips

Pipette tips are essential for ensuring accuracy and preventing cross-contamination in liquid handling tasks. Traditionally, these tips are single-use, leading to the following challenges:

• Increased Costs: Constantly purchasing disposable tips adds up, especially in high-throughput environments.
• Environmental Impact: Disposing of plastic tips generates significant waste.
• Operational Delays: Frequent pauses in workflow to replace tips disrupt the efficiency of automated processes.

The Solution: PureTIP Liquid Handler Companion

An on-deck cleaning station for pipette tips is an innovative solution designed to address these challenges. This system allows for the cleaning and decontamination of pipette tips directly on the liquid handler’s deck, facilitating their reuse.

How It Works

Cleaning Process: After a set of pipetting tasks, used tips are transferred to the on-deck cleaning station.

1. Decontamination: The cleaning station uses atmospheric pressure plasma to clean the pipette tips without creating any solid or liquid waste. 
2. Reuse: Tips are ready for immediate reuse 

Time Savings

1. Reduced Tip Changes:

• • Traditional Method: Frequent tip changes require the liquid handler to pause operations, which cumulatively adds up to significant downtime.
  • On-Deck Cleaning: By reusing tips, the frequency of tip changes is drastically reduced, allowing the liquid handler to operate continuously for longer periods.

2. Streamlined Workflow:

• • Automation: The cleaning process is integrated into the workflow, eliminating manual interventions.
  • Consistency: Automated cleaning ensures consistent decontamination quality, reducing the risk of errors and retests.

3. Minimized Handling Interruptions:

• • Reduced Stock Management: Labs spend less time managing and restocking pipette tips.
  • Quick Turnaround: The rapid cleaning cycle means tips are quickly ready for reuse, minimizing workflow interruptions.

Deck Space Optimization

1. Compact Cleaning Units:

• • Space-Efficient Design: On-deck cleaning stations are designed to occupy minimal space, fitting seamlessly onto the liquid handler’s deck without displacing other essential components.
  • Integration: PureTIP LHC is designed to fit in any standard microplate holder on the deck of a liquid handler and is simple to program into an existing workflow.

2. Fewer Tip Racks:

• • Reduced Storage Needs: With reusable tips, the number of tip racks needed on the deck is reduced, freeing up space for additional reagents, sample plates, or other consumables.
  • Flexibility: The freed-up space can be repurposed for other tasks, enhancing the versatility of the liquid handler.

3. Enhanced Throughput:

• • More Space for Samples: The optimization of deck space allows for more samples to be processed simultaneously, increasing the throughput of the liquid handler.
  • Improved Workflow Design: Efficient use of space enables better workflow design, accommodating complex protocols and multi-step processes on a single deck.

If your lab utilizes a liquid handler and is disposing of pipette tips after a single use, PureTIP Liquid Handler Companion is the most robust and efficient solution available today. By cleaning pipette tips without them ever having to leave the deck, PureTIP reduces waste without affecting throughput.