INTEGRA pipettes accelerate COVID-19 testing for pediatric hospital group

Ergonomically designed pipettes have helped reduced wrist and hand pain in hospital laboratory staff

9 May 2022
Blake Forman
Content Creator

INTEGRA Biosciences’ VOYAGER adjustable tip spacing pipettes and EVOLVE manual pipettes are playing pivotal roles in COVID-19 testing at Children’s Minnesota, an award-winning, non-profit acute pediatric healthcare group in the ‘twin cities' of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. These innovative tools have helped the group’s molecular laboratory to process more samples, more effectively in this unpredictable sociomedical period.

The rise of the pandemic has forced the 16-strong laboratory team to restructure its workflows and expand its in-house capacity to enable high-priority COVID-19 testing. To help meet this challenge, the team invested in a number of six and 12-channel VOYAGER adjustable tip spacing pipettes – as well as single channel, EVOLVE manual pipettes – using the increased availability of equipment and multichannel pipetting capabilities to rapidly expand their workload. These ergonomic pipettes have also helped to alleviate some of the wrist and hand pain associated with repetitive sample transfers, as some laboratory staff was starting to develop RSI.

Julie Laramie, Laboratory Technical Specialist at Children’s Minnesota, explained: “The INTEGRA pipettes are well made and really user friendly. The VOYAGER’s adjustable spacing makes it very simple to pipette between racks of different standard formats, allowing us to seamlessly move from sample extraction to amplification to detection. This reduces the total number of transfer steps by moving multiple samples rapidly in parallel, substantially shortening processing times. It has also decreased the number of errors compared to using a single channel pipette, and we now almost exclusively use the VOYAGER and EVOLVE pipettes for COVID-19 testing.”

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EVOLVE Manual Pipettes

INTEGRA Biosciences

Set volumes fast! The EVOLVE manual pipette features three adjustable dials to rapidly set volumes. This revolutionary approach reduces repetitive stress injuries and allows users to set volumes in a fraction of the time it takes with a traditional manual pipette. GripTip pipette tips that will never fall off EVOLVE pipettes together with INTEGRA’s wide range of GripTips form a perfect pipetting system. GripTips snap into place with minimal tip loading effort, providing a secure connection. GripTips never fall off and are perfectly aligned, ensuring precise touch offs of fluids resulting in superior pipetting performance. Operational comfort Two differently sized plunger springs allow users to customize the force needed to depress the plunger to their preference. The controlled plunger spring option allows users to slow the aspiration and dispense speeds resulting in improved pipetting technique and results. The controlled plunger spring is compatible with all single channel EVOLVE pipettes except the 5 ml model. Changing the spring is completed in seconds. The ultra lightweight, well balanced design of the pipettes provides unsurpassed ergonomics even during prolonged pipetting sessions. EVOLVE pipettes are available as single, 8,12 and 16 channel models. Features: Quick Set Dials Unlike traditional pipettes which utilize a single rotating plunger to set volumes, EVOLVE features one dial for setting each of three volume digits. This is the same convenient method used to unlock three dial combination locks. This revolutionary approach allows users to set volumes more than ten times faster than standard manual pipettes. Simply depress and twist the plunger to unlock the quick set volume dials. Once unlocked, freely adjust the three dials to rapidly set the desired volume. Volumes set on traditional manual pipettes can often change while pipetting due to unintentional plunger turns. The EVOLVE Quick Set Dial design prevents inadvertent volume drift due to plunger movements while pipetting. GripTip System Do your pipette tips ever loosen, leak or fall off? This is a common issue in laboratories, caused by the use of universal pipette tips. Such tips require “hammering on” which stretches the shape of the pipette tip rim. The stretched pipette tip rim immediately starts moving back to its original shape, away from the tip cone. This can cause leaking, misaligned tips and even pipette tips that completely fall off the pipette! This will never happen with any EVOLVE pipette / GripTip combination. Featuring a low attachment force and a low ejection force, GripTips effortlessly snap onto the tip fittings and are easily ejected. Also, GripTips feature a high lateral resistance once attached to the EVOLVE pipettes. This means GripTips are always firmly attached and perfectly aligned, regardless of how many side well touch offs are performed. You no longer have to hammer your pipette tips on or worry about pipette tips falling off! Interchangeable Plunger Spring Assemblies Two differently sized plunger springs allow users to customize the force needed to depress the plunger to their preference. The controlled plunger spring option allows users to slow the aspiration and dispense speeds resulting in improved pipetting technique and results. The controlled plunger spring is compatible with all single channel EVOLVE pipettes except the 5 ml model. Changing the spring is completed in seconds. INTEGRA Linear Stand Storing pipettes upright is important to prevent liquid or debris from entering the tip fitting. Proper storage also extends the life of a pipette. The INTEGRA linear stand is ideal for hanging EVOLVE pipettes up off the lab bench. Up to twelve manual pipettes can be placed on a linear stand. EVOLVE shelf hooks are also available for proper storage.

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VOYAGER Adjustable Tip Spacing Pipettes

INTEGRA Biosciences

The VOYAGER electronic pipettes enable users to change the tip spacing electronically with the push of a button. Up to three different tip spacings from 4.5 mm to 33 mm can be set and saved. Accelerate reformatting of plates, e.g. 96 well plates to 384 well plates, transfers from racked tubes into microplates or filling pockets of Agarose gels. The VOYAGER electronic pipettes feature a colour display and an intuitive touch wheel user interface. This enables quickest volume changes and easy, ergonomic modification of pipetting parameters. Ten predefined protocols are available, such as Repeat Dispense, Serial Dilute, Sample Mix. In addition, up to 20 customized protocols can be created and stored on the pipette. VOYAGER Adjustable Tip Spacing Pipette Features & Benefits:  Electronically adjustable tip spacing accelerates plate reformatting and sample transfers between different lab ware formats. Unique tip fitting design ensures that tips snap into place and will not accidently fall off. GripTips attach the same way each and every time to enable precise touching off. Intuitive touch wheel interface for rapid volume setting and easy programming. Available Models: 4-channel 6-channel 8-channel 12-channel

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