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Lab Supplies
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June 15, 2021
Both Kwik-Sil and Kwik-Cast are silicone adhesives, but they are a little different.
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April 27, 2021
The PUL-1000 is a microprocessor controlled, four-stage, horizontal puller for making glass micropipettes or microelectrodes. Here is how to run a program that will pull two identical microelectrodes.
Loading a Program
We will use the keypad to navigate through the display.
- Use the arrows to navigate to LOAD (00). The top and bottom arrows on the keypad navigate numbers in increments of 1. The left and right arrows on the keypad navigate numbers in increments of 10. Press ENTER. The number will start blinking.
- Use the arrows to navigate to the program number you would like load. Once you reach the desired program, press ENTER...more
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April 23, 2021
Let’s look at a Peri-Star Pro peristaltic pump, which is available in four models for high and low flow rate, and 2, 4 and 8 channels. Here’s a quick introduction to the pump.
Control Keypad
Setup and operation are controlled with a Control Knob and three membrane keys. Pressing a membrane key once activates the key function.
- The Run/Stop button switches the pump on or off. If the pump is running, pressing this key immediately stops pump. If the pump is off, pressing the key turns it on.
- The Rotation Direction button sets the rotor direction clockwise or counterclockwise. The direction is shown on LCD display.
- The Full Speed button runs the pump at maximum flow rate. This is convenient to use when evacuating or cleaning the system...more
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April 23, 2021
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...more
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April 23, 2021
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
- Plug the power cord into the wall outlet. An LED light on the power supply illuminated when the unit is connected to power.
- Plug the power cord into the rear panel of the PUL-1000. Then, the power switch on the side panel illuminates.
- Press the Power button to turn on the display.
- 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.
- Push the carriages together toward the center.
- Install the silicone glass capillary...more
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April 22, 2021
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.
- Manually slide the carriages together when you are loading the glass.
- To open the clamps, place your thumb under the clamp and depress the release button with your index finger.
- Slide the glass capillary into the groove from one side. Slide it through the center of heating filament onto the...more
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April 22, 2021
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...more
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April 22, 2021
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
- Press the STOP key to quit any running program. The following window displays.
- Mount a glass capillary on the carriage.
- Press the START key to run the Glass Capillary Softening...more
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April 19, 2021
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.
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First, remove the tubing fixture by pressing the Locking Tab on the left side of the fixture and pulling the fixture open.
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Then pull the tubing through the fixture. Make sure the tubing is straight inside the fixture with no kinks.
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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...more
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April 19, 2021
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
- 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.
- Test Time sets the flow time when performing a calibration. To change the time...more
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April 09, 2021
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...more
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April 08, 2021
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...more
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April 06, 2021
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.
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.
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.
Peri-Star Pro has a backlit digital LCD display and a water-resistant membrane keypad.
A unique planetary gear design with eight actively driven rollers (four rollers in the higher flow rate model), together...more
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April 06, 2021
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...more
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April 06, 2021
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...more