Pumps

WPI carries a wide variety of fluid handling tools utilizing different technologies:

• Microinjectors
• Peristaltic pumps
• Syringe pumps
• Pneumatic injectors

The manual microsyringe pump is a convenient tool for precise manual injection of fluid using glass pipettes or similar injection devices. The design allows visual feedback of flow at the pipette tip. They can also be used as a manual micro syringe pump for perfusion or withdrawal of liquids. The resolution of the injection volume can be continuously varied from 10 nanoliters to the microliter range, depending on the syringe used. Here we show you how to setup your system.

1. Loosen the...more

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

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

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...more

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...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...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...more

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

[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...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...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.

 ...more

[by Alec Dickson]

Easy to Configure Using the SmartTouch Interface

The UMP3 UltraMicroPump is easy to configure using the SMARTouch interface. It is pre-programmed for popular microsyringes and allows for user-defined syringe parameters, too. This ensures nearly universal compatibility. You can control up to two pumps, either simultaneously or independently, and the optional foot switch means hands-free operation. You can instantly verify actual injection volume on the graphical display. You can even use the touch screen while wearing gloves.

Ensure Reliable Injections of Small Volumes

The extremely fine thread-pitch of the UMP3 drive shaft ensures reliable injections of small volumes. When you are using a 10-microliter syringe...more

The UltraMicroPump3 is a versatile microinjection syringe pump designed to support the needs of a busy lab. The UMP3 Microinjector is suitable for delivery of media from nanoliters to milliliters. the UMP3 injecotor’s user interface and system design enables delivery of highly accurate and repeatable injections. The choice for thousands of scientists, it is widely cited in research papers.

Intuitive Touchscreen Display for Easy Setup

The SMARTouch controller has an intuitive touch screen interface and an easy-to-use menu for quick configuration of the syringe size, volumes and flow...more