|
Frequently asked questions about manual devices
- What is the difference between a PickPen® and a pipette?
- What is the difference between a PickPen tip and a pipette tip?
- What kind of formats are the PickPen devices intended for?
- What is the life time of PickPen devices?
- Can I use other tips for PickPen?
- How do I sterilize the PickPen tips?
The PickPen magnetic tool is used to transfer magnetic particles between
vessels instead of transferring liquid as with pipettes. It is a hand-held and
convenient personal tool which provides speed and flexibility in a wide variety
of separation and purification applications.
The PickPen tip protects the PickPen magnet from sample contamination. Without
the tip the magnetic particles would attach to magnet. The tip is made of
silicone which is an elastomeric material and stretches when the magnet is
pushed out for magnetic particle collection. This special tip can not be used as
a pipette tip to transfer liquids because it is closed. Wise versa, a standard
pipette tip can not be used with the PickPen tool.
PickPen 1-M is an ideal personal tool that can be used with microtubes, bottles
or any container where the tool fits. Proteins and nucleic acids, for example,
can easily be processed in volumes of 10 µl or less. The PickPen is not
recommended for use with volumes significantly exceeding 20 ml. The optimal
volume depends on the particles and vessels being used, but best results will
normally be obtained with liquid volumes less than 700 µl.
PickPen 8-M is a practical tool for higher throughput in plate format. Use it
with standard 96 well plates, deep-well plates or with sample reservoirs for
higher sample volumes.
The PickPen device is extremely durable and will not wear or break in normal
use. The strength of the magnet does not diminish with time unless it becomes
heated to temperatures above 80 °C. Normally the PickPen device needs no
service. To clean a PickPen device, wipe it carefully with 70 % ethanol or a
mild detergent and finally with sterile water. RNase treatment can be performed
with specific reagents or with UV light. Do not autoclave or bake in an oven to
sterilize the tool.
No, the tips are specially made for PickPen tools and are only available from
Bio-Nobile.
The bulk tips in bags can be autoclaved (+121°C at least 20 min) or baked in an
oven at +180°C overnight provided that they are first removed from the plastic
bag or the pack. The separately available PickPen tip box can also be
autoclaved. The tips in 96 tip boxes are sterile and the tips in 8-Packs are RNase and DNase free.
|
