Ergonomic devices for pain-free pipetting

Almost 90% of people who use pipettes for more than an hour a day report discomfort — from the thumb, wrist or arm, all the way up to the shoulder and neck¹ — due to prolonged and repetitive movements. Pipette design has a significant influence over operator body position and force required while pipetting, as well as how often a movement needs to be repeated. For instance, lightweight, well-balanced pipettes are easier to hold, while finger hooks ensure that some of the pipette’s weight rests on the index finger, allowing a looser, more relaxed grip.

User-centered manual pipette design

When using mechanical pipettes, the plunger needs to be manually depressed and released to aspirate and dispense liquids. Traditional pipettes also use a rotating plunger or dial to set pipetting volumes, making frequent volume adjustment tiring for the wrist and fingers. INTEGRA Biosciences’ EVOLVE manual pipettes feature 3 separate quick set dials — enabling users to set volumes more than 10 times faster — and have minimal plunger forces and stroke distances to minimize the risk of repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) such as thumb tenosynovitis.

Using multichannel pipettes can help to reduce the number of repetitive movements required for tasks like transferring reagents from a reservoir to a microplate. For example, instead of performing 96 transfers from the reservoir to the 96 well plate with a single channel pipette, an 8 channel pipette will reduce the number of transfers to just 12. The EVOLVE is available in single, 8, 12 and 16 channel options to minimize the number of pipetting steps, with a rotating handle on all multichannel options.

Minimizing fatigue with electronic solutions

Electronic pipettes reduce hand and thumb strain compared to mechanical pipettes, as liquid displacement is controlled by a motor. They also offer repeat dispensing functions, which reduce the time spent pipetting by allowing the user to aspirate a larger volume of liquid, then aliquot it into several separate wells or vials. INTEGRA’s VIAFLO electronic pipettes provide 10 intuitive, preset pipetting programs — including repeat dispensing — to accelerate and simplify liquid handling workflows. Pipetting parameters can be easily adjusted using an ergonomic thumbwheel interface, eliminating the need to repeatedly push buttons to change settings, further lowering the likelihood of strain or injury.

Adjustable tip spacing multichannel pipettes are ideal for transferring samples between different labware formats in parallel, such as between tubes and 384 well plates. VOYAGER electronic multichannel pipettes offer a unique automatic adjustable tip spacing function, allowing you to expand or reduce tip spacing at the push of a button. This enables effortless labware reformatting and drastically cuts the time spent pipetting, also reducing the risk of RSIs.

Maximizing throughput and minimizing strain through benchtop pipetting

INTEGRA’s 96 and 384 channel benchtop pipettes eliminate the need to manually lift and stabilize pipettes altogether, using servo motor-assisted movements to make pipetting effortless. These pipettes can fill entire 96 or 384 well plates in one step, greatly increasing efficiency. The ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot goes one step further, eliminating physical strain by fully automating repetitive liquid handling tasks. This affordable solution can automate VIAFLO and VOYAGER electronic pipettes, as well as D-ONE single channel pipetting modules, and is simple to program with VIALAB software for maximum workflow flexibility.

Ergonomic pipettes enhance productivity

It’s clear that laboratories can improve efficiency while significantly reducing the risk of RSIs by opting for ergonomically designed liquid handling tools. Investing in the right pipetting solutions — from user-centered manual pipettes to fully automated benchtop systems — doesn’t just increase productivity, it protects the long-term well-being of lab professionals.

Ready to experience pain-free pipetting? Then book a free online or onsite training session with one of INTEGRA’s liquid handling experts today! You can also request a product demo to learn more about ergonomic pipetting and INTEGRA’s solutions.

^{1. Analysis of the musculoskeletal loading of the thumb during pipetting – A pilot study - PMC}