Pipettes

[HEP]

All of our pipettes have been sent away for calibration and service for the first time this year and will go annually, I just wondered what everyone does with pipettes in between? We don't have any automated equipment so the pipettes aren't used for reagents (to my knowledge!) but mainly used for transfer of blood to the cards.

Is there a usual interval of in-house maintenance required or is it ok to leave for a year between service and cal (current practise)?

Thanks in advance

[stacybyars]

Hi Hep,

These are great questions and interesting enough I have experience with a company called http://www.ttelaboratories.com/ which performs pipette calibration services (both on-site, and at their laboratory in Massachusetts).

This company also has a partner website which sells pipettes and other types of benchtop equipment. Fortunately this group of people is extrememly helpful over the phone so I'm sure they will be able to help you out.

Sorry I can't personally help you with this question as it's beyond my knowledge but I wish you the best of luck!

Stacy

[bmsjbatt]

All of our pipettes have been sent away for calibration and service for the first time this year .........

Why are you sending all of your pipettes away at the same time?? I would at suggest that you first send away half, leaving yourself with a suitable selection to continue with operating your systems, then 6 months later send the others off, that way you are never without any suitably calibrated, serviced pipettes.

[HEP]

Why are you sending all of your pipettes away at the same time?? I would at suggest that you first send away half, leaving yourself with a suitable selection to continue with operating your systems, then 6 months later send the others off, that way you are never without any suitably calibrated, serviced pipettes.

Yes we did do that, we sent them in two batches, what I meant was now they have all been calibrated can they just be used as they are until the next annual calibration (in two batches ) or should they be tested in-house at regular intervals in-between?

Thanks Stacy I'll take a look at those links

[Eoin]

We get ours serviced and calibrated yearly. In between, provided your QC is good, there should be no need for additional work on them. Experienced bloodbankers will pick very quickly if a pipette is not delivering the correct amount form the density of cell suspensions and hight in the cells afyer each additon and the size of the spun button at the end as well.

Cheers

Eoin

[HEP]

We get ours serviced and calibrated yearly. In between, provided your QC is good, there should be no need for additional work on them. Experienced bloodbankers will pick very quickly if a pipette is not delivering the correct amount form the density of cell suspensions and hight in the cells afyer each additon and the size of the spun button at the end as well.

Cheers

Eoin

Thanks Eoin, I agree that the lab will know when things aren't correct and check. I had hoped this would be sufficient so I'm glad to hear that you are doing the same. Thanks again

[seraph44]

If you receive a new pipette with a certificate of calibration, do you still perform in-house calibration, or do you do it once the certificate expires?