Pipetting Assistant Helps Prevent Repetitive Strain Injuries

A powerful pipetting accessory makes life easier for technicians in both clinical and research laboratories.

Prolonged and repetitive pipetting sessions bear the risk of strain and fatigue, often resulting in repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and less reproducible results. INTEGRA Biosciences (Zizers, Switzerland) has a solution to this problem, the VIAFLO Assist. This instrument automates operation of their line of VIAFLO II electronic pipettes to safeguard users from RSI and to increase the reproducibility of prolonged pipetting protocols such as serial dilutions, plate filling, and reagent addition.

The VIAFLO Assist boasts a touch wheel interface with full color screen that offers rapid menu navigation. The operator accesses menus and settings by simply moving a finger over the touch wheel.

Any VIAFLO II multichannel pipette can be attached to the VIAFLO Assist pipette adapter. Pipettes are available as 8-, 12-, and 16-channel models, covering a volume range of 0.5 –1,250 microliters. The instrument accommodates 6-well to 384-well microtiter plates in either landscape or portrait orientation and delivers reagents from one of three (10 milliliter, 25 milliliter, or 100 milliliter) reagent reservoirs.

The instrument has a small footprint and is light weight, making it easy to relocate at any time and facilitates its use in a laminar flow cabinet. The pipette is ergonomically friendly, and the fact that it connects to the VIAFLO Assist by Bluetooth means fewer wires on the benchtop.

Dr. Danielle Stephens, manager of the Forsyth Institute's (Cambridge, MA, USA) Luminex Core facility, praised the pipetting accessory when she said, "The VIAFLO Assist is an excellent tool for a high throughput laboratory looking to increase efficiency and precision to reach a higher capacity.”

Related Links:
INTEGRA Biosciences
Forsyth Institute