Pumps, valves, probes, fittings, tubing and sensing components for precise sample preparation, reagent handling and instrument fluidics.
Disposable-Tip Sample Transfer with Pipetting Pumps
Application guide · Sample transfer
Disposable-tip sample transfer removes the permanent sample path but introduces a tip seal, compressible air column and tip-specific wetting behaviour. Define the liquid class and deck geometry with the tip, source container and receiving vessel as one method.
Engineering example: transferring 20 μL from a low-volume tube may require a pre-wet, controlled immersion below the moving surface, slow aspiration, dwell and surface or touch-off dispense. The 20 μL command alone does not describe those liquid movements or the remaining specimen requirement.[1][2]
01Define the liquid, receiver and complete duty before selecting the component
Translate the analytical task into an engineering duty
Use case
Inputs to define
Decision supported
Serum/plasma aliquot
Available sample, clot/fibrin risk and accepted tip type
Use disposable isolation while checking aspiration monitoring
Aqueous reagent
Surface tension, source geometry and destination wetting
Set pre-wet and dispense mode
Volatile/viscous liquid
Evaporation, viscosity, temperature and dwell
Use a separate liquid class; do not reuse water settings
02Calculate the working point and the margin the instrument really needs
Calculations to complete before prototype selection
Quantity
How to define it
Why it matters
Tip capacity
Liquid + pre-air/post-air + mixing reserve
Avoid overfilling the tip and contaminating the adapter
Source depth
Surface tracking + bottom clearance
Avoid air aspiration and bottom sealing
Cycle time
Pickup + move + aspirate/dwell + dispense + eject
Use actual deck distances
Use minimum, routine and maximum conditions rather than one nominal point. Include the first cycle after priming or idle, the lowest source level, the highest expected restriction and the actual receiving geometry. A nominal capacity, free-flow value or theoretical command increment is not an acceptance result.
03Map the task to a FOREACH configuration and the rest of the fluid path
04Program the full liquid cycle, including prime, wash and recovery
Pick and verify tip→Find or approach liquid level→Pre-wet and aspirate→Dwell and withdraw→Dispense with selected mode→Eject and confirm waste capacity
A complete method cycle is more than the active delivery step
The exact physical order and parallel actions depend on the instrument. Retain each state in the control and verification plan.
Record valve states, motion, dwell, sensor windows and rejected recovery cycles. This makes throughput and liquid consumption auditable and prevents a fast component movement from being reported as the complete analyzer cycle.
05Design abnormal-state diagnosis before the fault occurs
Observed result, likely mechanism and useful next action
Observed condition
Likely mechanism
Engineering response
Partial aspiration
Clot, foam, wrong depth or poor seal
Reject the transfer and inspect pressure trace or source
Drop during travel
Volatility, speed or air-gap setting
Tune liquid class and travel delay
Residual liquid in tip
Wetting or dispense mode
Compare blowout, touch-off and tip chemistry
The controller should distinguish a recoverable event from a result-invalidating event. A retry is useful only after the original cause has been removed and the liquid path has returned to a verified state.
06Accept performance where the liquid is actually used
Minimum qualification plan for the integrated channel
Result
Where or how to measure
Acceptance question
Delivered volume
Actual liquid at minimum/routine volume
Report bias and repeatability by tip lot
Transfer recovery
Applicable tracer or analyte
Confirms composition as well as volume
Contamination
Blank after high sample and tip-ejection audit
Meets workflow carryover and waste rules
Test the exact liquid and complete wetted path at minimum, routine and maximum conditions.
Separate first-cycle, steady-state and post-idle results; do not average away recovery behavior.
Challenge the relevant fault and confirm the controller prevents an invalid result from being accepted.
Retain the configuration, software sequence, consumables and receiving-position result together as the qualification record.
