Continuous pipettes, as efficient tools in the laboratory, are particularly good at distributing equal amounts of samples to multiple containers accurately and quickly, greatly improving the efficiency and fluency of experimental operations. In scenarios where frequent and repetitive pipetting work is required, it is undoubtedly an indispensable assistant for scientific researchers, which can significantly reduce labor intensity while ensuring a high degree of accuracy and consistency for every pipetting.

1. Working principle of continuous pipette 1. Cooperation between piston and spring (1) Aspiration process: When the operating button is pressed, the piston moves downward under the action of the spring and expels part of the air at the same time. Due to the movement of the piston, a low-pressure area is created in the pipe (or pipette) inside the pipette. This low-pressure area uses atmospheric pressure to draw the liquid to be sucked into the pipette through capillary action. (2) Liquid discharging process: When the liquid needs to be released, the operating button is released, and the spring pushes the piston to move upward. During this process, the liquid inside the pipette is pushed out and discharged through the release tube (or discharge tube). Likewise, capillarity also plays a supporting role in this process, helping the liquid flow out of the pipette smoothly. 2. Precise control (1) Capacity adjustment: Continuous pipettes are usually equipped with a capacity adjustment device, allowing users to set specific pipetting volumes as needed. This function is achieved by varying the stroke length of the piston, thereby precisely controlling the amount of liquid dispensed each time. (2) Repeatability: Due to the precise fit of the piston and spring, as well as the optimized design of the internal structure of the pipette, the continuous pipette can achieve extremely high repeatability. This means that the amount of liquid dispensed remains highly consistent over multiple pipetting sessions.

2. Product features of continuous pipettes (1) Multi-gear adjustment: Continuous pipettes are usually equipped with multiple gears (such as five gears), which can easily adjust the pipetting capacity to meet different experimental needs. (2) High precision: Through precise pipetting control keys, even the smallest amount of pipetting can be accurately controlled, and the measurement accuracy can reach 0.4% or lower. (3) Multifunctional tip lock: The multifunctional tip lock design effectively avoids damage to the locking controller when loading and unloading tips, while ensuring the stability and accuracy of operation. (4) Wide range of application: suitable for liquid pipetting in the range of 0.5ml to 50ml, meeting the experimental needs of different volumes.

3. How to use a continuous pipette (1) Set the pipetting volume: According to the experimental needs, set the pipetting volume by turning the knob, and ensure that the set pipetting volume is within the range specified by the pipette. (2) Install the suction head: Install the matching suction head and make sure it is installed securely. (3) Liquid aspiration: Dip the pipette tip into the liquid surface to an appropriate depth (such as 2 to 3 mm), then slowly release the button to suck in the liquid. After the tip is full of liquid, remove the liquid and wipe off any droplets on the outside of the tip. (4) Discharging liquid: Gently press the operating button to the first stop position to discharge the liquid. After about 1 second, continue to press the operating button down to the second stop position to ensure that the liquid is completely discharged. (5) Repeat the operation: Release the button to return it to the starting position, and replace the tip as needed to continue the pipetting operation.

4. Brand introduction Opentrons' OT-2 automated pipetting robot, with its hardware modularity and flexible customization, has realized the automation of many common experimental applications, among which continuous pipetting is one of its core functions. Users can easily write pipetting programs through the online protocol editor provided by Opentrons or use the Python API, and set various parameters including pipetting volume, pipetting speed and pipetting path in detail. This highly customized capability enables OT-2 to accurately meet various complex experimental needs, thereby greatly improving experimental efficiency and accuracy.

From the above, we can know that continuous pipettes play a vital role in laboratory work due to their excellent pipetting performance, high operating efficiency and wide range of applications. It not only simplifies the complex pipetting process and improves the accuracy and repeatability of experiments, but also greatly promotes the process of scientific research work.