WPI Blog

LabScribe is the powerful software included with Lab-Trax™ (formerly called DataTrax). The acquisition and data display in LabScribe is easy and straight forward. It supports real units and a time-based display that is not coupled to sample rate. You can display up to 1,000,000 data points per channel on the screen. Scrolling, zoom-in and zoom-out tools, together with a searchable list of user interventions, make finding important areas of data easy. And, of course, you can print or export anything that you see.

WPI surgical instruments were recently featured in a JoVE video that demonstrates a new method for cross pollinating grasses.

Watch as Gabe turns a binocular surgical microscope into a trinocular microscope and adds a video camera.

The PSMB5N Surgical Microscope has a motorized focusing system that allows for hands free operation. It is lightweight, compact and easy to maneuver. Dual bulbs prevent illumination failure during surgery. It has an optional video adapter and five magnification steps. This video shows you how to assemble your microscope.

WPI now offers suction tweezers that are ideal for picking up small objects with a flat surface. The Pickup Tweezers are perfect for handling and positioning coverslips, removing small tissues from a solution or manipulation of small electronic components. The Pickup Tweezers (#504523) require no power or batteries, and are safe from all electrostatic discharge. This kit includes the metal body (handle), a straight metal needle, an angled metal needle, three rubber cups (4, 6 and 9mm diameter) and a lubricant set. When your fingers are just too big, and standard tweezers are awkward, the Pickup Tweezers are perfect.

Researchers at the University of Michigan are using WPI's PV820 for injecting a morpholino solution into the lumen of the otic vesicle of 1-day old zebrafish embryos.  Then, they use electroporation to introduce mif and mif-like morpholinos into the developing inner ear tissues.

In this video, Mike Pizza demonstrates how to front fill a Nanofil syringe using MicroFil.

Microinjection uses either a metal needle or a glass micropipette to inject small liquid volumes. For example, genetic material may be inserted into a living cell, a drug introduced into an eye or brain, or fluid injected into a muscle. Typically, microinjection is performed under a microscope. A stereotaxic setup may be required.

WPI offers a variety of pumps along with special syringes, stereotaxic frames, glass capillaries and needles. Here we will highlight our microinjection pumps. The setup you choose depends on the size of injection aliquots, the volume to be injected and the size of needle or glass tip chosen. The products described below are listed in order by the smallest volume they can inject. See the comparison chart below or the related post links at the bottom.

Surgical Loupes help to alleviate eye strain by enlarging the image when you are working on tiny subjects or conducting precision operations. They are portable and easier to use than a surgical microscope. However, they are not created equal, and choosing the pair that's right for you is important to your satisfaction.

Crafting high-quality glass micropipettes is essential for precision work in microinjection, patch clamping, electrophysiology, and a wide range of microsurgical and research applications. WPI offers a complete suite of microforges, pullers, and bevelers designed to help researchers create consistent, reproducible pipette shapes tailored to their experimental needs. Whether you’re pressure-polishing patch-clamp pipettes, preparing multi-barrel assemblies, or measuring electrode impedance, the tools below provide reliable control, advanced programmability, and robust optical performance to support even the most demanding labs.

Cuvettes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but one of the most important specifications of a cuvette is its Z-dimension. The Z-dimension of an instrument (cuvette holder or spectrometer) is the distance from the bottom of the cuvette chamber floor to the center of its light beam (see image). A cuvette’s Z-dimension must match the Z-dimension of the instrument with which it will be used.

Concentrations of DNA in solution (31µg/mL and 688µg/mL) were measured with a spectrometer and UV/VIS light source in a DIPUV-Mini. Due to the 2mm pathlength, use of a DIPUV-Mini does not require a pre-measurement dilution within this concentration range, thus a potential source of error was eliminated.

Use this comparison chart to choose Profile B Microelectrods. They are Tungsten Profile B, 76 mmlong wiht a 0.216 mm shaft.

The Nanoliter injector is a micro-processor controlled injection system that uses direct piston displacement. The collet assembly (exploded view) is shown in the image below. The glass pipette fits into the white, plastic sleeve (spacer). When the collet is screwed in place securely, the black rubber washers are compressed and hold the glass firmly in place.

A variety of microscope objectives are available. All objectives use lenses to focus light. Light is broken down into various wavelengths (colors) as it travels through a lens. The various wavelengths have different focal points. That means that red, green and blue appears to focus at different points. This is called chromatic aberration. Spherical aberrations are focal mismatches caused by the shape of the lens. Quality lenses are designed correct for chromatic and spherical aberration to bring the primary colors to a common focal point. These terms may help you determine the best objective for your application:

When precise temperature measurements are required, WPI can provide you with a very accurate monitor and thermocouple microprobes. WPI monitors have both resolution and accuracy of 0.1°C in the 0-50°C range and are traceable to NIST standards, whereas, other competitive electronic thermometers have an accuracy that is usually to 0.5°C or worse. Furthermore, all our type T clinical probes are guaranteed accurate to 0.1°C, due to our stringent wire standards. These are five times more accurate than competitive probes made with regular “Special Limits” wire.

Use the table below to compare WPI and Bovie part numbers.

An amplifier, in simplest terms, is an electronic device that magnifies an input signal. However, the way an amplifier is designed to handle noise and bandwidth limitations greatly affects the quality and sustainability of the final output signal.

WPI offers a range of isolators and stimulators. Use the chart below to find the components that are compatible.

Oxygen measurement is simpler than ever. Just stick a disposable, oxygen-sensitive "spot" to the inside of a flask, beaker, test tube or bottle, and fill the container with the solution to be tested. Then, on the outside of the glass container, hold the fiber optic wand close to the spot to take a reading. As the spot reacts with oxygen, it gives off light, which is measured with the fiber optic wand. This ingenious system is highly accurate and affordable. Two different units (which use the same operating principles are available: OXY-MINI and OXY-MICRO. 

You can use the PZMIV stereo microscope with a stereotaxic frame as shown in the image below. This setup shows a PZMIV-BS. The U-frame Base Plate (502045) is shown, but most stereotaxic frames can be used in this way. Choose a stereo microscope objective that allows you plenty of room to work. For example, the 0.5X objective has 187mm working distance, or the 0.32X objective has 296mm working distance. You could also add a Z-LITE-Z186 illuminator. If necessary, use a 5 to 10 lb.counter weight on the boom stand base to prevent the microscope from tipping.

WPI offers a range of biosensors for monitoring nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen and hydrogen sulfide. Specifications for these sensors are detailed below.

When applied to surgical instruments, Diamond-Like Carbon coating dramatically increases the life of the instrument. Because DLC-coated surgical instruments are incredibly durable and resistant to wear from chemicals, moisture and atmospheric conditions, they have a much greater useful lifespan. According to the manufacturer, pure DLC coatings as thin a 2-3μm can increase the lifespan of a pair of Vannas scissors more than 100 times that of its uncoated counterpart.