Why our serological pipettes come in all-plastic packs

A serological pipette spends its whole life protecting one thing: sterility. The wrapper is the only barrier between a sterile pipette and the room, so what the wrapper is made of matters.

The usual way: paper and plastic

Many brands use peel pouches with a plastic front and a paper back. They work well when they stay dry and intact. Paper does have two weak spots in a lab:

• Moisture. Paper absorbs liquid. In sterile processing, a wet paper pack is treated as no longer sterile, because moisture can carry microorganisms through the paper. A splash of media or ethanol on the bench is enough to raise the question.
• Fibres. Tearing paper releases fibres and dust. That is why ordinary paper is kept out of cleanrooms, and why some users prefer not to open paper packs inside a biosafety cabinet.

The MODMAT way: all plastic, colour-coded

• Moisture-resistant. The plastic pack does not soak up spills, so the pipette inside stays protected.
• Low-fibre opening. No paper to tear inside your hood.
• See exactly what you pick. The clear back shows the pipette and its graduations before you open the pack.
• Colour by size. Each volume has its own colour, printed on the pack, so the right pipette is easy to grab from a drawer.

The colour code

Most manufacturers follow a similar colour system, which makes switching between brands easier. MODMAT uses:

• 1 mL yellow
• 5 mL blue
• 10 mL orange
• 25 mL red
• 50 mL purple

Every pipette is made from transparent USP Class VI polystyrene, individually packed, gamma sterilised, and pyrogen, PCR inhibitor and DNase/RNase free.