(PLI-100A) Pico-liter Microinjector

Whether you need to do large injections into capillaries or very small injections into mammalian nuclei, the PLI-100A is up to the task.

Pressure to the pipette is controlled precisely through a multi-turn regulator and is reported digitally for reproducibility. Injection time is set using an optically encoded circuit that permits both fine and coarse settings from a single control knob. System timing can be controlled in three ways: push button, foot switch, or external trigger.

Unique Pressure Capabilities

The PLI-100A features three positive and two negative pressures.

• Inject - Inject picoliter to nanoliter amounts of fluids
• Balance - Apply a balance pressure to prevent backflow into the micropipette following an injection
• Clear - Clear a micropipette of material that is blocking the tip

• Fill - Fill micropipettes from their tips
• Hold - Provide a means to secure and manipulate a cell using holding pipette.

The PLI-100A's Balance, Hold, and Clear functions are features not found on other microinjection units.

Balance

In addition to the injection pressure, the PLI-100A offers a secondary balance pressure. This adjustable control applies a positive pressure to the injection pipette both before and after an injection that eliminates dilution caused by capillary action and aids in the prevention of clogging. Wasteful continuous injections that can occur when no separate balance pressure is available is avoided.

Fill

The PLI-100A has two separate vacuum generators used to fill a micropipette and to hold suspended cells while injecting. Filling of the pipette from the tip is less complicated than back-filling. The PLI-100A features a Fill Vacuum adjustment on the front panel.

Hold

Suspended cells can be held in place using a second (holding) pipette. The holding vacuum range accommodates most cell types.

Clear

A high-pressure pulse can be used for clearing a pipette should it happen to clog. This is especially useful when working with pipettes sized for smaller volumes.

Electrical Connectors

BNC type connectors are available at the front panel to ease integrating the PLI with other equipment. Synchronization with or control from injections with a data acquisition system is possible.

Selection Guideline

The PLI-100A is available in three packages: Basic, Plus, and Deluxe:

• The Basic system comes with an input hose, output hose, holding hose and input hose adapter.
• The Plus system comes with everything in the Basic system with the addition of one foot switch and a 130 mm stainless steel pipette holder.
• The Deluxe system comes with everything in the Plus system with the addition of a second foot switch and a second 130 mm stainless steel pipette holder with input hose.

Notes

• All PLI-100A's require a micromanipulator and support stand, which must be purchased separately.
• The standard metal pipette holders that come with the PLI-100A can be vastly improved by using an Acrylic Pipette Holder for PLI, which must be purchased separately.
• For labs lacking bottled gas or pressurized air, the AIR-1 compressor is available.