All Members Community

Hi Everyone,

I am wondering if anyone has explored the idea of creating a core that is dedicated to providing calibration services for single/multichannel pipettes.  Our research purchasing group is exploring ways to streamline our current process for coordinating and paying outside vendors for calibrations, and to what extent this could be done internally in a core setting.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thank you!

Aaron Larson, MSB

Director of Operations, Shared Research Resources

Seattle Children's Research Institute

------------------------------
Aaron Larson
Director of Operations, Shared Research Resources
Seattle Children's Research Institute
Seattle WA
------------------------------

Dear Aaron,

In our organization we had a team dedicated to lab equipment, for all sort of repairs. Initially they were taking care of pipette calibration, but due to the high numbers of labs and, of course, pipettes, they bought an instrument. This is fairly easy to use and allows you to calibrate your pipettes on your own.
The advantage is that pipettes are immediately available, no shipping, no waiting time and can be done anytime you feel that is necessary.
Hope this helps, of you need more info, let me know.
Best,
Emanuele

------------------------------
Emanuele Palescandolo
Team Lead - NGS, Single Cells and FACS
KAUST - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal
------------------------------

Thank you Emanuele for your reply.  Can you provide more information on the instrument that was purchased to assist in this process?

------------------------------
Aaron Larson
Director of Operations, Shared Research Resources
Seattle Children's Research Institute
Seattle WA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-26-2023 05:29
From: Emanuele Palescandolo
Subject: Calibration-based core

Dear Aaron,

In our organization we had a team dedicated to lab equipment, for all sort of repairs. Initially they were taking care of pipette calibration, but due to the high numbers of labs and, of course, pipettes, they bought an instrument. This is fairly easy to use and allows you to calibrate your pipettes on your own.
The advantage is that pipettes are immediately available, no shipping, no waiting time and can be done anytime you feel that is necessary.
Hope this helps, of you need more info, let me know.
Best,
Emanuele

------------------------------
Emanuele Palescandolo
Team Lead - NGS, Single Cells and FACS
KAUST - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal
------------------------------

The group decided to purchase the Artel instrument (https://www.artel.co/products/pcs-pipette-calibration-system/), although I don't know based on what factors. They definitely assessed ease of use, since it is destined to a wide audience. If you are interested I can ask.
Best,
Emanuele

------------------------------
Emanuele Palescandolo
Team Lead - NGS, Single Cells and FACS
KAUST - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-26-2023 10:29
From: Aaron Larson
Subject: Calibration-based core

Thank you Emanuele for your reply.  Can you provide more information on the instrument that was purchased to assist in this process?

------------------------------
Aaron Larson
Director of Operations, Shared Research Resources
Seattle Children's Research Institute
Seattle WA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-26-2023 05:29
From: Emanuele Palescandolo
Subject: Calibration-based core

Dear Aaron,

In our organization we had a team dedicated to lab equipment, for all sort of repairs. Initially they were taking care of pipette calibration, but due to the high numbers of labs and, of course, pipettes, they bought an instrument. This is fairly easy to use and allows you to calibrate your pipettes on your own.
The advantage is that pipettes are immediately available, no shipping, no waiting time and can be done anytime you feel that is necessary.
Hope this helps, of you need more info, let me know.
Best,
Emanuele

------------------------------
Emanuele Palescandolo
Team Lead - NGS, Single Cells and FACS
KAUST - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal

Original Message:
Sent: 1/26/2023 10:44:00 AM
From: Emanuele Palescandolo
Subject: RE: Calibration-based core

The group decided to purchase the Artel instrument (https://www.artel.co/products/pcs-pipette-calibration-system/), although I don't know based on what factors. They definitely assessed ease of use, since it is destined to a wide audience. If you are interested I can ask.
Best,
Emanuele

------------------------------
Emanuele Palescandolo
Team Lead - NGS, Single Cells and FACS
KAUST - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-26-2023 10:29
From: Aaron Larson
Subject: Calibration-based core

Thank you Emanuele for your reply.  Can you provide more information on the instrument that was purchased to assist in this process?

------------------------------
Aaron Larson
Director of Operations, Shared Research Resources
Seattle Children's Research Institute
Seattle WA
------------------------------

Hi Aaron,

I have made arrangements with Unity Services (a division of Thermo Fisher) to come in twice a year and do onsite pipette calibrations. The people who want to have their calibrations done place an order in iLab, and drop off their pipettes a day or two ahead of the calibration date. Unity is then onsite for 2-3 days. They need a place where they can set up their balance and work. They do the calibrations, thorough cleanings and minor repairs and then take anything that is really broken back with them, fix it in-house and ship it back. It is a little bit complicated setting up the PO to have this done, because they want a guaranteed number of pipettes and a PO before they set a date, and pricing is based on the totals, but we have made it work in the past. Usually they will set a date just based on the number of pipettes I have personally, and then we adjust once I get the orders in place from the other labs. Maybe if more institutions did something like this, they would develop a model that works a little better with purchasing.

Roxann

Thank you Roxann, it is good to know that Unity Services could be a resource in this area for us, and I appreciate the background for how you have made it work.

------------------------------
Aaron Larson
Director of Operations, Shared Research Resources
Seattle Children's Research Institute
Seattle WA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-26-2023 10:16
From: Roxann Ashworth
Subject: Calibration-based core

Hi Aaron,

I have made arrangements with Unity Services (a division of Thermo Fisher) to come in twice a year and do onsite pipette calibrations. The people who want to have their calibrations done place an order in iLab, and drop off their pipettes a day or two ahead of the calibration date. Unity is then onsite for 2-3 days. They need a place where they can set up their balance and work. They do the calibrations, thorough cleanings and minor repairs and then take anything that is really broken back with them, fix it in-house and ship it back. It is a little bit complicated setting up the PO to have this done, because they want a guaranteed number of pipettes and a PO before they set a date, and pricing is based on the totals, but we have made it work in the past. Usually they will set a date just based on the number of pipettes I have personally, and then we adjust once I get the orders in place from the other labs. Maybe if more institutions did something like this, they would develop a model that works a little better with purchasing.

Roxann