What is the difference between pipette disinfection and sterilization?

In the pipette industry, the concepts of disinfection and sterilization are often used interchangeably, but in fact, there are certain differences between the two: Disinfection only requires that the live bacteria on the pipette be controlled within a certain range to achieve a harmless level, while sterilization requires the elimination of all live bacteria. Therefore, the processing requirements of sterilization are higher than that of disinfection:

1. Chemical disinfection: Simply put, wipe the outer surface of the pipette with alcohol, etc., and then dry it. This should be possible for all pipette brands that otherwise have poor housing.

2. Ultraviolet disinfection: The surface of the pipette is irradiated with UV light, which sterilizes by destroying the DNA structure of cells. The duration of UV disinfection depends on the intensity of radiation and the resistance of bacteria to UV rays. Most brands of pipettes can be sterilized with UV light, but need to check with the supplier in advance.

3. High temperature and high-pressure sterilization: Generally speaking, the working conditions of high temperature and high-pressure sterilization of pipettes are 102.9kPa (1.05kg/cm2), 121℃, and 20 minutes. The high temperature and high-pressure sterilization of pipettes are divided into whole sterilization and half sterilization. It is possible that most brands of pipettes can be sterilized in half, but whether the whole pipe can be sterilized, the user must contact the supplier’s business confirmation. But here are a few things to remind:

First, except for individual applications, such as infectious virus research, most customers do not require whole tube sterilization.

Second, for products of the same brand, the whole sterilized one is often more expensive than the half-sterilized one, and customers need to make decisions based on their own needs.