Burleigh PiezoDrill
Inertial Impact Drill User’s Manual
2 Equipment and Materials
Burleigh Instruments, Inc. 2002 (08572-M-01 Rev D)
2-5
The information contained in this document is privileged information and
is intended for the personal and confidential use of Burleigh PiezoDrill customers.
Holding Pipettes
Manufacture or Purchase of Holding Pipettes
The Humagen price list in Appendix A includes holding pipettes with 85
µ
m
and 120
µ
m outside diameters. The 85
µ
m OD pipette is made for mouse
oocytes; the 120
µ
m OD pipette is intended for swine and bovine oocytes. It
is important that the outside diameter of the holding pipette be slightly
smaller than the oocyte. This allows the oocyte to be held into position and
anchored to the slide or dish surface. “Pinning” the oocyte in this manner
prevents the oocyte from moving when PiezoDrill vibrations begin. The
inside diameter of the holding pipette should be large enough that some
cytoplasm is held in place by the holding pipette. We recommend an ID of
20 to 25
µ
m because:
It provides more perivitelline (PV) space between the zona and the oolemma
at the other side of the oocyte where the PiezoDrill will penetrate the zona.
Since zona vibration settings are higher than the settings for the oolemma,
the pipette must not engage the oolemma while vibrating at the zona settings.
PV space allows the zona to be penetrated with no possibility that the
oolemma will be penetrated accidentally at the same time.
It is easier to break the oolemma at low vibration settings when the
cytoplasm is held in this manner, which improves oocyte viability.
Figure 3 illustrates the correct size and position of the holding pipette. Note:
This pipette has a slightly larger outer diameter than what we recommend.
Because this particular pipette is not bent and approaches the oocyte from
above, it still works effectively to pin the oocyte.
NOTE
We have included one Humagen holding pipette with the PiezoDrill for
your initial use.
