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Medical Equipment
A machinery designed to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of medical problems. It is usually designed with rigorous safety standards. Agar plate
An agar plate is a sterile Petri dish that contains agar plus nutrients, and is used to culture microorganisms. Generally, selecting substances are also added to the plate, such as antibiotics. Aspirator
An aspirator is a common piece of laboratory equipment. It provides a strong suction via the Venturi effect. It needs only a continuous stream of water to operate. The aspirator fits over a faucet and has a hose barb on one side. When water flows through the aspirator, gas will be sucked in through the hose barb. It is cheap to manufacture and operate.The strength of the vacuum produced is limited by the vapor pressure of water (24 mmHg at 25 degrees Celsius). Bunsen Burner
A Bunsen burner is a device used in scientific laboratories for heating, sterilization, and many other uses.The device safely burns a continuous stream of gas without the risk that the flame will travel back down the tube to the gas supply. It is most common for the burner today to run on natural gas, or alternatively Liquified petroleum gas such as propane or butane or a mixture of both. (Natural gas is principally composed of methane and small amounts of ethane, propane and butane). At the time of its invention it would have mostly burnt coal gas. Colorimeter
A colorimeter is generally any tool that characterizes colour samples to provide an objective measure of colour characteristics. In chemistry, the colorimeter is an apparatus that allows the absorbance of a solution at a particular frequency (colour) of visual light to be determined. Colorimeters hence make it possible to ascertain the concentration of a known solute, since it is proportional to the absorbance. Centrifuge
A centrifuge is a piece of equipment that puts a substance in rotation around a fixed axis in order for the centrifugal force to separate a fluid from a fluid or from a solid substance. Generally, a motor drives the rotary motion of the sample. There are many different kinds of centrifuges, often for very specialised purposes. Fume Hood
A fume hood or fume cupboard is a large piece of scientific equipment common to chemistry laboratories designed to limit a person's exposure to hazardous fumes. Fume hoods were originally manufactured from timber, but now epoxy coated mild steel is the main construction material. Two main types of unit exist, ducted and recirculating. With the ducted type, old asbestos vent pipe has been superseded on health grounds, typically with PVC or polypropylene. Diagnostic Equipment
Include medical imaging machines are used to aid diagnosis. These include ultrasound, MRI, CAT-scans, PET, and x-ray machines. Life Suport Euipment
Used maintain a patient's bodily function. These include medical ventilators, heart-lung machines, ECMO, and dialysis machines.Measuring ECGs, EEGs, blood pressure, and dissolved gases in the blood. Medical laboratory equipment automate or help analyses of blood, urine and genes. Biomedical equipment Technician or BMET
A vital component of the healthcare delivery system. Employed primarily by hospitals, BMETs are the people responsible for maintaining a facility's medical equipment. Microscope
A microscope (Greek: micron = small and scopos = aim) is an instrument for viewing objects that are too small to be seen by the naked or unaided eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy, and the term microscopic means minute or very small, not easily visible with the unaided eye. In other words, requiring a microscope to examine. The most common type of microscope—and the first to be invented—is the optical microscope. This is an optical instrument containing one or more lenses that produce an enlarged image of an object placed in the focal plane of the lens(es). Microtiter Plate
A Microtiter plate or Microplate is a flat plate with multiple "wells" used as small test tubes. The microplate has become a standard tool in analytical research and clinical diagnostic testing laboratories. It typically has 6, 24, 96, 384 or even 1536 sample wells arranged in a 2:3 rectangular matrix. Some microplates have even been manufactured with 3456 or even 9600 wells. Each well of a microplate typically holds somewhere between a few to a few hundred microliters of liquid. Plate Reader
Plate readers (also know as microplate readers) are laboratory instruments designed to detect biological, chemical or physical events in samples stored in microtiter plates.These devices typically use optical and/or computer vision techniques to evaluate the contents of the microtiter plate wells. An ELISA plate reader, for example, is used to measure the intensity of the colors formed in each wells. ELISPOT plate readers are used to count the colored spots that are formed in the course of ELISPOT assays. Using these plate readers can eliminate (or at least, help reduce) the amount of human subjectivity which goes into evaluating the plate contents. Thermometer
A thermometer is a device used to measure temperatures or temperature changes. Vortex Mixer
A Vortex Mixer is a simple device used most commonly in cell culture and microbiology laboratories to suspend cells, although it can be used to mix many other substances. It consists of an electric motor with the drive shaft oriented vertically and attached to a cupped rubber piece mounted slightly off-center. As the motor runs the rubber piece oscillates rapidly in a circular motion. When a test tube or other appropriate container is pressed into the rubber cup (or touched to its edge) the motion is transmitted to the liquid inside and a vortex is created. Most vortex mixers have variable speed settings and can be set to run continuously, or to run only when downward pressure is applied to the rubber piece. Stethoscope
The stethoscope is an acoustic medical device for auscultation, i.e. listening to internal sounds in the human body. It is most often used to listen to heart sounds and breathing (breath sounds), though it is also used to listen to intestines and blood flow in arteries and veins.
Magnetic Stirrer
A magnetic stirrer consists of a small bar magnet (or stir bar), which is normally wrapped in plastics like PTFE and a stand or plate containing a rotating magnet. Often, the plate can also be heated. The plastic-coated bar magnet was invented in the late 1940s by Edward McLaughlin, of the Torpedo Experimental Establishment (TEE), Greenock, Scotland, who named it the 'flea' because of the way it jumps about if the rotating magnet is driven too fast. Coating the magnet in plastic or sealing it in a glass tube makes it chemically inert.
Static Mixer
A static mixer is a device, usually metal or plastic, that is fixed in a pipe or tube to mix whatever liquid passes through it. Its design usually involves separating the flow into streams and forcing them against each other. Popular forms are repeating, opposite spirals, or intertwining flows. They can be used to mix different liquids into one homogeneous liquid, or just ensure an even mix of an already mixed solution. They are often used to mix two component adhesives and sealants. Other applications include wastewater treatment, chemical processing, etc. Beaker
A beaker is a type of laboratory glassware which consists of a cylindrical cup with a notch on the top to allow for the pouring of liquids. They are about as wide as they are tall. This makes beakers very stable and easy to handle. They may be made of plastic, glass, or Pyrex®. Some beakers have graduated markings, or calibrations, to allow an easy rough measure of liquid volume. Boiling Tube
A boiling tube is a large cylindrical vessel used to strongly heat substances in the flame of a bunsen burner. A boiling tube is essentially a scaled-up test tube, being about 50% larger in every aspect.They can also be used as a general test tube substitute particularly when a larger volume is desired. They can be used as an ignition chamber for gases where their large volume allows for a more effective gas air mixture compared to that possible in a test tube. Buchner Funnel
Buchner funnel is a piece of laboratory equipment used in filtration. It is traditionally made of porcelain, but these days plastic funnels are also available. On top of the funnel-shaped part there is a cylinder with a perforated plate separating it from the funnel. The filtration material, often filter paper, is placed on the plate. The liquid to be filtered is poured into the cylinder and drawn through the perforated plate by vacuum suction. Burette
A burette (also buret) is a vertical cylindrical piece of laboratory glassware with a volumetric graduation on its full length and a precision tap, or stopcock, on the bottom. It is used to dispense known amounts of a liquid reagent in experiments for which such precision is necessary, such as a titration experiment. Burettes are extremely precise: class A burettes are accurate to ±0.05 mL. Conical Measure
A conical measure is a type of laboratory glassware which consists of a conical cup with a notch on the top to allow for the easy pouring of liquids. They always have graduated markings on the side to allow easy and accurate measurement of volumes of liquid.They may be made of plastic, glass, or borosilicate glass. The use of the conical measure usually dictates its construction material. Plastic conical measures, commonly referred to as measuring cups are used by patients to measure liquid medicaments for oral administration. Glass and borosilicate conical measures are used in extemporaneous dispensing within the pharmacy profession. Crucible
A crucible is a cup-shaped piece of laboratory equipment used to contain chemical compounds when heating them to very high temperatures. The receptacle is usually made of porcelain or an inert metal. One of the earliest uses of platinum was to make crucibles. More recently, metals such as nickel and zirconium have been used. Crucibles are commonly used with a high temperature-resistant crucible cover (or lid) made of a similar material. Crucibles and their covers made of porcelain are quite cheap when sold in quantity to laboratories and the crucibles are sometimes disposed of after use in precise quantitative chemical analysis. There is usually a large mark-up when they are sold individually in hobby shops. Cuvette
A cuvette is a kind of laboratory glassware, usually a small square tube, sealed at one end, made of plastic, glass, or optical grade quartz and designed to hold samples for spectroscopic experiments. The best cuvettes are as clear as possible, without impurities that might affect a spectroscopic reading. Like a test tube, a cuvette may be open to the atmosphere on top or have a glass or Teflon cap to seal it shut. Erlenmeyer Flask
An Erlenmeyer flask (also known as a conical flask) is a type of laboratory glassware which consists of an inverted conical base with a cylindrical neck. The main advantages in an Erlenmeyer flask are that it is less likely to tip over than a Florence flask and the smaller neck slows evaporative loss better than a beaker. It can also be swirled without fear of the contents spilling. It is named after the German chemist Richard Erlenmeyer. The conical flask's counterpart is the beaker. However the main difference is that conical flasks may be stoppered using rubber bungs, so as the contents of the flask may be mixed or transported safely. The flask is not usually used when heating substances vigorously, this task usually being left to the Florence flask. Florence Flask
A Florence flask (also known as a round bottom flask or a boiling flask) is a piece of laboratory glassware. It is a round or flat-bottom flask with a long neck. It is designed for uniform heating and is produced in a number of different glass thicknesses to stand different types of use. They are often made of borosilicate glass that has alkali to prevent cracks or defacing of the glass. The flask is named after Florence, Italy. Volumetric Flask
A volumetric flask (vol flask for short) is a piece of laboratory glassware used to measure a very precise and accurate amount of a liquid, and is used for such when the amount is too big for a pipette or burette. It is shaped like a Florence flask with a flatter bottom so as to not tip over. The neck is marked (usually by a scratch or etch on the glass) at a very precise measurement. When the liquid has been added to that point (so the bottom of the meniscus is on the line), it is usually accurate to within a small fraction of a percent and highly precise. However, a single flask can usually only be used for a certain measurement, e.g. a 250.00mL flask can only be used to measure 250mL. The volume mark is usually made by machine, so it can be more assuredly accurate than a hand-made mark. Gas Syringe
A gas syringe also known as "glass collecting bottle", is a piece of laboratory glassware used to draw a volume of a gas from a beaker or other closed system, or measure the volume of gas given off in a reaction. It is often used to remove gaseous products from a reaction. A gas syringe is a syringe with a hermetic seal around the top and sides, and moves more freely than a normal syringe. Graduated Cylinder
A graduated cylinder (Grad or graduate for short), also referred to as a measuring cylinder, is a type of laboratory glassware that is used for measuring the volumes of liquids in a quantitative manner. The top usually has a small curled lip to allow easy pouring of liquids, and the bottom is usually anchored with a wide base, to keep the cylinder from easily tipping. The volumes of liquids graduated cylinders can handle range from a few milliliters to many liters. Pipette
A pipette is a laboratory instrument used to transport a measured quantity of liquid. Medicine droppers (also called eyedroppers) are a type of pipette, as are transfer pipettes, similar instruments usually made from a single piece of polypropylene or high density polyethylene. These devices are neither accurate nor precise, and cannot be calibrated. Though largely out of use due to the dangers of toxic or radioactive substences, historically mouth pipettes were often used. For liquid handling applications where accuracy and precision are required, a piston-driven, air displacement pipette is the optimal solution. Petri Dish
A Petri dish is a shallow glass or plastic cylindrical dish that biologists use to culture microbes. Separating Funnel
A separating funnel or separation funnel or separatory funnel is a piece of laboratory glassware used to partition the components of a mixture between two immiscible liquids of different densities.Typically, one of the liquids will be water, and the other an organic solvent such as ether or chloroform. The funnel, which is in the shape of a cone surmounted by a hemisphere, has a stopper at the top and a tap at the bottom. Soxhlet Extractor
Soxhlet extractor is a type of laboratory glassware invented in 1879 by Franz von Soxhlet. It was originally designed for the extraction of lipid from a solid test material, but can be used whenever it is difficult to extract any compound from a solid. Test Tube
A test tube, also known as a culture tube, is a piece of laboratory glassware composed of a finger-like length of glass tubing, open at the top, with a rounded U-shaped bottom. Often, the top features a flared lip. Thistle Tube
A thistle tube is a piece of laboratory glassware consisting mostly of a shaft of tube, with a reservoir and funnel-like section at the top. Thistle tubes are typically used by chemists to add liquid to an existing system of apparatus. The thistle tube shaft is designed to allow insertion through a small hole present in some stoppers, permitting the tube to be inserted into a flask, such as an erlenmeyer flask. Watch Glass
A watch glass is a circular, slightly concave piece of glass used in chemistry as a surface to evaporate a liquid, or as a cover for a beaker. The latter use is generally applied to prevent dust or other particles entering the beaker; the watch glass does not completely seal the beaker, and so gas exchanges still occur. Fume Hood
A fume hood or fume cupboard is a large piece of scientific equipment common to chemistry laboratories designed to limit a person's exposure to hazardous fumes. Fume hoods were originally manufactured from timber, but now epoxy coated mild steel is the main construction material. Two main types of unit exist, ducted and recirculating. With the ducted type, old asbestos vent pipe has been superseded on health grounds, typically with PVC or polypropylene. The principle is the same for all units; air is drawn in from the front of the cabinet by a fan, and expelled either outside the building, or made safe through filtration and fed back into the room. Centrifuge A centrifuge is a piece of equipment that puts a substance in rotation around a fixed axis in order for the centrifugal force to separate a fluid from a fluid or from a solid substance. Generally, a motor drives the rotary motion of the sample. There are many different kinds of centrifuges, often for very specialized purposes.
Conical Flask An Erlenmeyer flask (also known as a conical flask) is a type of laboratory glassware which consists of an inverted conical base with a cylindrical neck. The main advantages in an Erlenmeyer flask are that it is less likely to tip over than a Florence flask and the smaller neck slows evaporative loss better than a beaker. It can also be swirled without fear of the contents spilling. It is named after the German chemist Richard Erlenmeyer. The conical flask's counterpart is the beaker. However the main difference are that conical flasks may be stoppered using rubber bungs, so as the contents of the flask may be mixed or transported safely. The flask is not usually used when heating substances vigorously, this task usually being left to the Florence flask.
Soxhlet Extractor A Soxhlet extractor is a type of laboratory glassware invented in 1879 by Franz von Soxhlet. It was originally designed for the extraction of lipid from a solid test material, but can be used whenever it is difficult to extract any compound from a solid. Typically, dry test material is placed inside a "thimble" made from filter paper, which is loaded into the Soxhlet extractor. The extractor is attached to a flask containing a solvent (commonly ether or petroleum ether) and a condenser. The solvent is heated, causing it to evaporate. The hot solvent vapor travels up to the condenser, where it cools and drips down onto the test material. The chamber containing the test material slowly fills with warm solvent until, when it is almost full, it is emptied by siphon action, back down to the flask. This cycle may be allowed to repeat many times. During each cycle, a portion of the lipid dissolves in the solvent. However, once the lipid reaches the solvent heating flask, it stays there. It does not participate in the extraction cycle any further. This is the key advantage of this type of extraction; only clean warm solvent is used to extract the solid in the thimble. This increases the efficiency of the extraction when compared with simply heating up the solid in a flask with the solvent.
Crucible
A crucible is a cup-shaped piece of laboratory equipment used to contain chemical compounds when heating them to very high temperatures. The receptacle is usually made of porcelain or an inert metal. One of the earliest uses of platinum was to make crucibles. More recently, metals such as nickel and zirconium have been used. Crucibles are commonly used with a high temperature-resistant crucible cover (or lid) made of a similar material. Crucibles and their covers made of porcelain are quite cheap when sold in quantity to laboratories and the crucibles are sometimes disposed of after use in precise quantitative chemical analysis. There is usually a large mark-up when they are sold individually in hobby shops.
Vortex Mixer
A Vortex Mixer is a simple device used most commonly in cell culture and microbiology laboratories to suspend cells, although it can be used to mix many other substances. It consists of an electric motor with the drive shaft oriented vertically and attached to a cupped rubber piece mounted slightly off-center. As the motor runs the rubber piece oscillates rapidly in a circular motion. When a test tube or other appropriate container is pressed into the rubber cup (or touched to its edge) the motion is transmitted to the liquid inside and a vortex is created. Most vortex mixers have variable speed settings and can be set to run continuously, or to run only when downward pressure is applied to the rubber piece.
Fume Hood
A fume hood or fume cupboard is a large piece of scientific equipment common to chemistry laboratories designed to limit a person's exposure to hazardous fumes. Fume hoods were originally manufactured from timber, but now epoxy coated mild steel is the main construction material. Two main types of unit exist, ducted and recirculating. With the ducted type, old asbestos vent pipe has been superseded on health grounds, typically with PVC or polypropylene. Spectrophotometer
In physics, spectrophotometry is the quantitative study of electromagnetic spectra. It is more specific than the general term electromagnetic spectroscopy in that spectrophotometry deals with visible light, near-ultraviolet, and near-infrared. Also, the term does not cover time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. | 