AbstractThe Ovation Pipette (Fig. 1) was introduced in 2002 and has receivedsubstantial attention due to its innovative design approach. Numerousevaluations of the Ovation have occurred and thousands of scientists andtechnicians now use the Ovation pipette on a daily basis. The purpose ofthis paper is to discuss three particularly important studies performed sincethe launch of the Ovation.

The first study was performed by the U.S. National Institute ofOccupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (1). In this study very detailedmeasurements were taken of forces and postures during pipetting. Thisinformation was then analyzed for MSD risk factors. The study concludedthat the Ovation “showed a significant reduction in the most importantMSD (musculoskeletal disorder) risk factors for pipetting.”

The second study was done at Duke University (2). This study suppliedOvation pipettes to randomly selected participants in order to assess thecomfort and utility of using the Ovation on a daily basis. This study found an“Overwhelming preference for the Ovation in terms of ‘comfort’” and a“Strong preference for the Ovation in terms of ‘Accuracy’ and ‘General usethroughout the workday.’”

And finally, results are presented from VistaLab’s surveys of Ovation users.In these surveys users report a significant reduction in discomfort afterswitching to the Ovation from their previous axial pipette. They also reportgreat satisfaction with the Ovation and highly recommend it to their peers.

IntroductionSignificant risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to pipettinghave been well documented by governmental agencies and scientificorganizations(3,4,5,6,7). The problems cited are not limited to just thethumb or hand, showing recurrent prevalence for other upper extremityinjury. A commonly cited study(6) found that 58% of laboratory workersreported shoulder problems, 44% reported neck problems and 44% reportedhand problems associated with pipetting. In VistaLab research, 45% of labpersonnel experienced measurable discomfort at least occasionally whilepipetting. The effects of evenminor injuries are cumulative,and therefore representsignificant risk to theindividual over time.Numerous organizations (8)have recognized these risksassociated with pipetting,and have developedguidelines as a method tolimit the user’s exposure.

Axial style pipettesTraditional laboratory pipettes are designed andconstructed along a single axis of operation (Fig. 2).The axis is defined by the plunger, the handle andthe pipette tip. This style of design originated over40 years ago, primarily because it is a simple andstraightforward way of making a pipette. While thescience of ergonomics has advanced substantiallyduring this time period, the axial pipette design isessentially unchanged.

The axial style pipette requires the user to employposture(s) that increase the risk of MSD’s. Forexample, Figures 3a & 3b show typical pipettingpostures when using axial pipettes. These posturesviolate many recommendations for minimizing MSDrisk (8), however the axial design often makescompliance with these recommendations physically impossible.

A recent report (9) compared five commercially available axial style pipettes.The study included models that have been available for many years, as wellas newer pipettes that claim to be“ergonomic” with features such as lowerplunger forces and improved grip. The report concluded that all the pipettes“strained the shoulder muscle, the finger flexor and the short thumb flexor tothe same extent” and that “the tested 1-channel pipettes caused more thumbmuscle electrical activity and higher wrist extension (bending towards the backor the hand) angles than those recommended by the relevant norms”(9).

The evidence affirms that traditional axial design pipettes are fundamentallyflawed by their geometry. Improvements to the axial design such aslowering plunger forces and improving the grips do not fundamentallychange key risk factors for MSD’s posed by axial pipettes.

Studies Validate Design Objectives and Ergonomic Sciencebehind the Ovation BioNatural Pipette

Figure 1: Ovation BioNatural Pipette

Figure 2: TraditionalAxial-Design

Figure 3a: Elevated, “winged elbow”

The average human arm weighs approximately 6%of the total body weight. Holding a pipette asshown places the weight of the arm onto the neckand shoulder muscles causing stress and fatigue.For a 70Kg (150 lbs) person, the arm weighs 4Kg (9 lbs). This is many times heavier than the pipette -so a “light weight” pipette doesn’t solve theergonomic problem. The real issue is the weight ofthe arm, not the pipette.

Figure 3b: Over-rotated forearm and wrist

Rotation of the forearm in a supinated position(palm up) and/or wrist flexion increases the fluidpressure in the carpal tunnel. This increased pres-sure can result in compression of soft tissues likenerves, tendons and blood vessels, causing numbness in the thumb and fingers.

Richard E. Scordato, VistaLab Technologies, Inc.

OvationThe Ovation BioNatural Pipette (Fig. 1) is the result of several years ofresearch into the ergonomics of pipetting. A team of ergonomists, engineers,and industrial designers studied existing pipettes, the lab environment andscientific literature. Unlike other pipettes in the marketplace, the Ovationteam started without any arbitrary design constraints, and invented the“BioNatural” design in order to remedy the deficiencies of the traditionalaxial pipette style (10). The BioNatural design allows the user’s hands tostay low to the lab bench, the elbows and arms to stay close to the body,and the forearm to be rotated inward (pronated). The grip was designed tominimize contact stress on the hand and thumb (Fig. 4a & 4b).

Balance and weight were carefully considered, and an adjustable hookenables the pipette to fit a wide range of hand sizes. A unique tipacquisition system “clicks” when the tip is acquired, and an eject buttonactivates a discard mechanism that pushes the tip off with minimal usereffort. The pipette’s form allows it to stand independently on a countersurface, making it easier to pick up and put down, and eliminates therepetitive twisting of the forearm that occurs when picking up or puttingdown a traditional pipette.

The Ovation pipette employs a unique digital volume selection system. Thisallows fast adjustment, precise setting of the volume, and memory presetsfor fast recall of commonly used settings. The Ovation design has receivedseveral patents (11) and was awarded the prestigious gold award by theIndustrial Design Society of America for best product design(12).

Ovation Study Results

The Ovation pipette was tested extensively during the design process forminimization of ergonomic risk. In testing by ergonomists fromErgonomics Technologies Corporation (13), the Ovation was the onlypipette that was below the recommended limits for arm flexion andextension, wrist flexion, and maximum muscle activity during tip ejection(14). It was also the only pipette that enables the forearm to be in thepronated position which has been shown to provide substantially lowercarpal tunnel pressure (15). Subsequent to introduction, the Ovationpipette has been further studied by VistaLab Technologies and severalindependent groups.

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

An independent study of the Ovation pipette was conducted in 2004 byMin Lung (Jack) Lu, PhD, of the National Institute of Occupational Safety andHealth (NIOSH) (1). NIOSH is the U.S. government agency responsible forresearch and recommendations for the prevention of work-related injuriesand illness. The research project was part of the National OccupationalResearch Agenda (NORA), which has identified the 21 most importantareas of research for occupational safety and health.

The NIOSH researchers observed laboratoryworkers performing lab functions and thendevised a simulation of the lab activity. Theusage of the Ovation pipette and twotraditional axial-design pipettes was thenrandomized and a battery of ergonomicmeasurements was taken during thesimulation. Finger force was measured from19 sensors in a glove worn during the trial(Fig. 5). Wrist posture and forearm rotation were measured using a twin axis goniometer,and shoulder elevation was measured using video task analysis software. Measurement data was collected during thefull cycle of pipette use: (a) picking up a pipette, (b) acquisition of a tip,(c) aspiration, (d) dispensing and overblow, and (d) ejection of a tip.

The total finger force data from the NIOSH study are summarized in Figure 6,and represent the sum of forces from all 19 sensors on the “glove” wornduring pipetting. Finger forces required to pipette with the Ovation weresignificantly lower in each of the five steps of the pipetting process. In fact,the axial pipettes required as much as five times greater total finger forcesduring the pipetting process than the Ovation. These low force requirementsare a result of Ovation’s “BioNatural” shape which eliminates the high gripforces necessary when using an axial pipette. Lower forces lead to morecomfort, less fatigue and lower MSD risk.

While total finger force requirements provide a much more comprehensivepicture of MSD risk than just the forces required from the thumb alone,isolated measurements of thumb activity were also performed as shown inFigure 7. The Ovation showed significantly lowered thumb force require-ments at each pipetting step when compared with the traditional pipettes.

Figure 5: Flexiform glovewith forcetransducers

Figure 4aThe pipette’s contoured shape provides maximumstability and minimal contact pressure for the hand.A loose, relaxed grip increases available strength inthe hand, improving endurance and productivity dur-ing pipetting. Rounded plunger and tip ejectionbuttons with reduced forces minimize contact stress.

Figure 4bThe user’s arm elevation remains low, minimizingstress to the elbow, shoulder and neck. The elbowremains close to the body in a neutral posture tomaximize available arm strength. The wrist remainsin a pronated position and neutral range of motionthroughout all pipetting operations, eliminatingrepetitive twisting of the forearm and reducing pres-sure on the carpal tunnel.

Figure 6: Total Finger Force

Wrist deviation was also significantly lower with the Ovation while pickingup the pipette, acquiring tips and during aspiration (Fig. 8). The datashowed statistically equivalent results during the overblow step, but higherdeviation during tip ejection. The observed higher wrist deviation is directlyattributed to a quirk in the simulation where the tip disposal bin remained atthe same elevation as used in prior lab practice (16). The Ovation pipette isdesigned to eject the tips downward into a waste bin. If the disposal binhad been placed as recommended, the wrist deviation data would have beensignificantly lower during this step of pipetting as well.

Forearm rotation is shown in Figure 9. This graph represents pronation(turning inward) and supination (turning outward) on the samemeasurement scale. In the case of Ovation, rotation is pronated, while foran axial pipette the rotation is supinated (Fig. 3 & 4). Research has shownthat carpal tunnel pressure is substantially higher when forearm rotation issupinated (Fig. 10). Pronated rotation leads to posture with lower carpaltunnel pressure, and lower risk for MSD’s.

Figure 11 shows a measurement of the percent of time that the shoulderwas elevated more than 45 degrees. In all cases Ovation was the lowest.Once again, placement of the tip disposal bin below the counter heightwould significantly lower the shoulder elevation observed with the Ovationduring tip ejection.

The NIOSH study is an extremely detailed study conducted by anindependent government agency dedicated to the study of workplaceergonomics. The conclusion they reached after analysis of the data was:

“The re-designed, low force pipette (Ovation) showed a significant reductionin the most important MSD (musculoskeletal disorder) risk factors forpipetting, as compared to two other traditional axial-design pipettes” (1).

Figure 7: Thumb Force

Figure 8: Wrist Deviation

Figure 9: Forearm Rotation

Figure 10: Shoulder Elevation

Figure 10: Carpal Tunnel PressureReference: Rempel D, Bach J, Gordon L, Yuen S. “Effects of Forearm Pronation/Supination

on Carpal Tunnel Pressure”, Journal of Hand Surgery 1998; 23A:38-42

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Duke University Study

The Duke University Department of Ergonomics evaluated the pipettingexperiences of 61 laboratory workers. Each participant in the studycompleted an extensive questionnaire about their work habits, and thelocation, severity and frequency of any discomfort they experience due topipetting. A summary of the discomfort data is shown in Figure 12. Thesedata show a substantial amount of discomfort reported by laboratoryworkers. The most frequent areas of discomfort were the neck (56%),lower back, right shoulder (33%), right wrist (26%) and right hand (25%).The thumb, which users frequently associate with pipetting discomfort,was the sixth most frequently noted discomfort area.

Half of the study participants were provided Ovation pipettes to useexclusively in their normal lab work for six weeks. These workers had noprior experience with the Ovation. At the end of the study the Ovationusers were queried about their experience with the Ovation in comparisonto the pipette they used previously. The study reports:

• “Overwhelming preference for Ovation in terms of “Comfort’”

• Strong preference for Ovation in terms of “Accuracy” and “General UseThroughout Workday”

One unexpected finding from the Duke Study was that users with smallhands found it difficult to open a microcentrifuge tube whilesimultaneously holding the Ovation. They had to put down the Ovation toopen the tube. This is not necessary with a traditional axial pipette– eventhough this can cause considerable discomfort due to the high contactpressure on the finger tips.

To address this issue, a cap openeraccessory (Fig. 13) was developed thatcan easily be added to the base of theOvation. The cap opener greatly facilitatesopening microcentrifuge tubes andeliminates the high contact pressure onthe finger tips. The tubes can be quicklyopened while still holding the Ovation, soproductivity is significantly improved.

Customer Surveys

In order to assess how well the Ovation meets customer needs, VistaLabperformed extensive surveys of Ovation users. These surveys wereadministered to randomly selected customers and represent customers whohave used the Ovation for time periods ranging from a few weeks to twoyears. The data was analyzed by the author.

One of the most important objectives of the survey was to determine if Ovationreduced the pain and discomfort from pipetting. Participants who reportedthey had experienced pain or discomfort from pipetting prior to using Ovationwere asked how that pain had changed since using the Ovation. 94% reportedthat the Ovation had reduced their pain and the majority experiencedcomplete elimination or significant reduction of their discomfort (Fig. 14).

Customers were also queried about their overall satisfaction with the Ovation.Very high levels of satisfaction were reported (Fig. 15) and 96% reported thatthey recommend the Ovation to their peers. Customers were also verysatisfied with the support they received from VistaLab Technical Support.

Figure 12: Summary of Discomfort Data

Figure 13: Cap Opener

Figure 15: Overall User Satisfaction

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Additional Products

Following the success of the original Ovation pipette, a multichannelmodel has been introduced (Fig. 18). Conventional multichannel pipettescan cause significantly greater ergonomic problems because the forcesrequired to acquire tips, eject tips, aspirate and dispense are multiplied.It is also common to use multichannel pipettes for long periods of time.

The design of the OvationMultichannel lowers the forcerequired to acquire tips and alsoallows both hands to be used,further reducing stress to aspecific muscle group (Fig. 19).An audible “click” indicates thatall tips are sealed so excessiveforce is not applied. A very lowforce ejection button discards alltips simultaneously without effort.

The Ovation Multichannel is fully electronic, because the forces required todepress the plungers manually are excessive. The electronic features alsoimprove productivity by enabling automatic multidispensing, dilution and mixing.

Summary

Ovation is a novel design approach to hand-held pipettes. It fundamentallyalters postures used to pipette in order to lower the risk of MSD’s. A majorstudy by Lu et al of NIOSH analyzed the Ovation in comparison to traditionalaxial-design pipettes and concluded that the Ovation “showed a significantreduction in the most important MSD risk factors for pipetting.”

James et al of Duke University studied the Ovation when used by a group oflab workers performing their routine work. These workers had an“overwhelming preference” for the comfort of the Ovation and had a“strong preference” for using it throughout the day.

VistaLab surveyed Ovation users in order to determine their satisfaction withthis pipette. 97% of customers express satisfaction with the Ovation and96% recommend it to their peers. Of those who have previouslyexperienced pipetting discomfort, 94% reported improvement.

In summary, this data shows that:

• the Ovation pipette reduces the risk factors for MSD’s

• users find the Ovation more comfortable to use

• users prefer to use the Ovation during the day

• 94% report reduction in pain or discomfort while pipetting

• Ovation users have an extraordinarily high rate of satisfaction

• 96% of Ovation users recommend it to their peers

Figure 19: Tip Acquisition

Figure 18: Ovation 8 and 12 channel models

Footnotes

1. NIOSH Special Session – Ergonomic Intervention Studies, Presented by Ming-Lun (Jack) Lu, Ph.D, ResearchErgonomist, Division of Applied Research & Technology

2. “A comparison of traditional and alternative pipettes - comfort and preference” Presented by TamaraJames, MS CPE, Ergonomics Director, Duke University and Medical Center.

3. David G., Buckle P., “A questionnaire survey of the ergonomic problems associated with pipettes and theirusage with specific reference to work-related upper limb disorders”, Appl Ergonomics. 1997;28(4):257-262.

4. Baker P., Cooper C., Upper limb disorder due to manual pipetting. Occup Med. 1995;48(2):133-134.

5. Fredriksson K., “Laboratory work with automatic pipettes: a study on how pipetting affects the thumb”,Ergonomics. 1995;38:1067-1073.

6. Bjorksten, M.G.; Almby, B; and Jansson, E.S., Hand and shoulder ailments among laboratory techniciansusing modern plunger-operated pipettes. related upper limb disorders”, Appl Ergonomics. 1994;25(2):88-94.

7. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), US Department of Health and Human Services -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US Department of Labor - Occupational Safety & HealthAdministration (OSHA), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), numerousuniversities including Cornell University, University of Florida, University of Minnesota, University ofMichigan, University of California, University of Vermont, University of Rochester, University of Queensland.

8. NIEHS, CDC, NIOSH OSHA (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/odhsb/ergoguid/home.htm; http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/Ergonomics/labergo.htm; http://odp.od.nih.gov/whpp/ergonomics/ergonomics.html;http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics; http://www.isber.org/MeetingArchive/00WorkshopNotes/barr.pdf

9. Maija Lintula, Nina Nevala-Puranen, “Testing the ergonomics and usability of liquid dosage pipettes”, KuopioRegional Institute of Occupational Health.

10. Calhoun et al., “Development and Evaluation of an Ergonomic Pipette to Reduce Musculoskeletal Injuries inLaboratory Workers”, Pittsburgh Conference 2002; McKean et al., “Pipette Design and Cumulative StressDisorders: Radical Ergonomic Improvements needed to Prevent Injury, Pittsburgh Conference 2002

11. US6749812; US6601433; USD460193; US20020095998A1 (pending).

12. Industrial Designers Society of America, 2001 Gold Winner for Industrial Design Excellence.

13. Costello, Kevin J, The Evolution and Ergonomics of Pipetting. Laboratory Medicine 2005; 36 (9):533-536.

14. Various published VistaLab data sheets.

15. Rempel D, Bach J, Gordon L, Yuen S., Effects of Forearm Pronation/Supination on Carpal Tunnel Pressure.Journal of Hand Surgery 1998; 23A:38-42

16. NIOSH Special Session – Ergonomic Intervention Studies, Presented by Ming-Lun (Jack) Lu, Ph.D, ResearchErgonomist, Division of Applied Research & Technology. Oral comments by Dr Lu.

©2005 VistaLab Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.Ovation is a trademark of VistaLab Technologies, Inc.

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