Elisabet Nuñez Gaitan

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ransfer 1ml to next Dilucup enumrations

How to perform serial dilutions?

1️⃣ Pipette 1 mL of the sample to be diluted into the first blinking Dilucup® and activate the shaking using the optical sensor or the foot pedal.

2️⃣ Transfer 1 mL from that Dilucup® to the next one until the desired dilution is reached. The cups change colour to guide the user as you may see in the video.

3️⃣ Once the series of dilutions is complete, place 1 mL into a Petri dish or similar and incubate.

4️⃣ Insert 1 mL of the next sample into the blinking Dilucup® to begin a new series of dilutions.

✔️ You can perform between 1 and 12 dilutions per sample, easily programming them on the Dilugent® Shaker screen.

The standard colours on Dilugent® Shaker are:
-Green for the Dilucups to be used
-Orange for those already used in the current sample
-Red for those used in previous samples

* This video may be especially helpful for #colourblind users, as the blue colour in the middle can make it easier for them to distinguish the cups, unlike the standard green-orange-red colours.

✔️ Tip: If you only need to open a few Dilucups, you can cut off the plastic film with a utility knife.

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Dilucup highly accurate diluent volumes, dilution tubes

Each Dilucup® contains a highly accurate diluent volume. If you check the first graph, you'll see that each year a higher percentage of Dilucups contain 9 mL ± 0,5%.

Here are the statistics for 2025:

  • 99,96% of all Dilucups had a volume within 9 mL ± 1%
  • 99,72% had an even more accurate volume of 9 mL ± 0,5%
  • 98,43% had an ultra‑accurate volume at 9 mL ± 0,3%
  • The mean deviation from 9 mL from the 15.000 measurements was 0,09%.

Just a reminder that the maximum deviations allowed by ISO standards is ± 2%.

How do we ensure such accurate volumes?

  • Volumes are automatically checked on each blister pack during production.
  • Our QC lab performs manual checks on representative samples from each batch.

In other words: with Dilucup® you have less guesswork, fewer deviations, and more confidence that your "unexpected enumerations" are real and not simply the result of inaccurate diluent volumes.

  • highly accurate volume 2025 Dilucup dilution tubes 1
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save yourself serial dilutions Dilucup System

A customer of us, a lab manager at a dairy company,
told us about something that happened to her last Friday.

She said that around 16.30,
just as she was getting ready to go home,
she noticed that the new lab technician seemed very upset.

The technician was holding
a rack of dilution tubes in one hand and
a 1 L bottle of solution in the other,
which the manager assumed was a diluent for refilling some tubes.

She asked her how her first week had gone
and if she was happy with them.

At that moment, the technician started crying and said:
"It's something so simple,
and I've done it so badly.
I've been doing dilutions every day this week,
and they've been going well,
but today, in the rush to finish before the weekend,
I got distracted and mixed up the tubes.
It's been an exhausting week."

Our customer told us that she understood her immediately.
A few years ago, it was her the one who stayed ridiculously late
to finish the serial dilutions.
So, she reassured the technician, saying:
“Don’t worry, it’s okay.
We’ve all made mistakes with those darn serial dilutions.
Even though it’s a simple and basic microbiology technique,
it only takes a moment of distraction
for everything to go wrong.”

Then she had an idea
and asked the technician to wait a moment.
She went to another lab,
in a different department of the same building,
and grabbed a blister pack of Dilucup® Elegance
and the Dilugent® Shaker.

When she returned, she said:
“Look, with this you’ll be able to finish the remaining serial dilutions in no time.
Just open the Dilucups you need
and press the pedal to start shaking.”

According to our customer, the technician’s reaction was immediate:
“Wow, this will change everything!”

The manager stayed until the technician finished
so she could close the lab,
and in about 10 minutes she was done
and ready to go home.

As she left, she smiled and said:
"Don't return this instrument to the other lab on Monday,
we're keeping it!"

Our customer told us she went home feeling great
and on Monday she ordered another Dilugent® Shaker for her own lab.

For her, as a lab manager,
the most important thing is that her staff feels comfortable,
and she knows that with the Dilucup® System,
in addition to saving time and resources,
they're also taking care of their people.

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benefits dilutions cups

Benefits of dilution cups - Dilucup® System

⏱️ Save time:

No more weighing, mixing, and sterilizing — go directly from sample arrival to dilution and plating.

📋 Standardize the dilutions:

Each cup includes a highly accurate volume of diluent, validated by our QC lab. Dilutions are always performed the same way, ensuring consistency day after day.

📈Increase reproducibility:

Identical diluents, batch after batch, make your enumerations comparable over time.

🔬 Minimize the risk of contamination:

The Dilucups are sterile and sealed. Less handling and exposure means less risk of contamination.

⚕️ Improve staff safety and ergonomics:

Reduced contact with powders, bacterial strains and hot media means a safer work environment for everyone. Furthermore, the complete elimination of the vortex mixer makes dilutions much more ergonomic and prevents repetitive strain injuries.

🧫 Optimize laboratory resources:

Scales, autoclaves, bacterial strains and many kinds of utensils are no more needed to produce the diluents, so they can be used for other projects. There is no need for calibrations and all Dilucup® batches undergo quality control testing, saving you time and effort.

✔️ Simplify training and workflows:

New staff follow a clear and easy procedure with fewer critical steps where errors can occur.

More benefits
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dilugent shaker screen

Key updates:

  • Grey colour on the screen for deselected Dilucups (previously red), making it easier to distinguish them from Dilucups already used in other samples.
  • Improved overall operational fluidity. For example, if you end a program in 3x7 format, it will now remain in 3x7 format when you reopen it (previously it automatically switched to 6x7).
  • Added Edit function to programs and operator settings.

Latest version of the manual: DSM_2512.6
Latest version of the software: 1.3.0
Download it here: www.labrobot.com/dilugent-shaker/

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black friday 2025 dilugent labrobot

Exclusive Black Friday Offer 2025!

This Black Friday, take advantage of our special offer to upgrade your shaker and further improve the ergonomics and efficiency of your serial dilutions.

Offer details:

We'll buy back your current Dilushaker III for at least 350€, depending on its age, if you purchase a Dilugent® Shaker.

Why upgrade to a Dilugent® Shaker?

    • Improved ergonomics: the Dilucup® tray in the Dilugent® Shaker (8 cm high) is lower than in the Dilushaker III (11 cm high), making it more ergonomic to pipette.
    • Advanced features: better dilution guidance with 3 different colours and a light under each Dilucup®.
    • Data traceability: track your dilution processes with detailed records of batch information, operator ID and more. Not available in the Light

Offer validity: November 2025

How to take advantage of the offer?

  • Contact us or your local distributor to check the value of your current Dilushaker III.
  • Purchase your preferred Dilugent® Shaker model.
  • Return your actual Dilushaker III and receive your buyback credit.

Upgrade your shaker this Black Friday and enjoy the benefits of the Dilugent® Shaker!

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Ergonomic serial dilutions tubes vs Dilucup

Repetitive tasks often take their toll on our bodies.

A common culprit in the lab?

The vortex mixer.

While essential for mixing samples with dilution tubes, its repetitive use can cause significant strain on hands and wrists.

Vortex mixers require constant downward pressure and direct contact, causing vibrations to propagate through the hands to the shoulders. This can lead to fatigue, vascular damage and even nerve damage over time.

For those who spend long hours in the lab, this repetitive strain can become a serious concern.

Fortunately, the Dilucup® System offers a much more comfortable alternative with a hands-free vortexing function. By automating the mixing process, the physical strain associated with manual vortexing is completely eliminated. This not only prevents repetitive strain injuries but also improves overall lab ergonomics.

Why choose Dilucup®?

- Ergonomic design: the shaker absorbs all vibrations and is comfortable to pipette, as the cups are only 8 cm above the table.

-Dilutions are perfectly mixed by the shaker, ensuring reliable and reproducible results.

-Increased productivity: by reducing physical effort and time spent by the user, lab technicians can focus on other tasks, increasing overall efficiency.

Switching to the Dilucup® System is not only about improving serial dilutions, but also about prioritizing the health and well-being of lab personal.

Your arms will thank you!

Benefits
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Ready-to-use diluents Dilucup

Let's explore the 3 most used Dilucup® diluents for making serial dilutions:

  • Maximum Recovery Diluent (MRD):

MRD is an isotonic diluent formulated for the optimal recovery of microorganisms. By combining the protective effects of peptic digest with the osmotic balance of physiological saline, MRD ensures the viability of organisms without allowing them to multiply for a short period. MRD is extensively used in various sectors, including food safety, environmental testing or veterinary applications, among others.

  • Buffered Peptone Water (BPW):

BPW serves as a non-selective pre-enrichment medium, widely used for recovering sub-lethally damaged microorganisms, particularly Salmonella spp., from food samples. Its buffered nature maintains a stable pH, essential for the recovery and growth of these microorganisms, ensuring that they are in optimal condition for further analysis.

  • Saline Solution (NACL):

Known commonly as salt, NaCl is used in laboratories for maintaining osmotic balance in solutions. Its stability and non-toxic nature make it ideal for supporting the growth and maintenance of microorganisms without causing osmotic stress.

Whether you’re involved in food safety, the probiotic or cosmetic industries, environmental testing, paper manufacturing or process water treatment, these Dilucup® diluents are designed to meet your needs.

Dilucup® Elegance
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ready to use dilution media

Have you thought about the time and resources spent on preparing dilution tubes?

The process involves calibrating instruments, mixing chemicals, autoclaving, performing quality control using bacterial strains and finally dispensing into tubes.

If you're lucky and have done everything perfectly, you can use the tubes directly. However, this is often not the case. Risks like cross-contamination or incorrect diluent volumes can lead to discarding entire batches and starting over, wasting valuable time and resources.

In addition, lab-prepared tubes require refrigeration which limits batch sizes. So, you'll likely have to repeat this process every week.

Now, imagine a more efficient solution: simply open a bag, grab the ready-to-use dilution cups, place them on the Dilugent® Shaker and start diluting.

Practical and reliable.

Let us handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on diluting your samples with peace of mind!

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accurate serials dilutions

Dilucup® Elegance is the ultimate solution for accurate and efficient serial dilutions.

Here's why it's a favourite in modern laboratories:

  • Ready-to-use: no preparation, calibration, refilling or cleaning required ⇒ Convenient + save time and resources.
  • Highly accurate diluent volumes: 9 mL ± 0.5% ⇒ Ensures precise results.
  • Long shelf life of 30 months after production ⇒ Keeps your lab stocked and ready.
  • Compact design ⇒ Saves half the space compared to dilution tubes.
  • ISO compliant: meets ISO standards and is mentioned as an alternative in the latest revision ISO 6887-1:2017/Amd 1:2024. ⇒ Standardized dilutions.
  • User-friendly: the cups are easily opened with just two fingers thanks to a thin, easily removable protective film. ⇒ Comfortable to use.
  • High-speed vortexing: the cups can be shaken at high speed (660 rpm) without spilling. ⇒ Ensures homogeneity of the samples and therefore reliable results.
  • Diluents available: MRD, NACL, BPW, EP and DW, with custom options available upon request. ⇒ Versatile, useful in many industries.
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