Vibrating pipette tips and methods of preventing pipette tip stiction

A testing apparatus, comprising:

• a well containing a liquid and including a cover;
• a pipette system configured to aspirate the liquid contained in the well, the pipette system comprising:
• a pipette including a terminal end and an upper end located opposite the terminal end;
• a pipette tip detachably coupled to the terminal end;
• and
• a vibration inducer positioned above the pipette and including a shaft coupled to the upper end of the pipette, the shaft including an offset weight that is offset a radial distance from a central axial axis extending through the vibration inducer and the shaft, the shaft and the offset weight each rotatable about the central axial axis, the vibration inducer configured to vibrate the pipette tip when at least a portion of the pipette tip is located in the well thus reducing stiction between the cover and the pipette tip;
• and
• a reader for determining a concentration level of an analyte or constituent in a specimen aspirated from the well with the pipette system.

A method of moving a pipette assembly adapted to aspirate a liquid, comprising:

• providing a well containing the liquid and including a cover;
• providing the pipette assembly configured to aspirate the liquid, the pipette assembly comprising a pipette including a terminal end and a pipette tip detachably coupled to the terminal end;
• and
• imparting vibration to the pipette tip via a vibration inducer positioned above the pipette and including a shaft coupled to an upper end of the pipette opposite the terminal end when at least a portion of the pipette tip is located in the well thus reducing stiction between the cover and the pipette tip, the shaft including an offset weight that is offset a radial distance from a central axial axis extending through the vibration inducer and the shaft, the shaft and the offset weight each rotatable about the central axial axis.