Method for leak-testing hand-held piston stroke pipettes and associated leak-testing apparatus

A leak testing apparatus for leak testing of a hand-held, single-channel or multichannel piston stroke pipette, said leak testing apparatus comprising:

• a motor-driven vacuum pump;
• at least one holder for sealed connection to a free end of at least one pipette tip slipped onto a pipette;
• a line system extending between the at least one holder and the vacuum pump, the line system with connecting sections of the leak testing apparatus forming a defined connection volume;
• an electronic control apparatus;
• a data storage assigned to the electronic control apparatus;
• a pressure sensor connected to the line system and to the electronic control apparatus;
• and
• a display apparatus, wherein
• the leak testing apparatus being located externally of the pipette and the electronic control apparatus being configured to evacuate the pipette, the pipette tip, and the connection volume by the vacuum pump, stopping or disconnecting the vacuum pump, and sealing the connection volume, and with the connection volume sealed, the pressure sensor measuring the pressure in the connection volume at at least one of during and after a defined time interval with any pressure rise that occurs being determined, and depending upon the determined pressure rise, the pipette being evaluated as to whether the pipette is sufficiently tight/usable or insufficiently tight/unusable.