Picus NxT from Sartorius Stedim Biotech - lighter electronic pipette with guided dosing

Reviewed: ad hoc news Accessory & Components desk. Edited and checked on 2026-06-28, 15:59. Details in the imprint.

The Picus NxT electronic pipette from Sartorius Stedim Biotech sits lightly in the hand, the thumb resting on a quiet trigger while the display glows a clean blue on the bench. After ten minutes of plate work, you feel less strain than with a classic clicky manual pipette.

What Picus NxT is built for

Picus NxT is a compact electronic pipette designed for high-throughput tasks such as plate filling, serial dilutions and routine liquid transfers in research and QC labs. Compared with a classic mechanical pipette, it automates plunger movement and timing, which cuts down on thumb fatigue during long runs.

Users can usually select preprogrammed modes like pipetting, reverse pipetting, mixing and multi-dispensing via a simple menu structure on the top-mounted screen, then fine-tune parameters such as volume, speed and cycles. That flexibility makes one device cover workflows that previously needed several different manual pipettes.

How it feels in daily use

Hold Picus NxT over a 96-well plate and you notice the balance: most of the weight sits close to your palm, so the tip end does not drag your wrist downward over time. The smooth motor drive produces a quiet, consistent sound, more like a soft whirr than the sharp mechanical clicks of a manual pipette.

Many lab technicians mention that the electronic trigger allows them to keep a more relaxed grip, especially in repetitive multi-dispense routines. For left-handed users, the symmetrical design and centrally placed display help reduce awkward angles when reaching the back rows of a plate.

Key features and modes

Picus NxT is typically available in single-channel and multi-channel variants, covering common volume ranges such as 0.2-10 µl, 1-20 µl, 5-100 µl and 50-1200 µl. That span lets one product line cover everything from PCR setups to larger buffer transfers in assay preparation.

The electronic control allows adjustable pipetting speed, which is useful when working with foaming reagents or viscous liquids that benefit from slower aspiration. Some configurations also offer step-based multi-dispense, where one aspiration feeds a programmed number of equal dispenses into successive wells.

Strengths and compromises

For many lab managers, the strongest argument for Picus NxT is ergonomic. Sartorius cites reduced thumb exertion compared with purely mechanical pipettes, which can be relevant in labs with strict occupational health policies and staff who pipette for several hours per day.

The trade-off is that an electronic pipette needs charging and occasional battery replacement, adding one more small maintenance item to the bench. If a team forgets to dock the pipette after use, the next morning’s run can start with a sobering low-battery warning instead of the first plate.

Who buys Picus NxT

Typical buyers include academic core facilities, biopharmaceutical R&D groups and diagnostic labs that work with microplates. In a quality control lab, one Picus NxT can support several assays a day, from potency tests to stability studies, where repeatability and clear audit trails matter.

Some teams pair Picus NxT with automated plate handlers, using the pipette for flexible steps that are not worth fully automating. That way, they keep throughput high while still allowing scientists to adjust protocols on the fly at the bench.

Price and availability

Picus NxT is generally positioned above classic manual pipettes on price, reflecting its electronics and broader functionality. Institutional buyers often acquire it via laboratory distributors under framework agreements rather than as single online purchases, which makes list prices in public catalogs only a rough guide.

In Europe, the product is sold through Sartorius’s own channels and specialist lab equipment retailers, often bundled with compatible pipette tips and service packages. In North America and Asia, distribution typically runs through regional partners that integrate Picus NxT into wider portfolios of pipettes, balances and filtration equipment.

Human factor in the design

Sartorius’s pipette portfolio traces back to decades of mechanical pipette design, but Picus NxT marks a clear electronic turn. Product managers like to highlight that the handle shape and trigger tension were iterated with working lab technicians, not just internal engineers, to better match real-world bench habits.

A lab supervisor describing the switch from classic manual pipettes to Picus NxT often mentions fewer end-of-day complaints about sore thumbs. In some teams, that ergonomic benefit has become part of the pitch when recruiting young scientists who expect modern tools rather than legacy hardware.

Stock angle in one sentence

Overall, Sartorius Stedim Biotech shares (ISIN FR0013154002) trade primarily in Paris, and recurring sales of pipetting systems like Picus NxT feed into the group’s broader lab equipment revenue rather than short-term share price spikes.

This article was AI-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information without guarantee; prices and availability may change at short notice. No investment advice, no buy or sell recommendation. Stock-market transactions involve risks up to total loss.

en | FR0013154002 | SARTORIUS STEDIM | boerse | 69647614 | bgmi