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Dead Volume

Calculating and minimising dead volume in liquid handling protocols across labware and instrument types.

All Tecan Hamilton Hamilton STAR Protocol Scripting Protocol Optimisation Dead Volume QA & Validation Venus Scripting
Dead Volume in Hamilton Reagent Reservoirs: What You're Leaving Behind and Why It Matters

Dead volume in flat-bottom Hamilton reservoirs is geometry-driven and calculable — here's how to get the number right and avoid run failures.

Dead Volume in Microplates: Geometry, Accuracy, and Why Your Wells Are Never Quite Empty

Dead volume in microplates is a per-well, per-transfer problem at the 5-500 µL scale — here's how plate format and tip selection change the calculation.

Dead Volume in Tecan Reagent Troughs: Why the Taper Changes Everything

Tecan's tapered troughs concentrate liquid for better low-volume aspiration, but the non-linear geometry means the flat-bottom dead volume formula doesn't apply.

Hamilton vs Tecan Troughs: A Dead Volume Comparison

Hamilton flat-bottom and Tecan tapered troughs make different geometric trade-offs that produce meaningfully different dead volume profiles — here's how to choose and migrate between them.