INOCULATING WIRES

 Inoculating wires are the instruments used for inocluting a culture into a medium.

These are originally made of Platinum but for convenience we use Nichrome wires.

Nichrome wires are 2 inches long, also known as Eureka resistance wire.

Generally No.24 SWG is being used.

TYPES OF INOCULATING WIRES :

1. Loop 

•  These are flat, circular, completely closed loop with 2 - 4mm internal diameter.
• Pre-sterilized disposable loops and other applicators made of plastics are commercially available.

2. Straight Wires

• Mainly used for stab cultures.
• Useful in picking off single colonies.

3. Thick Wire

• No.60 SWG used here.
• This is more rigid and useful for lifting Thick viscid Sputum.
• L-shaped wires are used for fungal colonies.

4. Scalpel

• Used for inoculations from scrappings of tissues and ulcers.

5. Sterile Pipettes

• Graduated 1ml or 10ml glass Pipettes or disposable glass or plastic Pipettes are used for Liquid inocula of 0.1 and 10ml.

6. Sterile Capillary Pipettes

• Heat a piece of glass tubing of 5mm bore and 20cm long.
• A thin capillary is made in the middle.
• It is nicked with carborundum disk and broken.
• 2 Pipettes are obtained by this procedure.
• It is useful for the transfer of liquid in volumes that don't need to be measured correctly.

7. Plastic Pipettes, Pipette tips, constant volume Pipettes, Repeater Pipettes 

• Used for dispensing small volume of fluid with accuracy and safety.