A glass puller is a laboratory instrument used to create fine, tapered glass micropipettes or microelectrodes. The choice of filament for the glass puller is crucial, as it directly influences the heating element's performance and, consequently, the quality of the pulled glass. Different types and shapes of filaments can be used, and the selection depends on factors such as the desired pipette. A trough filament is used in some capillary glass pullers, and it is designed to creates a trough or indentation along its length.
This design allows for localized heating. The groove is somewhat U-shape, creating a depression in the filament. The trough design allows for localized heating along the groove, influencing the glass softening and pulling process in a specific way.
Trough filaments give you controlled taper angles in the pulled capillaries. The localized heating helps create more precise and consistent tapers. They are often used when researchers require extremely fine and sharp capillaries with a specific taper for applications such as microinjection or microelectrode used in intracellular recordings. They fit into the P-30 micropipette puller.
