INTEGRA Biosciences has received a Red Dot Design Award for its innovative VIAFLO ASSIST - a new laboratory device that, in combination with a VIAFLO II electronic handheld pipette, enables the pipette’s protocols to be performed automatically.

With its origins dating back to 1955, the Red Dot Design Award ranks among the most renowned design competitions in the world. INTEGRA received the prestigious Red Dot Design Award for the innovative design and function of its VIAFLO ASSIST pipetting assistant that reduces the need for traditional handheld pipetting to a minimum, relieving lab personnel from activities that may cause repetitive stress injuries.

The VIAFLO ASSIST met the Red Dot Design Award jury's criteria of degree of innovation, functionality, formal quality, ergonomics, durability, symbolic and emotional content, product periphery, self-explanatory quality and ecological compatibility. Some 4.815 products were submitted in 23 main categories and have been evaluated by the international jury comprising 40 renowned designers. Following the award announcement, the VIAFLO ASSIST will be put on display in the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany.

"Handheld pipetting requires practice to achieve steady reproducible pipetting results", said Juerg Bass - Marketing & Communications Manager for INTEGRA. "Typical parameters influencing performance are tip immersion depth and pipetting angle. The automated pipetting capability of VIAFLO ASSIST ensures these parameters are always the same, resulting in increased reproducibility and thus better results". "This prestigious design award underlines how INTEGRA strives to provide ergonomic laboratory tools to customers that help improve the ease with which they can undertake their working practices and also increase productivity".

The VIAFLO ASSIST works with all VIAFLO II multichannel pipettes enabling precision pipetting throughout the volume range of 0.5 – 1250 µl. To use the VIAFLO ASSIST, simply mount a VIAFLO II electronic pipette onto the pipette adapter, choose a protocol and press the run button. VIAFLO ASSIST will then obtain the protocol via Bluetooth from the VIAFLO II electronic pipette and automatically execute it.

With around 2,000 exhibits spread over an area of more than 4,000 square metres, the Red Dot Design Museum houses the largest exhibition of contemporary design worldwide. The award-winning products from the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2014 will be presented in an impressive special exhibition from 8 July to 3 August 2014.

INTEGRA Biosciences is a leading provider of high-quality laboratory tools for liquid handling, media preparation, sterilization and cell cultivation. The company is committed to creating innovative solutions which fulfil the needs of its customers in research, diagnostics and quality control within the life science markets and medical industry. Today, INTEGRA innovative laboratory products are widely used all around the world. More than ninety distribution-partners form a worldwide sales network providing responsive and competent services to customers. These distribution partners are supported by a highly motivated and experienced team of specialists at the company headquarters in Zizers, Switzerland and Hudson, NH, USA.  INTEGRA is an ISO 9001 certified company.

more about the VIAFLO ASSIST

more about the Red Dot design Awards

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