An eye dropper, also called Pasteur pipette or simply dropper, is a device used to transfer small quantities of liquids. [1] They are used in the laboratory and also to dispense small amounts of liquid medicines. A very common use was to dispense eye drops into the eye. The commonly recognized form is a glass tube tapered to a narrow point (a pipette) and fitted with a rubber bulb at the top, although many styles of both plastic and glass droppers exist. The combination of the pipette and rubber bulb has also been referred to as a teat pipette. The Pasteur pipette name is from the French scientist Louis Pasteur, who used a variant of them extensively during his research. In the past, there was no equipment to transfer a chemical solution without exposing it to the external environment. The hygiene and purity of chemical compounds is necessary for the expected result of each experiment. The eye dropper, both glass and plastic types, can be sterilized and plugged with a rubber bulb at the open end of the pipette preventing any contamination from the atmosphere. [2] Generally, they are considered cheap enough to be disposable, however, so long as the glass point is not chipped, the eye dropper may be washed and reused indefinitely. The original purpose of the pipet was to transfer small quantities of medicine or fluid without contamination. The bulb at the end helps control the fluid, allowing much safer and better manipulation than with a teaspoon or similar device. Medicine droppers are used to apply eye medication, drip out essential oils and other types of medications. Don't just fill the dropper or syringe to the top. Read the directions carefully to see how much to give your child. Look at the numbers on the side of the dropper or syringe. Use the numbers to fill it to the right line. Or ask your pharmacist or doctor to mark the right line if you are not sure. With OTC or prescription medicines, be sure to call your child's doctor or pharmacist if you have questions like:

Medicine can be measured in different ways. You may see teaspoon (tsp), tablespoon (tbsp or TBSP), or milliliters (mL, ml, or mLs) on the dosing tool.Pipets and drippers are also excellent devices for cleaning up small spills, especially if these spills are of hazardous substances. One such substance you should definitely clean up with a pipet is mercury. This heavy metal is often found in old glass thermometers and is hazardous to touch or smell. If you use a medicine dropper, you can clean up the metal without exposing yourself to any danger. A: The dropper can be sterilized by boiling in water for a few minutes or by using ethyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Hold your baby in the crook of your arm and take up the specified amount of medicine into the glass tube. Your child's doctor may prescribe a liquid medicine. These medicines will have a different label than OTC medicines. Droppers are also known as Pasteur pipets, or simply pipets. There is no functional difference between the two terms, but you’re more likely to hear the term pipet in a laboratory. Droppers can be given with over-the-counter medication to aid with dispensing. You can also buy different kinds of medicine droppers in pharmacies and medical supply stores, should you ever need one. Who Invented Medicine Droppers?

Medicine dropper is a commonly used tool for measuring and administering liquid medication to patients. It is widely used in hospitals, pharmacies, and at home for accurate dosing and ease of use. If you need to use a medicine dropper but are not quite familiar with it, this article will guide you through the basic information on how to properly use it. Laboratory Glassware Disposal | Laboratory Waste Management | Environmental | Safety Programs | EHRS". www.ehrs.upenn.edu . Retrieved 2017-06-06. Most medicines for young children are made up in a sweetened syrup to make them more palatable, and can be given with a spoon, tube, syringe or dropper. Be sure to use the cup that comes with the medicine. These often come over the lids of liquid cold and flu medicines. Don't mix and match cups to different medicines. You might end up giving the wrong amount. Despite its simple configuration and principle, you may be surprised to learn that the medicine dropper was only invented in 19 th century.Remember: never use a kitchen spoon to measure out medicine. This is because kitchen spoons come in lots of different sizes. If you see instructions in teaspoons (tsp) or tablespoons (Tbsp), and you are confused, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Medicine cups On the whole, children do not generally mind medicine too much and often want to pour medicine out for themselves rather than let you give it to them.