Non-trivial Balance of Centrifuge Rotors

Abstract

Centrifuges are indispensable instruments in ecotoxicology laboratories. For the safe operation of centrifuges, ensuring balance is a must. Loading test tubes in opposite holes and adding dummy tubes are far from the only ways to balance the centrifuge rotors. The balance can be sought with higher-order symmetrical configurations of tubes, which offer operational advantages, particularly in dealing with tubes of unequal mass. Since the higher-order symmetrical configurations are a bit complicated, an open-source tool was introduced to assist laboratory workers in the adoption of this non-trivial approach.