Abstract: An automatic filling micropipette is formed from a tubular body having an open end, and being closed or having a piston at an opposite end. The tubular body is sized to permit liquid to flow into the tubular body by capillary action. An aperture is provided in the sidewall, the aperture having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the open end.

Abstract: A self-sealing fluid collection tube is provided with an elongated bore and a fluid entry end. A plug of super-absorbent material is provided within the tube opposite the fluid entry end. This plug is preferably vented and is adapted to seal the tube by expanding when contacted by a fluid, such as blood. After the fluid has been collected, the tube is placed in a pipetter-dispenser in which a plunger, which is inserted into the tube, moves through a calibrated distance thereby advancing the plug into the tube and expelling a selected volume of fluid from the tube. Alternatively, the fluid may be transferred into another receptacle by piercing the sealed plug to form a new vent channel to permit drainage of the collected fluid into a receptacle.