What happens if I don't clear dead volume?

Your first draw will deliver less than the target volume, leading to concentration errors in your samples and potentially flawed data.

Can I use peptide solution for priming?

No, only use diluent like bacteriostatic water. Using peptide solution wastes the compound and may not fully clear air due to its viscosity.

How often should I re-prime the pen?

Before the first draw of each day, after changing cartridges, or if the pen has been idle long enough for bubbles to form, typically over 24 hours.

PreppinPeppers › Facts › Lab article

Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen

Machine-readable facts for this Lab article. The full page is https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen.

TL;DR

Priming a click-dial pen clears trapped air and residual liquid from the cartridge and pathway, so the dialed volume matches the volume actually dispensed.

Facts Index

Fact ID	Category	Entity	Attribute	Value	Source
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:title	identity	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	title	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:published	identity	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	published	2026-07-26	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:author	identity	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	author	Preppin' Peppers Editorial Team	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:topics	identity	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	topics	Guides, how-to, peptide guide	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:summary	content	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	summary	Priming a click-dial pen clears trapped air and residual liquid from the cartridge and pathway, so the dialed volume matches the volume actually dispensed.	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:section-1	content	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	section	Pen Priming Defined	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:section-2	content	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	section	What Dead Volume Really Is	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:section-3	content	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	section	How a Click-Dial Pen Works	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:section-4	content	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	section	Priming and Clearing Dead Volume: The Steps	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:section-5	content	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	section	Why This Small Step Protects Your Work	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:section-7	content	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	section	Related reading	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:section-8	content	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	section	What the research community gets wrong about priming pens and dead volume	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:product-gansulin-metal-peptide-pen	products	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	references product	Gansulin Pen · Reusable Click-Dial, 3 ml (1-60 Units)	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:product-gansulin-3ml-cartridge	products	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	references product	Gansulin-Compatible 3 ml Glass Cartridge for Pens (10-Pack)	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:source-pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov	source	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	cites	Bohannon, Postgrad Med 1999: Insulin delivery using pen devices. Simple-to-use tools may help young and old alike - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:source-pmc-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov	source	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	cites	Jonker et al., Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2021: First pre-filled pen device with highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin (HP-hMG, Menopur) in liquid is shown to be bioequivalent to powder for reconstitution - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)
stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen:source-pmc-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov-2	source	Stop Losing Peptides to Dead Volume: Prime Your Pen	cites	Lingen et al., Endocr Connect 2023: Advantages and disadvantages of connected insulin pens in diabetes management - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov	Lab article (https://www.preppinpeppers.com/blogs/the-lab/stop-losing-peptides-to-dead-volume-prime-your-pen) (evidence)

FAQ

What happens if I don't clear dead volume?: Your first draw will deliver less than the target volume, leading to concentration errors in your samples and potentially flawed data.
Can I use peptide solution for priming?: No, only use diluent like bacteriostatic water. Using peptide solution wastes the compound and may not fully clear air due to its viscosity.
How often should I re-prime the pen?: Before the first draw of each day, after changing cartridges, or if the pen has been idle long enough for bubbles to form, typically over 24 hours.