ULTRA-xr Markes International
100-tube autosampler for unattended high-throughput thermal desorption analysis.
ULTRA-xr™ is a high-throughput autosampler that adds to the UNITY-xr thermal desorption unit, for the rapid and unattended analysis of VOCs and SVOCs from up to 100 sample sorbent tubes in a single sequence.
ULTRA-xr is ideal for analytical laboratories wishing to upgrade their existing UNITY-xr system to process multiple sample tubes efficiently, or upgrade their ability to re-collect split samples.
Product benefits
• Enhance throughput – with capacity for up to 100 tubes and all the performance advantages of UNITY-xr, you can generate reliable data all weekend.
• Peace of mind – by automating sample re-collection for repeat analysis, ULTRA-xr offers simple method/data validation and overcomes the ‘one-shot’ limitation of other systems.
• Future-proof your lab – ULTRA–UNITY-xr systems are compatible with on-line and canister automation – allowing you to expand as the needs of your lab grow.
• Save time and money – free-up your laboratory staff with robust automation for your world-leading UNITY-xr thermal desorber.
Features
• Automated, cryogen-free, unattended operation for up to 100 sample tubes.
• Confidence in results through quantitative sample re-collection of split flows.
• Robust design accommodates standard 3½″ sample tubes.
• Compatibility with a variety of analytes over a wide concentration range makes the UNITY–ULTRA-xr ideal for most TD–GC–MS applications.
• Method compliance aided by leak-testing, water management and addition of internal standard.
• Enhanced traceability of samples using barcodes and RFID TubeTAGs.
• High-precision parts result in increased robustness.
| Autosampler operation |
| The automated TD should be compatible with RFID-tagged or untagged tubes and include automatic tag read/write to facilitate tube tracking and automate the process of inserting sample/tube specific information into the automation sequence |
| For maximum productivity (e.g. operation throughout an entire weekend), the system should have capacity for up to 100 industry standard sample tubes. |
| For maximum productivity it must be possible to operate the automated desorber in ‘overlap’ mode – i.e. for the system to begin pre-desorption tests and primary desorption of a subsequent sample, while the chromatographic cycle of the previous sample is still in progress. |
| The system must offer the option of dry purging tubes with carrier gas, in the sampling direction and at ambient temperature, as part of the automatic analytical sequence in compliance with US EPA Method TO-17 |
| Tubes must be properly sealed before and after sampling with inert, non-emitting caps. Neither septa seals nor abutting the tube ends against a flat surface is a suitable sealing mechanism |
| The tube caps used on the TD autosampler must not use PTFE-coated o-rings as seals as these have been shown to leak causing loss of analyte and possible ingress of contaminants |
| To minimise risk of mechanical failure the instrument should not be required to remove or replace caps during analysis. |
| Every tube should be subjected to the integrated ambient temperature, no-flow leak test before desorption and should not be analysed if any leak is detected. Failed tubes should be left intact and logged in system memory awaiting user intervention. After a tube has failed the leak test, the system should continue to test and analyse subsequent tubes. |
| If a tube fails the leak test during an automatic sequence, a GC run should be initiated to keep the desorber sequence in-synch with that of the GC(-MS.) The system should stop if a more serious error (i.e. one requiring user intervention to the system itself) occurs. |
| The automated desorber must offer the option of automatic addition of gas-phase internal standard to each sorbent tube in the sampling direction. |
| Standard addition should only occur after leak testing and before any other stage of operation in compliance with the recommendations of key standard methods such as US EPA Method TO-17 |
| The system should also allow gas-phase standard to be introduced to the sampling end of blank tubes after leak testing, but without subjecting them to the desorption process. This will enable blank tubes to be pre-loaded with internal standard before being used for field monitoring |
| Automation of split re-collection |
| Automatic re-collection of the outlet (trap) split flow from up to 50 sample tubes must be possible without using the original (primary) sample tube for the re-collection process (NB Using the original sample tube to re-collect the split flow would render any validation work meaningless). PATENT GB2395785 |
| Systems offering automatic re-collection of outlet split flow on a single TD autosampler should also offer manual re-collection of inlet (tube) and outlet (trap) split flow in order to facilitate validation of inlet or double split methods |
| It should also be possible to upgrade to automated re-collection at any time |
