Automated Online Sample Preparation

Waters Corporation (USA) recently announced that their ACQUITY UPLC System is now available with online solid phase extraction (SPE) technology from Spark Holland BV. The Waters ACQUITY UPLC Online SPE Manager is based on a special version of the highly-popular Spark Holland online SPE technology, which Spark Holland is making available to Waters exclusively. The Waters ACQUITY UPLC Online SPE Manager is now available as an integrated Waters UPLC/MS system or as an upgrade to installed ACQUITY UPLC Systems under an agreement with Spark Holland. High-throughput analytical laboratories can now streamline sample preparation and analysis time and generate test results faster than before. The integrated system is sold and supported by Waters worldwide.

Combining UPLC technology with Spark Hollands online SPE technology offers compelling benefits to high-throughput laboratories intent on producing the highest-quality test results, quickly and reproducibly for UPLC/MS analyses, said Ian King, Vice President, Separations Technologies, Waters Division. Automating the process of sample preparation can help laboratories greatly improve turnaround times, reduce errors and the control costs.

Coupling online SPE to UPLC efficiently, while maintaining the unique benefit of disposable SPE cartridges, is a major technological challenge that performs best in a completely integrated fashion, said Rob van der Knaap, President, Spark Holland. Integration of our online SPE technology with the ACQUITY UPLC System creates a superior platform for completely automated SPE-UPLC based analyses.

Leading laboratories use Spark Holland automated sample preparation devices to streamline sample preparation and analysis for routine, high throughput applications. Scientists employ online solid phase extraction when removing involatile salts, ion suppressing species and other interferences from samples prior to analysis. This reduces analysis time, reduces errors caused by manual SPE procedures, as well as provides a significant improvement in selectivity and concentrates analytes for better sensitivity. Covance Inc, one of the worlds largest drug development services companies, employs automated online SPE and reports that it frequently allows quantification of even very large peptides down to the 10 pg/mL level in human plasma.