SPE: High reproducibility = faster, more reliable results using less solvent

Porvair Sciences announces the launch of Microlute™ CSi 96 well SPE plates, using its proprietary SPE technology designed to improve SPE extractions.

The objectives of any pre-analysis extraction may be diverse; analyte concentration, sample clean up or solvent change, but a key part of developing a method is ensuring that the analysed sample is representative of the sample prior to extraction for the analytes of interest. Therefore any method used to prepare a sample and any product used in that extraction must have a high level consistency of performance.

As the manufacturer of Vyon^® porous plastic, Porvair Sciences is a world leader in the manufacture of support frits used for loose packed solid phase extraction cartridges and plates. The same sintering technology can however be used to form a chromatographically active single frit resulting in an SPE product that has far greater flow consistency compared to loose silica or polymeric beds. By combining the chromatography media with the frit powder prior to sintering, the media is physically, rather than chemically held within the porous frit.

Solid chromatographically active porous frit technology used in the Microlute™ range of sample preparation products, prevents the forming of channels, voids or zones of varying compaction in the bed since the media is physically held within the frit structure. This ensures the flow through each frit is consistent, meaning a more reproducible interaction between chromatographic media and the analytes.

With a more consistent flow through the frit all solvents will pass through at a more consistent rate eluting in unison. This removes the need to artificially extend the extraction waiting for all wells to empty. The extraction is faster.

If a sample has more uniform interaction with the media, reproducibility of recovery is improved. Since confidence in individual extractions is increased, fewer samples need to be analysed to get reliable results. Fewer samples, less solvent, more efficient methods.

At low bed weights, the dead volume of the Microlute frit from the polyethylene material is reduced. This means elution volumes can be lower, therefore the concentration of analytes is higher than typical products and analyses have a higher sensitivity.

A number of reports exist quoting sample processing and preparation as the greatest source of error in any chromatographic measurement. Using the Porvair Sciences Microlute™ one of the main causes of these errors is eliminated leading to faster more reliable results with higher sensitivity, while using less solvent.