Spark Holland BV is a technology leader in automated front-end sample preparation. They developed the Intermediate Loop Decompression Valve technology to ensure that UHPLC systems are able to manage pressure differences superbly. The technology is both analytically correct and maximizes the lifetime of UHPLC columns.
So here’s my first public technical explanimation. I’ve done several more recently – looking quite a bit different too – but those can’t yet be disclosed. Since this is a technical animation there are no characters to animate; character-wise the best part is at 2:05.
This was a collaboration with Bart Kip from Focus Product Innovation who got me involved with the project. You should see our other stuff with his superb drawings – I hope to be able to share these with you soon.
One of Spark’s machines, the Endurance, even features on Mythbusters! That’s how wicked good they are at what they do.
“This meticulous machine will detect exactly what each sample contains!”
Below is the voice over for the ILD animation.
Injecting a small sample into a UHPLC system with 100% accuracy is quite a challenge!
Lets see how ILD technology meets that challenge!During the separation, the sample loop is under ultra high pressure.
The syringe has filled the needle plus connecting tubing with sample to prepare for injection.
When the injection valve switches into load-position …
the compressed liquid in the loop expands forcefully via the only outlet: the sample needle.
The effect is uncontrolled dilution of the sample near the inlet of the sample loop.
The syringe draws an accurate volume of sample into the loop, but …
part of that volume is diluted sample.
Switching the injection valve introduces the partly diluted sample into the UHPLC system
resulting in peaks that represent …
analyte concentration with a negative deviation in accuracyThe solution. Watch how it works.
A radial groove in the rotor connected to an additional valve outlet enables decompression of the sample loop before connecting to the sample: Intermediate Loop Decompression.
Back to the starting position:
The sample loop is under ultra high pressure.
The syringe has filled the needle plus connecting tubing with sample to prepare for injection.
When switching to load-position the radial groove will pass one of the sample loop ports …
allowing the liquid in the loop to expand …
via the new central outlet port to wasteSo, when the valve arrives at load-position, the sample loop is already at ambient pressure!
The syringe draws an accurate volume of sample into the loop.
A volume that is 100% sample, no dilution!
Switching the valve will now introduce an accurate 100% sample volume into the UHPLC system
Resulting in peaks that represent analyte concentration …
with 100% accuracyILD technology, the solution with 100% accuracy.