LC Syringes Exhibit Minimal Carryover and Low Adsorption Effects

With Hamilton X-Type syringes, a new generation of high-performance injectors for liquid chromatography (LC) will soon be available from CTC Analytics. X-Type syringes, developed in collaboration with CTC analytics, boast an extremely long life with minimal carryover and low adsorption effects. These syringes are suitable for analysing sticky samples and have been specifically developed for use in CTC PAL autosampler systems.

As the actual separation process starts when the sample volume is injected into the chromatographic system, injectors are the starting point in LC and the syringe is at the heart of this process. The injection is especially critical in the field of high throughput LC used in pharmaceutical analytics where highly efficient, long-life injection syringes are needed, as chemical inertness is a basic prerequisite. Since extremely small sample amounts are being measured, minimal carryover of sample substances and low adsorption effects is a must.

X-Type syringes are developed by Hamilton in collaboration with CTC Analytics and fully comply with all the requirements of a CTC system. Even in high throughput processes, the chemically inert syringes offer an extended product life. To prevent adsorption and minimise carryover of sample substances, the internal surfaces of the glass barrel have been smoothed by a special inorganic coating. The inside and outside of the needle are also coated to eliminate sample-to-surface binding.

The goal of minimising carryover drives the syringes’ construction, as the needle and glass barrel are directly attached to each other. Thanks to this adhesive-free and chemically inert bond, dead volumes are eliminated, leaving no voids where sample residues can remain and be carried over to the next injection. To achieve high mechanical stability even in the most demanding processes, the plunger tip is made of a specially formulated PTFE polymer.

This new syringe generation is well suited for handling sticky samples such as proteins, peptides, phospholipids and amino acids. X-Type syringes are available in volume sizes of 25 and 100 µl.

Hamilton Bonaduz AG, +41 81 660 67 41, mnipius@hamilton.ch, www.hamilton.ch.