CHROMTECH puts together automated sample preparations based on the RTC or RSI PAL autosampler, which replace manual laboratory activities. These include, among other things, serial dilution, mixing of different liquids, heating, cleaning, concentration, and filtration.

In the following example we present a solution for syringe filtration (SyFi).

In the laboratory syringe filters are very often used to filter small volumes of a solution. By a technique called pressure filtration, the sample solution in a syringe is manually pressed through the membrane of the syringe filter.
A typical field of application is sample preparation (“clean-up”) in chromatographic analysis methods such as gas and liquid chromatography (GC or HPLC).
The syringe filtration is characterized by only a very small dead volume.
Syringe filters are available in many designs and different pore sizes, with mostly 0.45µm or 0.2µm filters being used.

Depending on the application, different filter sizes (diameters) as well as single or multiple use of the filters is possible. Thanks to the automatic tool change, the RTC PAL autosampler enables both the unfiltered solution to be drawn up and the syringe filter to be subsequently picked up from its tray position for filtration of the sample.

The filtration process can either take place (1) in the open sample vial on the sampler tray, or (2) by usage of our SlotCover option into a septum closed vial or (3) after automatic opening with the help of the PAL Decapper module in a previously sealed sample vial.
Depending on the type and number of syringe filters required for the respective application, different tray configurations are available on request.