Agilent Technologies Introduces New GC Autosampler Offering New Speed, Sample Prep Functions and Flexibility

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today introduced the Agilent 7693A Series Automatic Liquid Sampler (ALS), offering substantial gains in throughput, flexibility, sample-preparation automation and serviceability for all current benchtop Agilent gas chromatographs (GC).

“Analytical labs need to run more samples in less time without sacrificing quality, and Agilent has responded in recent years with breakthrough GC designs such as Capillary Flow Technology and Low Thermal Mass GC, both of which deliver tremendous productivity gains,” said Shanya Kane, Agilent vice president and general manager, Gas Chromatography Systems and Workflow Automation. “This new autosampler is the latest example of a long history of Agilent innovations helping GC customers maximize the value of their instruments.” 

The Agilent 7693A replaces the industry-leading 7683B with a completely new design to help users process samples faster while generating better data. The new ALS is modular, letting users configure the exact autosampler they need – starting with a basic injector with a 16-sample turret, and later adding additional capabilities as needs expand. Options include a second injection tower, a 150-vial sample tray and a vial heater/mixer/barcode reader for long unattended operation. The self-aligning “plug and play” injector mounts quickly without tools, and can be moved from one inlet to another, or even between GCs to accommodate changes in workloads and facilitate inlet maintenance.

Speed and Performance

Agilent’s exclusive fast-injection technology is twice the speed of any competitive ALS. Injection time of less than 100 milliseconds minimizes sample degradation and the effects of needle discrimination. Plunger speed can be precisely controlled, enabling true optimization for large volume injections or challenging analyses. The Agilent 7693A is designed to produce excellent peak shapes and highly accurate data. The new injector supports sandwich injection, which enables internal standard and/or solvent aliquots to be added to the syringe prior to injection. New Agilent syringes are designed to minimize carryover and increase syringe life.

The two-injector configuration features Agilent’s exclusive dual simultaneous injector capability, saving considerable time by doubling sample throughput compared to single-injector ALS.

Each injection tower automates analysis of up to 16 samples and also accommodates two solvent bottles and one waste bottle. When used with the vial tray option, the tower accommodates 10 solvent vials and five waste vials plus three sample vial transfer positions. The result is unprecedented sample handling flexibility.

The new vial handling system features three 50-vial racks for a total of 150 samples, an increase of 50 from the previous model. The racks easily fit in refrigerators and don’t occupy much bench space. Agilent also offers a full-tray heater/cooler option for the 7693A.

Automates Pre-Injection Tasks

To streamline many high-throughput workflows such as environmental analysis, food-safety testing or pharmaceutical QC, Agilent offers an optional Heater/Mixer/Barcode Reader module that can automate a number of pre-injection procedures, such as preparing highly viscous or slightly soluble samples. Easy-to-use software lets users tell the instrument to perform sample-preparation routines, such as adding a derivatization agent, heating the sample vial, adding a second solvent, mixing it and then injecting it into the GC.

This results in substantial savings in time and labor, and operator-to-operator variability is eliminated, tremendously reducing the need for rework. Solvent consumption and waste expense can be trimmed by as much as 90 percent, with similar reductions in human exposure to reagents.

Additional details about the new Agilent 7693A Series ALS are available at www.agilent.com/chem/7693A.