Agilent Vials and Sample Containment Solutions

Význam tématu

In high-throughput analytical laboratories, seemingly simple consumables such as sample vials, caps, and septa can have a profound impact on data quality, instrument uptime, and operating costs. Poor-quality or incompatible vials lead to sample loss, contamination, and autosampler failures, undermining confidence in results and damaging laboratory productivity. Agilent’s vials and containment solutions are engineered to meet stringent quality standards, ensuring sample integrity from injection to detection.

Cíle a přehled studie

This whitepaper presents Agilent’s comprehensive portfolio of vials, caps, septa, and related accessories. Key objectives include demonstrating how rigorous manufacturing and quality control processes translate into consistent vial performance, illustrating cost and time savings in real-world workflows, and showcasing instrument compatibility across major chromatography and mass spectrometry platforms.

Použitá metodika a instrumentace

• Glass chemistry: Use of Type 33 and 51 low-metal glass to minimize analyte adsorption and leaching.
• Surface treatments: Deactivated (silanized) vials and PTFE-lined septa for enhanced inertness, critical in trace and MS applications.
• Quality control: Automated vision inspection, pierce testing with Agilent needles, and over 30 dimensional checkpoints per lot.
• Instrument compatibility: Validation with over 50 autosampler models from Agilent, Waters, Thermo, Shimadzu, PerkinElmer, CTC, Bruker, and others.
• Accessory evaluation: Electronic and manual crimpers/decappers to ensure reproducible seals and operator ergonomics.

Hlavní výsledky a diskuse

• Performance metrics: Up to 30% faster capping with short-thread screw caps and electric crimpers; elimination of unexpected peaks due to septa bleed or vial glass leachables.
• Cost savings: Zero-cost technical support, reduced consumable scrap, and up to USD 100K annual savings in troubleshooting and reruns at high-volume sites.
• Reliability: 100% of vials inspected under ISO-9001 procedures; hundreds of millions shipped annually with consistent lot-to-lot performance.
• Case studies: Pharmaceutical and environmental laboratories documented improved retention time precision, reduced needle clogging, and elimination of overnight run failures.

Přínosy a praktické využití metody

Agilent vial systems offer several concrete benefits for routine and regulated environments:

• Enhanced throughput: Inert surfaces and precision boreholes minimize variability in low-level analyte measurements.
• Operational efficiency: Integrated selection tools and global distribution ensure orders arrive within 48 hours.
• Regulatory compliance: Certificates of Analysis for each lot support QA/QC and traceability requirements.
• Application versatility: From micro-volumes in high-sensitivity LC/MS to headspace analysis of volatile compounds, specialized vial types are available in glass, polypropylene, and deactivated formats.

Budoucí trendy a možnosti využití

• Advanced materials: Development of novel polymer blends and hybrid coatings to further reduce siloxane bleed and extend temperature ranges.
• Smart consumables: Integration of RFID or data matrix coding on vial trays for automated inventory tracking and method logging.
• High-throughput automation: Enhanced compatibility with robotic sample handlers and plate-based formats for ultra-large-scale screening.
• Green initiatives: Reusable and recyclable vial designs to reduce laboratory waste and environmental footprint.

Závěr

Agilent’s vials, caps, septa, and accessories deliver a fully integrated containment solution that safeguards sample integrity, streamlines lab workflows, and lowers total cost of ownership. Through rigorous glass selection, precise manufacturing, and exhaustive quality control, these consumables support reliable, high-accuracy analyses across a wide range of techniques and instruments.

Reference

No external literature cited in this document.