Biotage Horizon 5000 - Users Guide

Significance of Automated SPE in Analytical Chemistry

Solid phase extraction (SPE) is a cornerstone technique for isolating target analytes from aqueous matrices in environmental, pharmaceutical and industrial laboratories. Automating SPE improves throughput, reproducibility and operator safety by minimizing solvent usage, eliminating emulsions and reducing manual handling of hazardous reagents. The Biotage® Horizon 5000 addresses growing demand for high-volume, reliable sample preparation in quality control, environmental monitoring and research settings.

System Overview and Objectives

The Biotage Horizon 5000 is a modular SPE disk extraction platform designed to optimize semi-volatile organics, oil-and-grease and similar analyses.

• Objective: Provide fully automated, bar code–enabled extraction of analytes from aqueous samples using disposable or reusable SPE disks.
• Configuration: Each extractor module houses three independent stations; up to four modules (12 samples) can be controlled via a single PC.
• Capabilities: On-board solvent selection (up to seven solvents per module), vacuum control, liquid sensing, nitrogen/air drying and fraction collection into diverse vessel formats.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Instrumentation is comprised of extractor modules and Windows-based PC software.

• Extractor Module: Internal solvent selector valve, solvent-compatible pump, vacuum pumps, solenoid valves, level sensors (load/overflow), water inlet valve (WIV), solvent spray nozzle and exhaust fan. Requires external solvent and waste containers, optional nitrogen source and exhaust duct.
• Software: Intuitive graphical interface for method creation, assignment and real-time status monitoring. Preloaded factory methods (e.g., EPA 525.2, EPA 608) can be customized or copied. Bar code scanning and LIMS export supported.
• SPE Disks: 47 mm, 50 mm, 90 mm and 100 mm formats; chemistries include C18, DVB, HLB and one-pass formats. Fast-flow and prefilter assemblies enhance handling of high-particulate samples.
• Workflow Steps: (1) Disk conditioning with sequence of solvents; (2) water sample loading under controlled vacuum; (3) bottle rinsing with polar and nonpolar solvents; (4) analyte elution into collection vessel; (5) drying step under air or nitrogen to remove residual water.

Main Features and Discussion

The system’s modular design and software intelligence yield several advantages:

• Throughput: Twelve samples in parallel increase productivity for batch-oriented laboratories.
• Reproducibility: Precise solvent delivery, programmable vacuum settings and automated drying ensure consistent recoveries.
• Safety and Sustainability: On-board pumps eliminate external vacuum/gas sources; reduced solvent volumes limit exposure; optional exhaust and nitrogen blanketing minimize vapors.
• Flexibility: Up to four independent methods can run simultaneously; methods can be rapidly tailored to new disk chemistries or regulatory protocols.
• Data Integrity: Automated run reporting, user/operator tracking and LIMS integration provide audit-ready documentation and traceability.

Benefits and Practical Applications

The Biotage Horizon 5000 supports:

• Environmental testing for drinking water, wastewater and soil-leachates, meeting EPA and ISO standards.
• Food and beverage QA/QC for pesticide residues and contaminants.
• Pharmaceutical and biological sample pre-cleanup prior to chromatographic or spectrometric analysis.
• Petrochemical and industrial pollutant monitoring, including oil-and-grease determination.

Future Trends and Possibilities

Emerging directions include:

• Integration with upstream autosamplers and downstream evaporation/concentration systems for seamless end-to-end workflows.
• Development of greener solvent protocols and mixed-mode SPE disks to enhance selectivity and environmental compliance.
• Advanced software analytics and IIoT connectivity for predictive maintenance, method sharing across networked sites and cloud-based data management.
• Miniaturization and microfluidic SPE cartridges to reduce sample and reagent volumes further.

Conclusion

The Biotage Horizon 5000 represents a significant advance in SPE automation, delivering high throughput, robust method adaptability and comprehensive data management for modern analytical laboratories. By combining modular hardware with intuitive software, the system reduces manual interventions, enhances reproducibility and supports regulatory compliance across diverse applications.