Maintaining Lab Operations in Extraordinary Times - Dealing with operating impacts from the COVID-19 Coronavirus - GC

Importance of Maintaining Lab Operations During Crises

Maintaining analytical instrumentation under disruptive conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, is essential to prevent unplanned downtime, safeguard data integrity, and extend the lifetime of critical consumables. Proactive maintenance and remote monitoring strategies support continued productivity and compliance when normal laboratory access is limited.

Objectives and Series Overview

This webinar series aimed to equip laboratory professionals with practical guidance on sustaining operation and service of gas chromatographs (GC), GC/MS, HPLC, LC/MS, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, LC/QQQ, LC/QToF, and related detectors. The focus was on adaptation of standard operating procedures (SOPs), preventive measures, troubleshooting tips, and digital tools to maintain readiness and streamline instrument restart.

Methodology and Instrumentation Used

Recommendations are based on experience with Agilent gas chromatography platforms (models 7890, 8860, 8890, Intuvo) equipped with FID, NPD, ECD, SCD, autosamplers, and Agilent J&W columns (DB-624, DB-5ms). Key techniques covered:

• Column cutting and proper ferrule installation distances to minimize tailing.
• Use of electronic leak detectors and built-in GC leak/restriction tests.
• Routine inspection and cleaning of split/splitless inlets, liners, septa, and split-vent traps.
• Introduction of spring-loaded self-tightening nuts to avoid gas leaks and facilitate tool-free column changes.
• Software-enabled monitoring via Early Maintenance Feedback (EMF) and Smart Alerts for real-time maintenance notifications.

Main Findings and Discussion

Optimizing column installation depth (8–11 mm) and trimming contaminated segments restored peak shape and retention times. Leak and restriction tests on 7890/8860/8890/Intuvo systems allowed rapid identification of large leaks or blocked flow paths. Stepwise inlet cleaning with hexane, methanol, methylene chloride, and acetone effectively removed heavy contamination from oily samples. New self-tightening nut assemblies maintained column integrity over hundreds of injections without tools. Integration of EMF and Smart Alerts significantly reduced manual tracking of consumable lifetimes and provided prioritized maintenance prompts.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Reduced unplanned instrument downtime and sample backlog.
• Extended column and inlet component lifetimes.
• Improved data reproducibility through consistent installation techniques.
• Enhanced safety and compliance via remote diagnostics and video support.
• Streamlined service scheduling and faster recovery when returning to full operation.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Advances in instrument intelligence—embedded sensors, on-board diagnostics, and cloud connectivity—will drive predictive maintenance and remote troubleshooting. Integration with laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and increased use of virtual instructor-led training and e-learning will further support decentralized and flexible laboratory workflows.

Conclusion

In extraordinary circumstances, adopting proactive maintenance routines, leveraging remote support, and utilizing smart diagnostics tools ensure continuity of analytical operations. These strategies safeguard instrument health, optimize resource use, and prepare laboratories for a seamless return to full capacity.

References

No formal literature citations were provided in the source material.