Shimadzu Headspace Sampler HS-10

Importance of the Topic

Headspace sampling is a key technique for the analysis of volatile and semi-volatile compounds in complex matrices, such as residual solvents in pharmaceuticals, trace VOCs in environmental water, and volatile biomarkers in biological samples.
By isolating analytes into the gas phase above liquid or solid samples, headspace analysis enhances sensitivity, reproducibility and automation in chromatographic workflows.

Objectives and Overview

This application note presents the design features, performance characteristics and practical applications of the HS-10 headspace sampler, a cost-efficient instrument equipped with advanced functions including overlapped vial warming, vial mixing and pre-heating capabilities.
Key goals include demonstrating:

• Reproducibility in solvent and VOC analysis
• Cycle-time improvements through overlapped warming
• Equilibration enhancement via vial mixing
• Compliance with pharmaceutical and environmental analytical protocols

Methodology and Instrumentation

The HS-10 operates with a thermostatic vial chamber offering precise temperature control and uniform distribution to ensure consistent gas–liquid equilibria across up to six heated vials.
Sample vials (1 mL or optional volumes) can be pressurized with carrier gas and sequentially introduced to the GC inlet under electronic gas control.
Overlapped warming allows simultaneous pre-heating of multiple vials, reducing total analysis cycle times by enabling sample intake during ongoing warming steps.
A three-stage shaking mechanism accelerates headspace equilibration by homogenizing sample content.

Used Instrumentation

• HS-10 Headspace Sampler (Shimadzu)
• Nexis GC-2030 / GC-2010 Series Gas Chromatograph
• Electronic Flow Controller (AFC) and Electronic Pressure Controller (APC)
• Electron Capture Detector for trace VOC measurement
• LabSolutions LC/GC software (FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliant)

Key Results and Discussion

The HS-10 achieved excellent reproducibility with relative standard deviations (RSD) below 3 % for 0.4–2.0 % ethanol, exceeding USP requirements.
Overlapped warming increased throughput up to four cycles per hour compared to two cycles without overlap, effectively doubling sample capacity.
Vial mixing shortened equilibration time from 17 to 5 minutes, reducing preparatory delays.
In USP <467> solvent tests, Class 1 solvents such as carbon tetrachloride produced S/N ratios above the required thresholds, while Class 2A analytes showed resolution above 1.0 for critical peak pairs.
Analysis of 10 µg/L VOCs in water yielded RSDs between 1.6–3.4 %, confirming high thermal stability and sensitivity.
Blood alcohol assays demonstrated linearity (R² = 0.9994) over relevant concentration ranges, supporting forensic and clinical applications.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enhanced throughput through overlapping and mixing functions
• Robust reproducibility meeting pharmacopeial and environmental standards
• Flexible vial capacity and heating parameters for diverse sample types
• Seamless integration with GC systems and validated software for regulated workflows
• Applications spanning pharmaceutical residual solvent testing, environmental VOC monitoring and forensic blood alcohol determination

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Continued development may focus on further automation, integration with high-resolution mass spectrometry, miniaturized sampling formats and advanced data analytics to support regulatory compliance and real-time monitoring in pharmaceuticals, environmental surveillance and clinical diagnostics.

Conclusion

The HS-10 headspace sampler offers a cost-effective yet feature-rich solution for volatile compound analysis, delivering high reproducibility, accelerated workflow capabilities and broad applicability across pharmaceutical, environmental and forensic fields.
Its overlapping heating and mixing functions significantly enhance throughput and consistency, making it a valuable platform for modern chromatographic laboratories.