We are expanding our portfolio and will soon be offering a new analytical method with Headspace-SPME (solid-phase micro-extraction), which our new GC-MS system will help us with!
SPME (solid-phase micro-extraction) is a quick, convenient and efficient technique for sampling liquid, solid or gaseous samples which does not require time-consuming extraction or purification processes. In the field of food flavour research, SPME has proved to be a suitable tool for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of multiple aroma compounds in one go.
In order to be able to offer this analytical procedure to our customers, we have purchased a new GC-MS system from Agilent, on which we will establish SPME analysis in the near future. Since SPME is not only a cost-effective but also a well-known and frequently requested analysis method, we are looking forward to supporting our customers with this analytical procedure soon!
SPME uses a small amount of extraction phase, also called the coating, immobilized on a fiber in the injector´s syringe. When the fiber is exposed to the sample matrix – assisted by heating and shaking if necessary – analytes are extracted onto the coating.
In the heated injector, the adsorbed compounds are desorbed from the fiber and transferred to the GC capillary column and to the mass spectrometer.
Even if this method cannot be used for all analytical questions without exception, the advantage is obvious: It is time-saving, direct and particularly suitable for very volatile compounds.
As a little teaser for what´s to come, we would like to show you how the installation of the new system went – see attached picture!
The device with all the associated parts was delivered on June 24th and we eagerly awaited the unpacking and installation by the Agilent technician, which finally began in the last week of July. Unpacking and setting up all the parts took about a day, before the actual installation could then begin. Fortunately, everything went smoothly and the test measurements were OK, so the technician had enough time to give us a brief initial introduction to the new GC-MS system.
A more detailed introduction to all device functions and the software will follow at a later date, but until then we want to use the time to familiarize ourselves with the device and test suitable methods for SPME measurements. We have high hopes for our new device and the possibilities it will offer to solve various aroma-related challenges. In the long term, the new software should also make our work easier internally, as it is well suited to digitalizing parts of our quantification process.
In any case, there will be interesting developments following this new acquisition – we will let you know as soon as our portfolio expands!