Abstract: An autosampler for sampling liquids is disclosed. The autosampler may comprise a holder for holding at least one vial, a syringe for withdrawing a liquid sample from the at least one vial, an actuator for actuating the syringe, a housing for accommodating the syringe and the actuator, and a magnifying lens attached to the housing to facilitate visual inspection of the syringe during use. The magnifying lens may be accommodated in a door of the housing, behind or integrated in a transparent section of the door. The autosampler may be used in conjunction with a chromatograph, such as a gas chromatograph, a liquid chromatograph, or an ion chromatograph.

Abstract: Described are techniques for performing automated maintenance evaluations on a gas chromatograph (GC) or a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Systems and methods are described for directing an injector of a GC or GC-MS instrument system to autonomously inject a diagnostic material sample into a material analysis chamber and initiate a scientific analysis to formulate a set of results. The systems and methods further include the instrument system analyzing the set of results generating one or more output reports.

Abstract: A connector for a gas chromatography (GC) column includes a receiving portion coupled to a ferrule receiving conical surface and a column holding portion. The column holding portion includes a column guide tube and a column retention spring to fix the axial position of the column and a compression spring to bias the column guide tube towards the ferrule receiving conical surface. When connected, a ferrule is compressed between the ferrule receiving conical surface and the column guide tube.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an apparatus (100) for transferring a vial (200) from a first station (301) to a second station (302), comprising a stock (101) of vials in said first station, a mobile arm (1) provided with at least three gripping elements (2a-2d) movable between one another in a controlled way at least between a first and a second position, wherein the free ends of at least part of said gripping elements (2a-2d) have a magnet (5), and wherein the area of the polygon (P) having as vertexes said free ends in said first position is smaller than the area of the polygon (P) having as vertexes said free ends in said second position.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for preparing a sample to be introduced in a chromatographic analysis system from the headspace of a vial, by introducing a pressurized inert gas in said headspace, controlling the pressure or flow, and subsequently by discharging said pressure from the headspace through a loop having constant volume and through a discharge duct provided with a valve, the discharge duct branching with respect to the feed duct. To eliminate the drawbacks of the known methods, during the step of discharging the pressure, the feed duct is kept open and the pressure in said loop is controlled by detecting the feed and/or discharge pressure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) for sampling the headspace, comprising: a mobile station (2) provided with a plurality of housing seats (21) to house a plurality of containers (100) for sampling the headspace; an oven (3); a blocking device (4) comprising at least one first mobile element (41) that moves between a first position adapted to prevent a container (100) from passing from the mobile station (2) to the oven (3), and a second position adapted to allow a container (100) to pass from the mobile station (2) to the oven (3); at least one first sensor (5a) placed upstream of the first mobile element (41), to detect the presence of a container (100) in a housing seat (21); a movement element (6) moving between said mobile station (2) and the oven (3), the movement element being configured to move a container (100) from the mobile station (2) to the oven (3).

Abstract: Process for sampling the headspace, comprising the steps of: (i) preparing a container (1) containing a substance in the liquid phase (2), a substance in the gaseous phase (3), a substance to be analyzed (4) initially at least partially contained in the substance in the liquid phase (2), wherein the substance in the liquid phase (2) has a contact surface (S) contacting the substance in the gaseous phase; (ii) constraining said container (1) to a supporting element (10) rotatable around a rotation axis (A1); (iii) rotating said supporting element (10) at such an angular velocity to tilt said contact surface (S) by an angle (a) of at least 20 degrees with respect to a plane (H) parallel to the bearing surface of the supporting element (10); (iv) stopping the rotation of said supporting element (10); (v) collecting a sample of the substance to be analyzed, in the gaseous phase.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for preparing a sample to be introduced in a chromatographic analysis system from the headspace of a vial, by introducing a pressurized inert gas in said headspace, controlling the pressure or flow, and subsequently by discharging said pressure from the headspace through a loop having constant volume and through a discharge duct provided with a valve, the discharge duct branching with respect to the feed duct. To eliminate the drawbacks of the known methods, during the step of discharging the pressure, the feed duct is kept open and the pressure in said loop is controlled by detecting the feed and/or discharge pressure.

Abstract: Chromatography column assembly of the direct heating type, comprising at least a capillary column, at least a tubular structure which envelops the capillary column and is coaxial with it, means to directly heat the column, means to detect the temperature of the column and one or more electrically insulating covering elements, wherein the tubular structure comprises a plurality of tubular meshes each formed of a plurality of filaments woven together (FIG. 3).

Abstract: A direct-heating column assembly for chromatography, includes at least one capillary column and at least one element made of electrically conductive material in contact with the capillary column. The element includes a plurality of filaments woven together to form a tubular mesh that uniformly envelops the outer surface of the capillary column both in radial and longitudinal directions.

Abstract: Chromatography column assembly of the direct heating type, comprising at least a capillary column, at least a tubular structure which envelops the capillary column and is coaxial with it, means to directly heat the column, means to detect the temperature of the column and one or more electrically insulating covering elements, wherein the tubular structure comprises a plurality of tubular meshes each formed of a plurality of filaments woven together (FIG. 3).

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for chromatography are described, wherein at least one element in electrically conductive material is provided to heat the capillary column in a direct way and wherein the control of the temperature is carried out according to a mathematical model having a component of predictive type, or Feed Forward type, that describes the thermodynamic behavior of the assembly comprising the electrically conductive element and the column at least as a function of the thermal resistance and the thermal capacity of the assembly thus constituted in order to regulate the supply of electrical power supplied to the conductive element.

Abstract: Described herein is a direct-heating column assembly for chromatography, in which a capillary column is enveloped in a tubular mesh formed by a plurality of woven filaments.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for chromatography are described, wherein at least one element in electrically conductive material is provided to heat the capillary column in a direct way and wherein the control of the temperature is carried out according to a mathematical model having a component of predictive type, or Feed Forward type, that describes the thermodynamic behavior of the assembly comprising the electrically conductive element and the column at least as a function of the thermal resistance and the thermal capacity of the assembly thus constituted in order to regulate the supply of electrical power supplied to the conductive element.