Genevac has reported positive feedback from early adopters of its Rocket 4D system for automatic drying or concentration of volumes up to 100 litres.
A chemistry scale-up laboratory at a major Pharma company commented on the product’s unattended automation.
The laboratory had previously removed large volumes of methanol from its sample fractions using a number of rotary evaporators requiring a dedicated operator to top-up dry ice in cold traps, feed the systems with more product and watch the systems continually.
The operator said: “With the Rocket 4D you simply load your sample, select a method, press start, and walk away – the system will do the rest.”
A natural products research group at a US Ivy League university, was previously using many scientists with occasional system access to concentrate large volumes of aqueous extracts from vegetable tubers.
The university selected the Rocket 4D for its ease of operation and technology to prevent sample bumping with no requirement to handle or clean large heavy glass evaporation vessels.
The compact Rocket 4D allows users to dry or concentrate samples with confidence as it uses proprietary vacuum technology to suppress solvent bumping and foaming.
The product with a single, five litre 316 stainless steel vessel for drying or concentrating product as standard. This has detachable handles and is easily lifted into and out of the evaporator.
Access to the dried or concentrated product is easy - dried products can be scooped out, or where enhanced user protection is needed, re-dissolved while the vessel is still in the system.
Liquid products can be easily drained via a port in the side of the rotor, using a dedicated pouring stand.
Users wishing to dry volumes larger than five litres require the ‘Autofeed’ option, which enables the Rocket 4D to draw in product from the user’s own external supply.
The Rocket 4D controls product feed, drying and the discharge of condensed waste solvent without any external intervention.
The autofeed system has an integrated rinse circuit which enables dried products to be automatically re-dissolved in a small volume of solvent at the end of the process. Alternatively, the same circuit can be used under manual control for solvent exchange, by selecting a different solvent for re-dissolve.
Cleaning the Rocket 4D is designed to be simple, with the PTFE feed tubing easily detached for cleaning or replacement.
The vessel can be readily cleaned, wiped, inspected or even put in a dishwasher. There are also powerful cold traps to maximise solvent recovery, protecting the environment and improving drying of samples.
