Agilent Technologies has introduced the 7697A Headspace Sampler, an instrument for gas chromatography (GC) sample analysis in applications such as pharmaceutical quality control and forensic analysis.
Based on Agilent's automatic liquid sampler (ALS) technology, the 7697A Headspace Sampler features high performance without loss or degradation of volatile components found in the gas portion of partitioned GC samples.
Headspace sampling allows the introduction of volatile compounds, from virtually any matrix, directly into a GC or GC/MS instrument.
According to Agilent, the technique is relatively simple when compared to other injection techniques such as purge and trap, and keeps instruments cleaner than the standard liquid injection.
Designed to support multiple industries, the 7697A is appropriate for diverse applications, including: pharmaceutical quality assurance and quality control; environmental applications, such as identifying volatile substances in water; forensic analysis, such as distinguishing the presence of alcohol and other volatiles in blood; flavour and fragrance profiling; and food safety testing, such as detecting volatiles in beer and other beverages.
The 7697A Headspace Sampler is available as both a high-end sampler with 111-vial capacity or as a mid-range unit with 12-vial capacity.
Additional features include: a barcode reader for sample sets that require stringent confirmation; pneumatics control for consistent sampling; automatic calibration and vial leak checking; a comprehensive software package that minimises user training time; and automatic shutdown and wake-up to conserve energy and resources.
The 7697A Headspace Sampler is available to order, with first shipments expected in mid February.
