Dynamic reaction cell technology that eliminates interferences is now available in a system ideal for environmental and geochemical laboratories
PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences has introduced the Elan DRC-e, an application-specific version of PerkinElmer Sciex's sophisticated Elan ICP-MS that incorporates key technologies from the company's flagship instrument for inorganic chemical analysis.
Elan ICP-MS products are developed and sold through a joint venture called PerkinElmer Sciex, which is a partnership between PerkinElmer and MDS Sciex, an international leader in analytical instrumentation and life sciences technologies.
The DRC-e provides an excellent solution for environmental, geochemical and other laboratories that would benefit from a system that combines ultratrace analysis, ease of use and low maintenance.
Many of these labs are now implementing ICP-MS technology to comply with lower detection limits for arsenic to meet the new US drinking water standard of 10g/l.
The DRC-e also easily detects ultratrace amounts of other difficult elements such as selenium and chromium.
The Elan DRC-e uses PerkinElmer Sciex's patented dynamic reaction cell (DRC) technology for eliminating interferences that are derived from the plasma gas of ICP-MS instruments, as well as the sample matrices.
DRC technology in the new Elan DRC-e ensures exceptional detection limits for elements that have traditionally been problematic for ICP-MS due to interferences.
Unlike other approaches, DRC technology completely eliminates interferences and produces ultratrace detection in difficult wastewater, soil, seawater, and clinical samples.
To eliminate secondary chemical reactions inside the DRC reaction cell, the Elan DRC-e applies dynamic bandpass tuning.
Without dynamic bandpass tuning, secondary reaction by-products significantly increase interferences that complicate and slow accurate analysis.
To further optimise performance and productivity, the DRC-e also incorporates PerkinElmer Sciex's axial field technology, which decreases matrix effects, improves stability and increases speed.
System ruggedness is enhanced with a robust HF-resistant sample introduction system.
The Elan DRC-e has been designed to minimise maintenance because the reaction cell requires no maintenance and the instrument's easy-change cones resist clogging and drift.
A unique and inexpensive single ion lens is as easy to change as a light bulb.
Competing systems use 30 to 40 components that are difficult to clean and reassemble.
The Elan ion lens is also automatically adjusted for optimum performance with one mouse click.
Other systems rely on time-consuming iterative adjustments by the operator.
The Elan DRC-e includes the new Elan version 3.0 software, which improves productivity and ease of use.
Based on the Windows XP operating system, this new software enhances DRC control, QC checking and graphics capabilities.
A SmartTune wizard optimises instrument parameters, and videoclips demonstrate maintenance procedures to simplify and speed operation and eliminate training.
