UHPLC Performance with the Advantages of MicroLC

Eksigent, a developer of advanced low-flow fluid delivery technologies for drug discovery and other life science applications, introduces the ExpressLC-Ultra. This new microscale HPLC system runs at column pressures up to 10,000 psi, allowing the use of sub-2 micron particle columns. Along with a new UV detection system, the system delivers all the advantages of microscale LC including solvent savings, reduced sample requirements, and reduced frictional heating.

The new system’s CCD-based UV detector works with microfabricated flow cells to ensure ultra-high sensitivity with no band broadening. The ExpressLC-Ultra’s high UV sensitivity allows detection of impurities at levels as low as 0.05 percent, meeting the needs of researchers in drug discovery and many other applications. The system incorporates Eksigent’s proprietary Microfluidic Flow Control (MFC) technology to generate accurate and reproducible flow rates, from 1 to 50 microliters per minute.

New features make the ExpressLC-Ultra as easy to use as any conventional HPLC instrument. Solvent changes are automated, and tubing and fingertight fittings ensure simple connections. The fiber-optic flow cell is easily connected and exchanged without alignment, and all user-configurable components and plumbing are accessible on the front of the instrument.

The ExpressLC-Ultra includes Eksigent’s control software with specialized diagnostic tools. The software provides tools for 21 CFR Part 11 compliance plus flexible data analysis and reporting capabilities. The Eksigent control software also includes integrated drivers for the most widely used mass spectrometry programs including Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX Analyst*, Thermo Scientific Xcalibur* and Bruker Daltonics HyStar*.

“Microscale LC has traditionally come with some drawbacks, most notably reduced sensitivity,” explained David Neyer, Ph.D., product manager for Eksigent. “As leaders in microLC technology, we’ve designed this next-generation system to eliminate those disadvantages.”