Waters Corporation has launched six products ushering a new era in lab technologies. The new introductions are Acquity APC, LC Purification System for Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Product Extraction, New Laboratory Analytics, Analytical Standards and Reagents Portfolio, Empower Chromatography Data Software and Paradigm Scientific Search Software, a powerful information access platform.
The company said that the industry is on a constant quest to identify and understand the properties of new materials while making the process of innovation faster, simpler and more sustainable. The new capability will help solve critical R&D challenges, helping scientists to drive to solutions more quickly, with improved data quality.
The Acquity Advanced Polymer Chromatography (APC) system was developed in collaboration with The Dow Chemical Company. APC is comprised of an innovative, refractive index detector that has been optimized for low dispersion but with the low noise and drift performance required for accurate integration, even at low polymer concentrations. The precise flow delivery of the isocratic solvent manager ensures that the calibrated system delivers accurate molecular weight data. Additionally, the system features new column technology based on rigid, sub 3 µm, high pore volume bridged-ethyl hybrid particles that provide significant gains in stability and faster separations.
According to Ian King, vice president, Separations Technologies, Waters APC represents a major change from soft gel columns that are susceptible to swelling in the solvents used for polymer analysis. "Now scientists can run diverse polymer applications on a single system, on one bank of columns with a variety of solvents. Our customers can significantly improve laboratory efficiency and asset utilization. This collaboration with Dow is an example of leading edge technology with excellent innovation," he said.
The second product Prep 150 LC System, a new fit-for-purpose preparative chromatography system is designed to isolate target compounds from crude mixtures synthesized in the laboratory or extracted from natural sources during initial purification processes.
“With this system we are responding to requests from scientists for a robust, reliable and dedicated personal chromatography system that can manage the occasional or frequent purification needs of scientists at the bench. The introduction of this system demonstrates our commitment to serve the needs of scientists not only for analytical-scale LC but for preparative-scale purification as well,” said Wendy Harrop, Product Manager and Waters
The third product is a mobile access and new laboratory analytics enhancement which is a leading Empower 3 Chromatography Data Software. The improvements are designed to ensure scientists have wireless flexibility and can assess meaningful performance metrics regarding their laboratories.. Empower Mobile offers connectivity with Apple iPads & iPhones, besides Android tablets & smart phones.
The Empower Laboratory Analytics prebuilt dashboards provide system summaries, system usage, project usage analysis, user analysis and methods analysis. Examples of maximizing system utilization using Empower Laboratory Analytics includes identifying training needs, identifying error messages that affect work flows, planning for capital expenditures and identifying opportunities to shorten run times with Acquity Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) technology.
“Improvements to Empower is all about access. Consistent with today’s laboratory practices, users can now gain access to Empower information using popular wireless devices. The new analytics dashboards will provide scientists with streamlined access to important data to quickly and accurately determine laboratory efficiencies,” said Dr. Rohit Khanna, Vice President of WW Marketing and Informatics, Waters.
The fourth launch is the Quality Control Reference Materials (QCRMs) and Certified Containers to the Analytical Standards and Reagents product group. Specifically designed for Waters instruments, QCRMs are the simplest and fastest way to understand a chromatography or mass spectrometry (MS) system’s health while ensuring repeatable performances. Waters Certified Containers for solvents and mobile phases are uniquely processed and treated to prevent extraneous peaks and baseline noise.
“Our QCRM portfolio is a unique collection of standards and mixtures specially formulated and based on the expertise of Waters scientists. QCRMs help evaluate and benchmark LC or MS system, ensuring repeatable performance each and every time. These ready-to-use standards are made in our ISO 9001, ISO 17025 accredited facility. QCRMs can be used for an impressive number of performance tests on instruments. They range from less complex neutrals mixtures to more complex application-specific standards. All compounds in the portfolio are vigorously evaluated and chosen because they are acceptable for use on a variety of columns with good peak shape in UV and MS. In addition, QCRMs assess hardware, software, mobile phase, column and chemistry issues"said Mike Yelle, Vice President, Consumable Business Unit, Waters.
“We added Analytical Standards and Reagents to Waters’ competency because they improve the accuracy of measurements. QCRMs and Certified Containers are another significant and innovative step in that direction. By integrating these products, our customers can see improved data acceptance. Furthermore, by eliminating the need to mix and formulate standards and the unknown quality of mobile phase and solvent containers, our customers will have more time for scientific problem solving” , he added.
In the fifth product, Waters Corporation and DANI Instruments have partnered to provide Empower Chromatography Data Software for the latter’s Head space and Gas Chromatography instruments. Customers will now be able to take advantage of the full potential of both companies.
Empower Software enables laboratory-based organizations to protect their original instrument investment by controlling a vast range of chromatographic modules, connecting them to the most powerful data management system and reporting tool in the industry. For scientists who use these systems, it is far easier and preferable to master one data management tool versus multiple software packages. For these organizations, implementation of a single solution for instrument control and documentation has many compelling benefits, including lower maintenance, training, and validation costs. DANI now joins the many vendor systems controlled by Empower Software, stated Waters.
The sixth new product is its Laboratory Informatics offerings, with the addition of Paradigm Scientific Search Software, which is a powerful information access platform.
Paradigm Scientific provides scientists, engineers, and managers in science- based organizations with easy and secure access to information across enterprise-wide data repositories. Easy access to critical information helps drive product innovation, development, and manufacturing, resulting in improved time-to-market.
Waters is a global end-to-end solution provider from instruments to a portfolio of separations science, laboratory information management, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis. Ending 2012, the company clocked revenues to the tune of $1.84 billion.