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Thermo Fisher Scientific

Sprint Valve ASXpress Operation in Qtegra

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Issue

How to set up and optimize Sprint Valve / ASXpress operation in Qtegra

Environment

  • iCAP 7600
  • ASXpress

Resolution

1. Open Configurator 

2. Click on Experiment Configurator 

3. Expand experiment configuration

4. Right-click on Cetac (i.e. ASX-560 plugin) and click Edit Settings 

5. Change Enable Sprint Valve / ASXpress+ to True

6. Click on Sprint Valve tab

7. Adjust the settings accordingly for the application. The settings below are for an aqueous application using a 4mL loop.

The explanation of the settings are listed as well below and can also be accessed by clicking on the respective setting in the Spring Valve tab

Evacuation Settings

Extra Loop Rinse: Changing this value to True will wash the loop before the sample is loaded. The Extra Loop rinse is made up of two parts:

Loop Rinse Delay: Rinse solution is pulled through the sample loop;

Loop Evacuation Delay: Air is pulled through the loop  to clear out the loop in preparation for loading the sample

Load and Injection Settings

Loop Load Time: This is the time necessary to pull the sample into the loop. Typically, this value is slighty larger than the sample loop size in mL, i.e. a 2mL sample loop will take 2.5s to load.

Equalization Delay: This timing allows the vacuum pump to cycle down and pressure equilibrium to establish, both of which are necessary before the valve switches to inject position (normally between 1-2s)

Probe Rinse Parameters

Time to Evacuate Probe: Before visiting the rinse station, the probe line is emptied via the vacuum pump. The default time of 1s works well for most applications

Probe Wash: Time that the vacuum pump will pull rinse solutoin from the rinse solution. Typically this is set between 3-5s, though it can be longer if desired

Rinse Station Fill: After the Probe Rinse, the autosampler probe is raised and the autosampler peristaltic pump continues filling the rinse station. It is necessary to set this value so that the rinse station completely fills with rinse solution for the next rinse cycle.

After the Sprint Valve / ASXpress settings have been set up, the Uptake time in Qtegra will need to be adjusted to ensure there is enough time to complete the Evacuation, Load and Injection settings as well as additional time for the solutoin to reach the plasma and settle before data acquisition starts.

8. Click on Cetac autosampler plugin (i.e. ASX-560) in LabBook or Template

9. Add together Loop Rinse Delay and Loop Evacuation Delay (if Extra Loop Rinse is set to True; disregard if it is set to False), Loop Load Time and Equalization Delay

10. Add 15s to the time recorded in step 9 in order to account for the time to get the sample from the loop to plasma and stabilize in the plasma before the data acquisition starts.

Note: This time may need to be optimized further once data is acquired as it is dependent on the size of the pump tubing being used to pump carrier line and the speed of the peristaltic pump.

11. Input this time into the Uptake Time in LabBook or Template