Each year, IBO compiles a list of new products on display or introduced at Pittcon. New products are generally defined as those that started shipping since winter 2015 or later. More new products will appear in the March 31 issue. The list is not all inclusive.

Atomic Spectroscopy

SciAps announced new versions of its Z laser-induced breakdown spectrometers. The Z-200 and Z-300 models are 40% lighter and considerably smaller than the previous generation instruments. The new versions will soon be in a production run, with prices from $30,000 to $40,000. SciAps also plans to enter the XRF market with the X-500 handheld system, which will be launched later this year.

SPECTRO Analytical (AMETEK) released a fifth generation version of its XEPOS benchtop ED-XRF spectrometer, the XEPOS XEP05. The new system has improved count rates by a factor of 10, according to the firm, enabling shorter analysis times. It can be configured with a polarization option, a bandpass filter or a high-energy x-ray tube. The system will be released soon at prices ranging from about $60,000 up to nearly $100,000.

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s ARL Easyspark is an arc/spark instrument designed for benchtop use, intended to augment the existing product line of high-end floor standing spectrometers. Finished metals and manufactured components are still the application focus, but the smaller system may move the Thermo Fisher arc/spark systems into markets that are not currently served by the larger systems. The system is now shipping at a price starting at about $50,000.

GC

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments released its GCMS-QP2020 single quadrupole GC/MS, which employs Advanced Scanning Speed Protocol technology, allowing high-speed scanning at 20,000 u/second. The system, which is optimized for fast GC/MS and GC x GC/MS applications, features the ability to utilize the Quick-CI function immediately following EI runs. The system is currently shipping at a price of around $100,000.

Xylem introduced the OI Anaytical 5383 Pulsed Flame Photometric Detector (PFPD), the second generation of the company’s PFPD technology. The modular system features new electronic and software but a 20% reduction in price. It is now shipping.

Informatics

LabVantage Solutions released LabVantage 8 in February, a new web-based LIMS with an improved user interface that replaces the LabVantage 7. New features include the ability to access common functions on the sidebar, a redesigned toolbar and a streamlined search tool.

Lab Products

In March, ErLab introduced its Smart Technology, designed for use with the Captair line of ductless filtering fume hoods. The Smart fume hoods are equipped with chemical sensors and a soft band of light that visually communicates to users the status of the fume hood. When there is a fan failure, filter error or diminished air flow, the light will pulse to alert users. The fume hoods are priced at $5,000–$15,000.

LC

Waters announced the Feature Release 3 (FR3) of its Empower 3 CDS. FR3 features a peak tracking capability that harnesses mass data, produced by an MS system to more accurately identify peaks from UV chromatograms. It allows the user to track each peak from one injection to the next.

MS and LC/MS

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments introduced the Nexera MX ultra high-speed LC/MS system for multiplex analysis, which features a dual-stream technology. The system is capable of performing twice the number of samples compared to conventional LC/MS systems, according to the company. The Nexera MX-DST is designed for high-throughput labs and is targeted towards pain management and opiate testing labs, particularly when paired with a triple quadropole MS. The Nexera MX system is currently shipping with a list price of $60,000.

Materials Characterization

Anton Paar introduced the Litesizer 500, a nano- and microparticle size analyzer that also measures zeta potential and molecular mass, the firm’s first such product. The instrument is able to measure transmittance continuously and has a measuring range of 0.3 nm to 10 µm. It began shipping at the beginning of 2016 with a price range of $60,000–$65,000.

HORIBA unveiled the LA-350 Laser Diffraction Particle Size Distribution Analyzer, which replaces the LA-300. It has a compact design and measures a particle size range of 0.1–1,000 µm. Results can be measured in 10 seconds. It began shipping this month for a price of around $40,000.

TA Instruments, a Waters company, launched the Discovery DSC platform, comprising the Discovery DSC25, DSC250 and DSC2500. A new Fusion Cell combines some of the best properties of previous designs in the Q series and Discovery models. The product line now runs modulated DSC as a standard option on all models. Easy-to-use, app-style software runs the system, which can be outfitted with a newly designed autosampler. The expandable platform ranges from the manual DSC25 to the DSC2500, complete with autosampler and multiple detection. The systems will begin shipping in five to eight weeks.

Molecular Spectroscopy

Finnish company Gasera introduced its first product branded with the Gasera name, the Gasera One. This system relies on a novel combination of photoacoustic technology and FTIR spectroscope to analyze gases even at trace levels. The key innovation is an extremely sensitive detector based on a cantilever design, obviating the need for long path lengths. The system can sample the ambient atmosphere for greenhouse gases, workplace safety or emissions monitoring, and it can be used to sample gases from process streams. It features simple controls that are managed by a single knob/button, or it can be controlled via tablet software. The base model, without a source, is priced at €24,900 ($27,667 = €0.90 = $1). Source modules are available starting from a few thousand dollars.

Pittcon marked the North American launch of MilliporeSigma’s Spectroquant Prove family of spectrophotometers for water analysis. The 100 model covers the Vis wavelength range at a price of $4,500. The 300 and 600 models are UV-Vis systems, with respective prices of $7,000 and $9,000. More than 180 test kits are available. Ease of use is emphasized with new barcoded vials that only require the addition of the reagent and insertion into the system.

Viavi introduced the handheld MicroNIR OnSite for field or manufacturing applications in the pharmaceuticals and agricultural/food industries. The smallest NIR spectrometer on the market, it replaces the MicroNIR Pro and sells for between $19,000 and $22,000. Viavi also launched the MicroNIR PAT-W process spectrometer for manufacturing operations in pharmaceuticals, agriculture/food and other industrial processes. It can be used for process monitoring of blend uniformity, moisture content, compaction and other process analytical properties. The analyzer began shipping this month, selling from $30,000 to $40,000.

Service

Bruker announced the introduction of Bruker BioSpin Labscape magnetic resonance and preclinical imaging service and life cycle support. The services provide flexible, comprehensive offerings, including maintenance, repair and upgrade agreements.

Surface Science

In October of last year, JEOL introduced a new version of its NeoScope, the JCM-6000Plus. It has a new solid-state backscatter detector that provides high sensitivity. Like its predecessors, the system can also be outfitted with an optional EDS detector for elemental information. The base system has a price of about $79,000; with EDS, the price is $119,000. Although not shown in the booth, JEOL has also recently released other electron microscopes, including the JSM-IT100 version of the InTouchScope SEM and the JEM-F200 FE-TEM

NIC Instruments (Rigaku) showed off its latest compact mercury analyzer, the RA-5. The system weighs just 6 kg, and has a pleasing touchscreen interface. The system began shipping in Japan late last year, and has been on the US market for one month. The RA-5 is priced at $15,000 as a standalone unit and $18,500 with an autosampler.

Thermo Fisher Scientific introduced a new member of its DXR2 family of confocal Raman microscopes. The DXR2xi introduces several improvements, notably the addition of polarization, which can help reveal oriented structures that are not apparent when polarization is not taken into account. The system also includes an electron multiplying CCD detector for greater sensitivity. This version should be released soon at a price starting at about $200,000.