Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today announced a new low thermal mass (LTM) system for rapid heating and cooling of its 7890A gas chromatograph (GC), greatly increasing productivity by significantly reducing analytical cycle times. This option is also available for the older Agilent 6890 GC.

Agilent acquired this proprietary LTM technology with the purchase of RVM Scientific in June 2008. The patented design involves wrapping heating elements and temperature sensors directly around the GC column, enabling dramatically faster temperature cycles compared to standard oven-based configurations.

“Customers constantly tell us they want to run more samples per shift, and our new LTM delivers this in a big way,” said Shanya Kane, Agilent vice president and general manager, Gas Chromatography Systems and Workflow Automation. “We’re constantly seeking ways to make GC and GC/MS more productive for routine analyses and challenging applications, and this is the latest example of success in these efforts.”

Synergy with Agilent Capillary Flow Technology

The fast cycle times of LTM are particularly well-suited for the hydrocarbon industry, environmental analysis, food safety testing, forensics, pharmaceutical QA/QC and food/flavor/fragrance analysis. Until now, due to their interwoven heating elements, a concern about LTM columns was protecting the inlet end of the column from contamination. Agilent already had a solution to this problem with its Capillary Flow Technology.

Using this proprietary, leak-free method of flow connection and diversion, Agilent developed a robust backflush function, letting users flush high boiling compounds back out of the column inlet to extend column life. This technique has the added benefit of eliminating time-consuming column bake-out of these late eluting compounds, further increasing throughput by a wide margin.

Agilent Capillary Flow Technology also enables other useful configurations, including multidimensional GC and comprehensive GC for complex samples. With LTM technology, multiple LTM column modules can be temperature programmed for simultaneous, independent operation.

Little Change to Existing Methods

The Agilent LTM option uses the same injectors, detectors and fused silica columns of the Agilent 7890A or 6890, requiring little change to existing GC and GC/MS methods. Agilent Method Translation Software makes any desired changes easy to achieve.

The LTM configuration delivers excellent retention time repeatability comparable to conventional GC.

LTM hardware consists of a replacement door for the Agilent 7890A or 6890 GC, containing built-in electronics and slots for one to four GC column modules. LTM control software integrates with specific Agilent software platforms, including GC and GC/MS ChemStation, for convenient operation. If desired, the instrument can still be used as a conventional oven-based GC.

Details about new Agilent LTM for GC are available at www.agilent.com/chem/ltm.

Agilent has a long history of innovation in GC and GC/MS, and a reputation for building rugged instruments. Agilent’s predecessor, Hewlett Packard, entered the gas chromatography market in 1958, and the company has been a leader in GC and GC/MS continuously since then. Firsts include microprocessor control in 1973 and the first benchtop GC/MS system in 1975. In 1996, the HP Model 5973 introduced the gold-plated hyperbolic quartz quadrupole mass filter, a breakthrough in instrument stability and performance. Agilent spun off from Hewlett Packard in 1999, and the GC and GC/MS innovation continued in both hardware and software through the present.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company’s 19,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $5.8 billion in fiscal 2008. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.