Nanoscale UV-Visible absorbance detector wins R&D 100 award

31 Oct 2007
Greg Smith
Analyst / Analytical Chemist

In recognition of the development of its innovative ActiPix D100 miniature UV-visible absorbance detector, Paraytec Ltd was presented with a prestigious R&D 100 Award at the 45th Annual Awards ceremony held in Chicago on October 18th, 2007.

Widely recognised in industry, government, and academia as a mark of excellence for the most innovative ideas of the year, the R&D 100 Awards are the only industry-wide competition rewarding the practical applications of science. Previous examples of winning products include the automated teller machine, the fax machine, the liquid crystal display, lab on a chip and high definition TV. The awards recognise the 100 most promising new products, processes, materials, or software developed throughout the world and introduced to the market the previous year. Awards are based on each achievement's technical significance, uniqueness, and usefulness compared to competing projects and technologies.

Launched earlier this year the ActiPix® D100, the world's first UV area imaging detector, allows minute (picolitre to nanolitre) volumes to be measured with high sensitivity without sacrificing spatial resolution. The ActiPix D100 significantly improves upon existing nanoscale UV detector technologies removing obstacles restricting the sensitivity, throughput and user friendliness of current instrumentation.

Dr Mebs Surve, Business Development Director at Paraytec said "We are thrilled at having been awarded the prestigious R&D 100 award. After winning the Pittcon 2007 Editors' Choice Silver Award for Best New Product, this further underlines the significance of our technology". Dr Surve added "Our detector is receiving extremely positive reviews from its early adopters. We are also receiving considerable interest from several major instrument companies with a view to incorporating our technology into their next generation products".

Paraytec Ltd. is a scientific instrument company based in York, UK, designing, developing and manufacturing innovative miniature detectors. Paraytec was established in January 2005 as a spin-out from the Chemistry Department at the University of York, UK.

ActiPix™ D100 UV Area Imaging System

Paraytec Ltd

Now available The Paraytec ActiPix D100 UV imaging detector is now available for purchase. This keenly awaited product is set to transform UV-Vis detection technology with its increased sensitivity, minute sample requirements and wide dynamic range - unlocking completely new applications for UV-Vis absorbance detection and greatly enhancing existing applications. Key Product Features - Miniature UV detector that can be placed in combination with existing lab hardware, e.g. LC-MS - Capillary-based detection, in-line or discrete allowing sub-microlitre sample volume - High spatial resolution - Five orders of magnitude linear dynamic range - Powerful active pixel sensor provides real-time images - Can be used down to 190 nm in the UV Description The Paraytec ActiPix D100 is a miniature capillary UV detector, designed for on-line monitoring at a single UV wavelength, particularly for use with the separation methods of liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. The ActiPix D100 consists of a control box and a small remote sensor head containing a capillary cartridge. The remote head is designed for positioning exactly at your required detection point, and can be literally clipped in to an analysis stream. Its small size (approx 5x7x7cm) means that it is ideal for in-line detection with LC, nano-LC, LC-MS and CE. The miniature size allows the detector to be used as a ‘clip-on’ accessory linked to existing separations instrumentation and in line with a mass spectrometer. Detection is performed at a selected wavelength by means of exchangeable filters. Light is delivered via a fibre optic coupled light source. Readout of signals on the active pixel sensor and absorbance calculations are carried out at MHz rates, with all processing done in hardware on custom electronic assemblies. Processed data is output in real-time to computer using an industry-standard high-speed serial data link. Specifications - Wavelengths: Single wavelength filters selectable in range 190 – 1100 nm - Bandpass: 10 nm - Baseline noise in absorbance: 5 µAU - Linear dynamic range: 5 orders of magnitude: 5 µAU – 0.5 AU - Peptide limit of quantification: 100 ng / ml (190 nm) - Spatial resolution: 70 µm - Tolerance for eluents: Useable with all standard eluents (methanol with 1 M acetic acid etc.) over full range down to 190 nm - Sensor: CMOS Active Pixel Sensor - Size of detector: Approx 5x7x7 cm Features Uses fused silica capillary - Goes down to 190 nm in UV - Enables low volumes of sample to be analysed discretely or in a continuous stream Patented signal referencing technology - Highly sensitive - Quantitate peptide at 100 pg per µL at 190 nm Over five orders of magnitude linear dynamic range - 5 µAU – 0.5 AU - Reduces the need for dilution - Enables minor components and major components to be quantified simultaneously High spatial resolution - Can resolve peaks in complex mixtures, e.g. proteomics and µUPLC Real time monitoring of velocity - Enables integration with process control, e.g. high throughput fraction collection Miniature detector - Enables placement of one or more detectors in a process stream, e.g. high throughput purification, HPLC, MS, UPLC, monitoring of components in a column

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