Flow Injection
FI has been a workhorse for serial sample processing, its advantages being transparency of operation, high sample throughput > EPA approved Agricultural and Environmental Assays are performed at a typical throughput 2 samples/minute
FIA system configured for nitrate assay by spectrophotometry
Phosphate analyzed at a rate of 6 samples/min
using FIAlab-2500
FI is based on injection of a well defined volume of a sample solution into
a continuously pumped solution of a carrier.
Reagent streams are added at confluence points and a detectable product, often quantified by spectrophotometry, is formed while the reactants flow through a coiled reactor and other manifold components into a flow cell.
For more details see Principles.
Classical Flow Injection by Single Channel Instrument
The FIAlab-2500 system is a complete and fully automated analyzer, comprised of FIAlab control software, a UV/VIS spectrometer, flow cell, light source, fiber optics, tubing and connectors.
The robust design and adaptability make this system the best choice for teaching, research and commercial
laboratories. The instrument will perform analyses of series of samples for Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonium, Phosphate, Chloride, Iron,Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), and many other routine assays.
The instrument is compatible with sample changers and
provides output of raw data as well as final assay result
for each processed sample.
Lab-on-Valve ®
The LOV platform integrates manifold components (valve, tube fittings, confluence points and flow cell), within a transparent monolithic structure.
This unique technology makes the function of the analyzer transparent to the user. The LOV format is easy to reproduce, so that an optimized assay can be transferred to other LOV based instruments in the same lab, or in another geographic location. It eliminates most of the tubing and connections, typical for traditional flow injection manifolds. For further details see FI-lab-on-valve page .
FIAlab 2500 with LOV module
Single Channel LOV module
fabricated in PERSPEX
Flow Injection by Dual Channel Instrument
The FIAlab-2600 offers the same capabilities as two connected FIAlab-2500 units. Built into a single enclosure with a dual sample loop injection valve and an eight channel peristaltic pump, the advantages of the FIAlab 2600 compared to two single channel FIAlab-2500s are cost savings, smaller footprint, increased sampling rate ( the sample has less distance to travel to fill both sample loops), and simplicity.
Analyte Combinations and Resulting Throughput:
Nitrate and Nitrite 240s/hr
Nitrate and Ammonia 120s/hr
Nitrate and Chloride 240s/hr
Nitrate and Sulfate 120s/hr
Ortho Phosphate and Nitrate 240s/hr
Ortho Phosphate and Ammonia 120s/hr
Bray Phosphate and Potassium (Flame Photometer for Potassium) 240s/hr
FIAlab 2600 with LOV module
Dual channel LOV module
fabricated in ULTEM
Multichannel Instrument
Multichannel FI systems are best assembled by daisy chaining several single channel FIAlab 2500 instruments. The advantages of this approach are: versatility, since the individual instruments can be reconfigured for different sets of analytes, improved reliability – since if one channel fails, the other channels remain unaffected and transparency of operation for easier maintenance.
Three 2500 systems daisy chained
Flow Cells with Selectable Light Path
FIAlab 2500, 2502 sp, 2504sp and 2600 instruments
are available with flow cells with light path lengths
ranging from 0.1 to 50 cm in length. While 1 cm light
path is standard for most applications, 5, 10, 25 and
50cm cells are suited if the detection limit of a
colorimetric based assay should be extended.
Detection limits achievable with a 50cm flow cell
( shown here) are : Nitrate 0.0001 to 0.5 mg (N)/L
Nitrate 0.0004 to1.0 mg (N)/L Ortho Phosphate
0.002 to 0.5 mg (P)/L Ammonia 0.002 to 2 mg (N)/L.
For further information see Custom Flowcells.
FIAlab 2500 with 50 cm
light path cell
Recommended Configurations and Accessories
FIAlab 2500 and 2600 instruments are compatible with UV-VIS Spectrophotometry, Fluorescence , Flame Photometry, Atomic Absorption and Electrochemical techniques.
Plug and Play
All FIAlab instruments can be ordered fully configured with a laptop PC loaded with software, and tested before shipping.
Consult us for optimal configuration.
FIAlab 4002sp configured with Gas Diffusion
Sandwich sensor for ammonia assay
Syringe Driven FI Instruments
Peristaltic pumps have numerous disadvantages. The tubing wears out and needs to be frequently replaced, the flow rates are ill defined, and change, as the tubing is being stretched. The continuous flow consumes reagents and generates a considerable volume of waste. Furthermore, the peristaltic pump tubing is expensive and rapidly deteriorates in contact with strong acids, and organic solvents.
Syringe pumps withstand a wide range of solvents, deliver precise volumes, at accurate flow rates, for long periods of time, and allow the instrument to be operated on more economical volume basis than the wasteful time based continuous flow.
FIAlab Instrument is introducing a new line of syringe driven systems for flow injection. By combining the well established lab-on-valve technology, with independently controlled syringe pumps, a new generation of flow injection instrumentation, based on volume based programming becomes available. FIAlab 4002sp is a two syringe system suitable for one and two reagent assays, including gas diffusion techniques, while FIAlab 4004sp is a four syringe system suitable for more complex assay protocols. Please inquire.
FIAlab 2500: Six Years and One Million Injections
“Attached is a photo of our Lab-on-valve manifold taken off of the Bray Phosphate FIA instrument. The system is 6 years old and has injected probably over a million samples easily.”
Jackie Brackman
Soil & Geotechnical Laboratory Manager
Brookside Laboratories, Inc.
www.blinc.com
We at FIAlab appreciate this testimonial as it documents the quality of our instrument and its value, when used with skill and expertise.