Can You Really Get Twice as Much Done When Running Samples on Your LC System?

Long story short: Yes

Many of us can probably relate to these scenarios:

- You have a large set of samples that you have to run and you want to be present in the lab to make sure nothing goes wrong … except the run will take 14 hours to finish. You either run half the samples today and the second half tomorrow, or run all of them overnight and just do your “please don’t mess up my analysis” dance.

- You have a large set of samples that you want to run twice – once with size exclusion chromatography and a second injection with strong cation exchange chromatography – to get complementary data from your sample. You know this will take a long time since you have to wait for the first analysis to finish and then take the time to switch columns and mobile phases for the second analysis.

In both of these cases, if you had a second LC setup you could run your samples in half the time by running them in parallel. In the first scenario you would have two identical LC/column setup and run half your samples on LC1 and the second half on LC2. In the second scenario you would have two LCs set up with different columns and mobile phases (i.e. size exclusion and strong cation exchange chromatography) and run half the samples on the first LC and then manually switch the samples to the other LC.

Well, this only works if you have a second LC to run your samples – and there might be a lot of reasons why you cannot have a second LC setup, including bench space. Maybe you don’t physically have room for two LC systems and two computers side-by-side on your bench, or maybe you don’t have enough plugs in the wall to support two setups.

The good news is there is now a LC system that lets you get the results that you would expect from two systems, all with one computer and the footprint of one LC system.

The Thermo Scientific™ Vanquish™ Duo UHPLC system for Dual LC enables you to run the same or different methods simultaneously on one instrument, doubling your throughput or deepening your sample knowledge while maximizing your productivity and performance. How? The Vanquish Duo for Dual LC houses two flow paths in one system letting you:

- Improve return on investment by reducing cost per sample

- Increase sample throughput without changing validated methods

- Increase capacity without sacrificing bench space

- Analyze the same set of samples with multiple methods reducing sample preparation time and maximizing sample information

Things to know about the Vanquish Duo system for Dual LC:

1. It uses the new Thermo Scientific™ Vanquish™ Dual Split Sampler
  This autosampler combines two injection devices in one housing. This results in two completely separate channels that are individually controllable.
  What does this mean?
  -Run the same assay on both channels= half the analysis time for all samples
  -You can run two different assays/columns from the same vial = more information from every vial
  -You can reduce cross contamination between samples with two needles, injection ports and fluidic lines

1. There are 1000 and 1500 bar options for maximum flexibility
  Build the system with either the new Thermo Scientific™ Vanquish™ Dual Pump F (up to 1000 bar, two independent ternary-solvent blending flow streams in one housing) or two single Thermo Scientific™ Vanquish™ Binary Pump H (up to 1500 bar)/ Thermo Scientific™ Vanquish™ Binary Pump F (up to 1000 bar)

1. Choose a combination of two detectors from our diverse HPLC and UHPLC Detector portfolio
  -If your aim is to double your throughput, use two similar columns with two similar detectors, such as the new Thermo Scientific™ Vanquish™ Diode Array Detector FG optimized for robustness and flexibility.
  -If your aim is to deepen your sample knowledge, choose to use 1 or 2 different column formats along with one or two different detectors to get a more comprehensive understanding of your samples.

1. It’s easy-to-use with tools built into the Thermo Scientific™ Chromeleon Chromatography Data Systems (CDS) Software
  It’s as simple to use as a single channel LC – independently control the two flow paths from a single interface. You can quickly and easily transfer and setup new methods using guided wizards on Chromeleon CDS, and easily transfer methods between flow paths.

1. Save money and time in the long run
  Depending on your application needs, when you consider the total cost of ownership (instrument, solvent, columns, maintenance costs, etc.) to run a dual LC set up compared to a single channel LC you generally save time and money in the long run.
  Use our new HPLC System Total Cost of Ownership Calculator to help you determine your potential cost savings.

Check out these app notes to get more insight into how Dual LC can improve your lab’s productivity:

Now that you know you can get twice as much done, what will you do with that extra time?

Learn more about Thermo Fisher Scientific’s solution for Dual LC visit www.thermofisher.com/VanquishDuo

Long story short: Yes

Things to know about the Vanquish Duo system for Dual LC:

Check out these app notes to get more insight into how Dual LC can improve your lab’s productivity:

How much can you save with a Dual LC setup? Use our new calculator to figure it out. Click here >

Jenny Wong