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Lab Trends

2015 HPLC System Product Survey Results

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is, for many scientists, an essential chromatographic technique. HPLC systems used for the separation, identification, purification, and quantification of various chemical and biochemical solutions are composed of a pump, a sample injector, a separation column, a detection unit, and a data-processor.

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Trevor Henderson, PhD

Trevor Henderson BSc (HK), MSc, PhD (c), is the creative services director at Lab Manager.  He has more than two decades of experience in the fields of scientific...

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Top 6 Questions You Should Ask When Buying an HPLC System

  1. How flexible is the system? Can the system be optimized to meet your laboratory requirements?
  2. What tubes, vessels, and vials can it accommodate? Can components (such as additional detectors, valves, etc.) be upgraded in the future?
  3. Is the software easy to use and operate? Can a demo version be put in place to get a feel for how the software functions for your laboratory’s workflow?
  4. How is the system (not just components) qualified during installation to meet manufacturer performance expectations?
  5. Who provides the support and service for the product? Is it the manufacturer or a third party service group? If it is a third party service group, are they factory-trained?
  6. Finally, ask about the total cost of the purchase—not just the price of the product being installed— but the total cost of ownership, which includes price, service expectations, warranty, etc.

Types of HPLC systems used by survey respondents:

Analytical HPLC 96%
UHPLC 26%
Ion Chromatograph 23%
Preparative HPLC 14%
GPC 10%
FPLC/Bio 6%
Other 2%

HPLC separation modes used by survey respondents:

Reverse Phase 76%
Normal Phase 40%
Ion Exchange 31%
Ion Chromatography 27%
Ultra-High performance (UHPLC) 20%
Hydrophilic Interaction (HILIC) 19%
Size Exclusion (SEC) 18%
Gel Permeation (GPC) 15%
Chiral 14%
Gel Filtration (GFC) 6%
Ion Exclusion 5%
Affinity 5%

Nearly 45% of respondents are engaged in purchasing a new HPLC system. The reasons for these purchases are as follows:

Replacement of an aging system
38%
 
Addition to existing systems, increase capacity
33%
Setting up a new lab
11%
First time purchase
15%
Other
3%

Top 10 features/factors respondents look for when purchasing an HPLC system:

Quality of data 89%
Accuracy 88%
Sensitivity 78%
Resolution 78%
Precise and accurate flow rates 72%
Ease-of-use 64%
Availability of supplies and accessories 62%
Price 61%
Maintenance 59%
Service and support 56%

For more information on HPLC systems, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/HPLC-systems

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