As part of the WinLims Rental scheme initial support is included within the monthly fee for five support incidences which, when used, can be replaced for a one-off fee of £200. Experience shows that clients may use up to ten incidences during the setup period, with only an occasional request thereafter. An annual support contract for a three user system would typically cost from £1500 to £2000, so further savings can be made by only buying support incidences when required.

A key financial benefit of WinLims Rental is that the concept involves minimal upfront costs.  The small monthly rental payments help to conserve an organization's working capital, which can then be used for other requirements.

WinLims version upgrades are also included within the monthly rental fee, which greatly reduces the ongoing costs for a business.  Whereas most LIMS vendors charge a significant amount for upgrades with the rental approach an organization's LIMS will essentially continue to be improved free of charge.

"There are a number of other tangible financial benefits to be gained by taking advantage of the rental approach to running a LIMS," explained Clive Collier, QSI's managing director.  "The low monthly fees and the short time required to go live with WinLims also means that the return on investment for the rental concept can be as little as three months which compares very favourably with the typical return on investment rate for a capital LIMS purchase which is more like two to three years."

The WinLims Rental scheme also offers organizations a great degree of business flexibility because they not need to commit to rent for any fixed period and if, afteR any period of time, they wish to stop using the product, then all they need to do is cease the monthly fee payments. For further information, e-mail: info@qsiuk.com or view website: www.qsiuk.com   Refer to page 261

Dual-view ICP optical emission spectrometer from Thermo Fisher Scientific
offers simple and effective toy analysis for consumer safety verification   

A new application note from Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., illustrates the capabilities of its Thermo Scientific iCAP 6200 ICP spectrometer for the analysis of toxic trace elements in children's toys. The dual-view ICP instrument offers pre-optimized sample introduction settings and analysis-ready software method templates. The new application note, entitled "Analysis of migratory elements in toy samples using the Thermo Scientific iCAP 6200 ICP spectrometer," assesses the performance of the iCAP 6200 ICP for the routine analysis of toy samples for consumer safety verification. It is available for download in the literature library at: www.thermo.com/icap

Manufacturers routinely analyze toy samples for toxic trace elements, but a number of recent cases of contaminated toys suggest that heavy metals are still present in consumer products. This has resulted in an increasing number of toy producers opting to perform in-house testing to ensure compliance with current regulations and protect consumers. For many, in-house testing can be less costly than outsourced analysis. Today, many regulations worldwide are based on a test method that monitors the levels of trace elements migrating from a toy material into an acidic solution. This simulates the release of elements when toy components are ingested by a child.

The application note details the analysis of three samples extracted from a toy car and a baby rattle, each prepared in accordance with ASTM F963-08 and EN71 Part 3. The study utilized the iCAP 6200's integrated Thermo Scientific iTEVA software, which is supplied with pre-loaded method templates that enable protocol-compliant sample analysis in the environment, food safety, toy safety and WEEE/RoHS market sectors. These templates, combined with the instrument's pre-optimized sample introduction system, enable simple, consistent out-of-the-box operation and ensure both novice and experienced ICP users can achieve powerful analytical performance with minimal method development requirements.

Thermo Scientific iCAP 6200 ICP spectrometer for the analysis of toxic trace elements in children's toys.

The capabilities of the iCAP 6200 ICP spectrometer are further examined in a webinar that is available free-of-charge. The webinar is ideal for routine laboratories running, or considering, ICP technology, and explores how to achieve the utmost efficiency while remaining confident about the quality and reliability of results. Areas covered include: considerations for ICP instrument selection, optimizing technology for cost efficiency and hints and tips to achieve pain-free method development. The webinar features examples from environmental and food/consumer safety applications.

For further information or to obtain a copy of the application note, email: analyze@thermofisher.com or view website: www.spectroscopynow.com/thermowebinars

Thermo Scientific FT-IR Solutions effectively
characterise algae biomolecules for biofuels programs

FT-IR sampling solutions are designed to provide a cost-effective approach to characterizing the chemical composition of biological systems, such as lipids, in algae. Algae are a promising source for the large quantities of biomass required for a successful biofuels program.

Industry-leading Thermo Scientific FT-IR-based automated sampling techniques, originally created for pharmaceutical high-throughput screening systems, can be applied effectively to the analysis of algae. The easy-to-use solutions combine instrumentation, accessories and software to greatly increase the number of biological samples that can be analyzed with automated spectroscopy. Industry professionals can choose from among four different configurations capitalizing on ATR spectroscopy, transmission spectroscopy, reflectance spectroscopy and infrared microscopy to suit varying analytical requirements and sample preparation methods.

Thermo Scientific FT-IR-based automated sampling techniques, originally created for pharmaceutical high-throughput screening systems, can be applied effectively to the analysis of algae.

Algae and other aquatic species are promising sources for the large amounts of biomass required for conversion into biofuel as an alternative to fossil fuels. Researchers have emphasized the need to increase the amount of lipid produced by algae. To achieve this, a technique is required that can efficiently characterize the chemical composition of algae. FT-IR has been used extensively to characterize the chemical composition of biological samples including bacteria, single cells and tissues. Recently, FT-IR has been documented as a viable method for determining the protein, carbohydrate and lipid content in biomass from algae. Sample preparation is a key step of the process in order to increase the number of samples that can be analyzed and obtain reproducible results. Thermo Fisher offers a complete range of FT-IR sampling techniques, forming a basis for developing rapid screening methods to determine the lipid content of microbiological species intended for biofuels.

A selection of Thermo Scientific infrared sampling techniques can be used to characterize the chemical composition of algae. A combination of the Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS10 FT-IR spectrometer configured with a Smart iTR diamond accessory or Smart OMNI-transmission accessory can be used to obtain spectra from dried algae. The Thermo Scientific Nicolet 6700 FT-IR system, equipped with an automated well plate reader and the Thermo Scientific OMNIC Array Automation software analyzes multiple samples in reflectance studies in a simple and low-cost manner. Finally, reliable infrared microscope transmission data can be obtained using the Thermo Scientific Nicolet 6700 and a Continuum infrared microscope configured with an automated X,Y stage.

For further informationabout the Thermo Scientific FT-IR sampling solutions, email: analyze@thermofisher.com or view website: www.thermo.com/ftir

Agilent Technologies Introduces Turbomolecular Vacuum Pump Portfolio

A new line of turbomolecular high vacuum pumps from Agilent Technologies are well-suited for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) applications requiring the highest level of compression ratios for light gases.

Using patented TwisTorr molecular drag technology, Agilent has developed the Turbo-V 750 TwisTorr, the Turbo-V 850 TwisTorr and the Turbo-V 2300 TwisTorr. The new turbomolecular pumps greatly increase pumping efficiency in a very compact space and provide significant improvements in performance. Turbomolecular high vacuum pumps are used for various applications including analytical instrumentation; thin film deposition; space simulation; fusion technology; particle accelerators and synchrotrons; and other industrial applications.

"The TwisTorr technology represents a significant step in the evolution of hybrid turbo high vacuum pumps," said Giampaolo Levi, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Vacuum Products Division. "Agilent is committed to providing innovative vacuum solutions offering unmatched performance and best-in-class compression ratio in the most compact space available."

The innovative TwisTorr technology delivers high pumping speed with a very compact rotor design, reducing power consumption and system footprint. High foreline pressure tolerance permits the use of a smaller, low-cost backing pump, further reducing system size. The TwisTorr pumps also feature a unique bearing and dry lubrication suspension system that is maintenance-free, eliminates oil and risk of contamination, and permits installation in any orientation.

Additionally, the Turbo-V 2300 TwisTorr pump has a dedicated rack controller unit, making it ideally suited for accelerator and synchrotron light-sources and other radioactive applications.

The Turbo-V 750 TwisTorr and Turbo-V 850 TwisTorr offer a pumping system with a fully integrated 48Vdc controller or as a standalone pump with a universal voltage rack controller unit. The high-performance level of the Turbo-V 750 TwisTorr and the Turbo-V 850 TwisTorr allows a wide range of applications. OEM customers in need of system integrations have access to fully integrated electronics in several applications, such as analytical instrumentation, thin-film deposition and surface analysis. Research institutes and universities that require manual pump operation can use the full-rack controller solution.

For further information, e-mail: chem@agilent.com   Refer to next page 232