SBIR Phase I: Portable SI-HPLC Analyzer

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes the development of a portable and fully automated chromatographic based analyzer. This analyzer will integrate several proven technologies to produce an automated instrument that is compact, robust and easily implemented for on-line, at-site, or field-ready use, especially where complex HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) analyses are needed. Based on Sequential Injection (SI) protocol and HPLC instrumentation, this instrument will be full automated and provide an integrated approach with respect to sample collection, pretreatment, chemical modification, separation and detection of target analytes. This chemical analyzer will exploit several novel technologies including sequential injection, portable high-pressure syringe pumps and sol-gel HPLC columns in its development of this hybrid analyzer referred to as Sequential Injection for High performance Liquid Chromatography (SI-HPLC). Although HPLC is a fundamental fixture in many laboratories; it remains largely a bench-top instrument due to its overall large size, high power consumption and need for manual sample retreatment/preparation prior to analysis. By integrating several evolving technologies, HPLC analysis can be fully automated and conducted at much lower pressures, which will also make this analyzer very compact and truly portable as well as energy efficient. The proposed SI-HPLC instrument will find applications at on-line process control, at-site environmental monitoring or as a multipurpose field-ready analyzer for medical, law-enforcement or military use. The SI-HPLC instrument will be a low cost, portable system that is highly adaptable to different applications since it will rely on an open architecture made possible by software programmability. Sequential Injection technologies make this analyzer ideally suited for use by untrained personnel or for remote autonomous analysis since sample handling and preparation can be completely automated. Examples for SI-HPLC use will be for online process control (e.g. pharmaceuticals) to provide real-time feedback for Quality Control or optimal product yield; at-site monitoring of pesticide or leachate contamination of water sources; or as a field-ready analyzer for mobile hospital units. The SI-HPLC instrument will have broad application since it will employee widely accepted/desired HPLC methodologies into a completely portable and cost-effective field analyzer.