Prolab evaporator launched in UK by Presearch

UK-based laboratory instrumentation supplier Presearch has added a new evaporator to its product range that is claimed to allow for rapid evaporation of solvent from samples. The Twister system, originated by Switzerland's Prolab, is faster and less expensive than vacuum centrifugation, according to the firm.

Twister employs rotary agitation coupled with a vacuum and heating to remove solvents rapidly from samples. It uses a simple, low cost rotary vacuum pump and can process four 96 deep-well plates, four 96 shallow-well, four 48 standard HPLC vials (1.5ml) or four 48 Eppendorf tubes (1ml) simultaneously.

A leakage gas is heated and bled into a high vacuum chamber where the open sample vessels are situated. The orbital shaking action of the Twister increases the surface area of solvent to carrier gas far more efficiently than centrifugal evaporation, which tends to concentrate evaporated solvent in the bottom of the well or tube, claims Presearch. The increased removal rate of evaporated solvent is especially beneficial for less volatile solvents like water and DMSO, added the firm.

The machine comes with 60 different programmes installed that cover common solvent mixtures and amounts, solute type and quantity and maximum allowable temperature. Custom routines can be set up using the system's Windows-based software.