A SP2000 robot has been succesfully commissioned at the Hygiene-Institut des Ruhrgebiets
A second generation of the Skalar robotic analyzer with extended possibilities has been successfully commissioned at the Hygiene-Institut des Ruhrgebiets in Gelsenkirchen, Germany
The SP2000 robot platform offers fully automatic analysis of pH, conductivity (EC), turbidity and acid capacity in drinking and swimming pool water and additionally the measurement of the Spectral Absorption Coefficient (SAC) 254, 436 and 410 nm.
The Hygiene-Institut des Ruhrgebiets was founded in 1902 during the typhus epidemic on the recommendation of Robert Koch to improve general hygiene. Today the institute is still involved in analyzing environmental matrices such as water, soil, air and various types of waste.
The laboratory analyses about 70 samples every day, with peaks of up to 100 samples per day. Drinking water is analyzed according to the requirements specified in the “Trinkwasserverordnung” and swimming pools must be monitored in accordance with DIN 19643.
Why did the Hygiene-Institut automate their analysis with the SP2000 robot?
Higher sample capacity
Analyzing the samples manually for all of the above parameters would be very labor-intensive. The SP2000 robot easily measures about 90 samples for all parameters without any operator intervention.
Measurement on time
Some of the parameters such as pH and turbidity must be measured directly or, at least, on the day of sampling. As the robot can be left unattended, these samples can be loaded at the end of the working day and analysed in the evening and overnight as well - greatly extending the working day of the lab, but not the staff!
Multiple parameters on one platform
The pH, EC, turbidity, acid capacity, SAC 254, 436 and 410 nm are automatically determined from a single sample on the same robot platform.
Ability to use their own sample bottles
Integration of plastic sample collection bottles of 250 ml with a conical screw cap, allowing samples to be taken without an air cushion was a huge advantage. Sample collection bottles can be placed directly on the analyzer and are used through out the entire process. Minimizing error introduction from sample splitting etc.
Features
- Barcode scanning to retrieve sample ID and parameters to be analyzed in the sample.
- High degree of automation, sample collection bottles can be placed directly on the analyzer and are automatically (de) -capped
- Fully automatic measurement of all parameters
- Automatic sample filtration with a 0.45 µm membrane filter
- Integration of a UV-VIS spectrometer to measure SAC values
- Dedicated robotic software for result processing and various other options such as a delayed start time, predefined applications, adding samples during the analysis.
- Unattended overnight analysis
- Automatic rinsing in between samples
