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Article

Fully Automated Open Access Platform for Rapid, Combined Serial Evaporation and Sample Reformatting

Otman Benali*, Gary Davies, Martyn Deal, Elizabeth Farrant, Duncan Guthrie^†, John Holden^‡ and Rob Wheeler

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, Technology Development, New Frontiers Science Park (North), Third Avenue, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5AW, U.K.

J. Comb. Chem., 2008, 10 (1), pp 52–55

DOI: 10.1021/cc700149w

Publication Date (Web): November 3, 2007

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: 29 Station Road, Shepreth, Cambridgeshire, SG8 6GB, U.K. Phone : +44(0) 7952394118 . E-mail: otman.benali@uniqsis.com.

†

Vaportec Ltd., Place Farm, Ingham, Suffolk, IP31 1NQ, U.K.

‡

Aitken Scientific, Oxford Road, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2AH, U.K.

Abstract

This paper reports a novel evaporator and its integration with an automated sample handling system to create a high throughput evaporation platform. The Vaportec V-10 evaporator uses a high speed rotation motor (6000 rpm) to spin the vial containing a sample, creating a thin film of solvent which can be readily evaporated by the application of heat to the vial, while the consequent centrifugal force prevents “bumping”. An intelligent algorithm controls pressure and temperature for optimum solvent removal conditions and end of run detection, critical for automation. The system allows the option of evaporation directly from a sample source vial, or alternatively, integrated liquid handling facilities provide the capability of transferring samples portionwise from a (large) source vial or bottle to a (small) daughter container, enabling efficient sample reformatting, with minimum user intervention. The open access system makes significant advances over current vacuum centrifugal evaporators in terms of evaporation rate and ease of automation. The evaporators main features, the integration of robotics to provide automation, and examples of evaporation rates of a wide range of solvents from a variety of containers are described.