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BRE0002739 iCAP 7400 ICP-OES prepFAST II Getting Started Guide Rev A
BRE0002739 iCAP 7400 ICP-OES prepFAST II Getting Started Guide Rev A
BRE0002739 iCAP 7400 ICP-OES prepFAST II Getting Started Guide Rev A
Creating a The first step after the installation of the prepFAST II system is to create a new configuration, to define the
configuration hardware, which is used. This hardware configuration is then the basis for the creation of Templates and
LabBooks.
4. Click OK to close the window and then click the Save button of the Experiment configurator toolbar, see
Figure 5, to save the configuration.
NOTICE All other instrument settings of the Thermo Scientific iCAP 7400 ICP-OES and the ESI autosampler
provided inside the Experiment configurator can be adjusted according to the demands of your analysis.
However, the options Optimization and Optimization Uptake Delay should be disabled for the ESI
autosampler in combination with the prepFAST II. ▲
prepFAST: Five solutions are needed to operate the prepFAST II system, while each of them can have a different
Solution composition. These solutions are:
Preparation 1. prepFAST Carrier/Diluent
It is used to push the sample from the P7+ valve (valve 2) to the P6 valve (valve 1) using syringe 2. It is also
used to dilute the sample when it is transferred to the P6 valve using syringe 3.
2. prepFAST Internal Standard
The internal standard is added to the P7+ valve and transferred together with the diluted sample to the P6
valve using syringe 4.
Preparing the It is recommended to prime the complete prepFAST II system before first use in order to remove air bubbles
System for from the sample lines and the syringes. This ensures reproducible results as well as a good washout behavior.
the First Use ❖ To run the priming procedure
1. Start Qtegra ISDS and load the prepFAST II configuration created in “Creating a configuration” on page 1.
2. From the Dashboard, open the autosampler display by clicking the headline, see Figure 6.
3. If the autosampler does not already display Connected and Initialized in the Dashboard (see Figure 7), select
Tools > Initialize. If the autosampler is connected properly and all drivers are installed, the state should
change after a couple of seconds. Otherwise, please power cycle the complete autosampler and the
prepFAST II system, reload the Qtegra configuration and try again.
Figure 10. Selected prepFAST II method on the Dashboard with dropdown menu of the Save button
3. To save the selected prepFAST II method, click the Save button. Select Save As from the dropdown menu.
The method is saved as a user method.
Get Ready As the prepFAST II-based system is a discrete sample introduction system that provides steady signals over a
Operation fixed time period, the Get Ready process for the prepFAST II is different to that for a continuous sample
introduction system such as a traditional autosampler.
Performing Since Qtegra 2.4 SP2 the following options are fully supported:
an Analysis • Prescriptive dilution
using the • Intelligent dilution for an analyte above the calibration range
prepFAST II • Intelligent dilution when one or more of the internal standards show an unacceptable recovery due to matrix
System effects
General adjustments
After you have created a LabBook based on the configuration including the prepFAST II system, the
corresponding tabs will be shown inside the menu of the LabBook, see Figure 16. All parameters of the
autosampler can be set using these tabs.
The Analysis tab is used to define the Uptake Time as well as the Wash Time. As the dilution procedure is part
of the Uptake time, typically 25-35 s are needed to get a stable signal. The Wash Time can be set to a smaller
value as it is already part of the FAST method (4-10 s are recommended) and needed in order to make sure the
autosampler is ready to start with the aspiration of the next sample. If the displayed window does not look like
the one shown in Figure 18, the reason is that no prepFAST II method has been selected. As soon as this is done,
the window will change accordingly.
Figure 19. Opening a FAST Method from the FAST Methods tab
NOTICE Different FAST methods are supplied with the system for the different available sample loop volumes.
Please make sure that the duration of the acquisition corresponds to the flow rate of the sample introduction, i.e.,
the speed of the peristaltic pump, and the volume of the FAST loop to ensure a stable signal during the
acquisition. Please also make sure that the chosen method matches the configuration of your system. For further
information regarding the setup of a method, please refer to the Qtegra for iCAP 7000 Series ICP-OES
Software-Manual. ▲
Prescriptive dilution
Prescriptive dilutions can be used whenever it is known that a dilution is needed prior to the analysis. This can
either be the case for samples, which are known to have a high concentration of analytes or high matrix content
or to generate calibration curves from one or more stock solutions.
The prepFAST II system is able to dilute the sample up to a factor of 400, whereas the internal standard is
additionally added to all samples. In any configuration including a prepFAST II system, the prepFAST dilution
factor (DF) can be adjusted inside the Sample List of a LabBook, see Figure 20.
In order to correct for dilutions done prior to placing the sample in the autosampler, the Dilution Factor is used.
The Total Dilution Factor is the product of the prepFAST DF and the adjustable Dilution Factor.
Figure 20. prepFAST Dilution Factor inside the Sample List of a LabBook
You have the possibility to activate an automated dilution in case the internal standard does not meet the set
criteria or an automated dilution in case the concentration of an analyte is not within the calibration range, see
Figure 22.
For the Internal Standard an Upper and a Lower Limit can be defined, between which the recovery of the
internal standard has to lie. If the recovery rate of any internal standard within the LabBook does not meet this
criterion, the sample will be diluted according to the set Autodilution Factor, e.g. 10. If the recovery of at least
one internal standard is still not within the defined limits, the prepFAST II system will try to dilute it further,
e.g. by a factor of 20, until the Maximum Number of Autodilutions has been reached. In this case, the action
defined by the Action on Failure dropdown menu will be performed.
For the Calibration Range a Limit can be set. If at least one of the investigated analytes shows a concentration
above this limit, the sample will be autodiluted. This value is the percentage of the highest calibration standard
(STD sample) for any measured analyte. If for example, the highest calibration point is 1 ppm and the limit was
set to 120%, each sample with an analyte concentration above 1.2 ppm will be autodiluted to the Target value. If
more than one analyte is out of the calibration range, the highest dilution factor will be applied automatically.
This value is again a percentage of the highest calibration point. With the aforementioned example this would
mean that the 1.2 ppm sample is diluted by a factor of 2 to achieve a concentration of 0.6 ppm (60% of the
highest calibration point).
Figure 22. Enabling the Autodilution for Internal Standard and Calibration Range
NOTICE Both checks apply to all internal standards or all measured wavelengths, respectively. There is no
possibility to exclude designated sample analyses within a LabBook from these checks. ▲
If a sample line was added into the LabBook’s Sample List by the prepFAST II system, it will be
marked with a plus to indicate that this sample line was automatically added during the runtime of
the LabBook.