AUTOMATIC SOLID PHASE MICROEXTRACTION (SPME) SAMPLING APPARATUS

摘要

Automatic solid phase microextraction (SPME) sampling apparatus with a mobile sampler arm (2) with a holder (15) for a probe (5) carrying the SPME fiber 9 and an intermediate bracket (6) for transferring the probe (5) between a probe storage tray (4) and the gas chromatograph injector (7). In the various probe handling stages, the probes are collected by magnetic means (20, 22, 33) attached to the end of the plunger (17) in the holder (15), at the free end of the holder's body (16) and at the lower end of the block (29b) for guiding the probe needle (8). Said magnetic means interact with a ferromagnetic connector (12) attached to one end of the SPME fiber (9) and with a ferromagnetic flange (13) attached to the end of the needle (8) containing the fiber in order to place the probe on the transfer bracket (6) or remove it therefrom. The apparatus can perform analyses on SPME fibers that have already been exposed, extract analytes from samples, and subsequently transfer them for desorption in the gas chromatograph in a fully automatic way.