A Novel Focusing Technique for GC
Angus Hibberd, Ph.D., Gerard Sharp, Ph.D., and Dan DiFeo, Ph.D.
The AirSharp™ is a peak-focusing GC accessory that uses compressed air as a coolant to cool a very small area of the capillary column rather than the standard liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) or liquid nitrogen (N2) that are used in many of the currently available cold (cryogenic) traps. The AirSharp has been designed to focus individual peaks just prior to the compounds eluting from the column. This focusing increases the signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity of individual peaks thereby lowering detection limits and making low-level analyses easier without increasing the amount of contamination through excess large volume injection.
AirSharp is simple to install and use; once installed the AirSharp can be left in the GC oven when not in use. The AirSharp can be used with most GC instruments; however, it requires a GC with software that has external event capabilities.
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