New products

The Kurt J. Lesker Company has introduced the AXXIS, a modular thin film deposition tool that can easily be expanded and reconfigured. The AXXIS can support processes that include sputtering, thermal evaporation, electron beam evaporation, PECVD plasma, ion cleaning, and others. The AXXIS is capable of heating, cooling and rotating a variety of substrates and is offered in both manual and computercontrolled versions. For more information, please contact: Kurt J. Lesker Company, 1515 Worthington Avenue, Clairton, PA 15025-2700, USA. Tel: + 1-412-233-4200. Fax: +1-412-233-4275. Web: www.lesker.com. Thermo Vacuum Generators has released a new, 365-page color catalog of its extensive product line of high vacuum (HV) and ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) components. Included are complete specifications for thousands of components. Detailed color photographs, drawings, exploded views, tables, and graphs clearly describe the products, their features and applications. The catalog contains complete part numbers, ordering information and a current price list. Many completely new products are presented, including SoftShut gate valves, PTFE/ viton sealed valves, long life UHV rotary feedthroughs, wide range gauges from atmosphere to 10E-10 mbar, and residual gas analyzers. The catalog also contains a full line of flanges, fittings, doors, seals, viewports, sample manipulators, magnetic drives, rotary and linear drives, xyz tables and translators, cryostats, traps, titanium sublimation pumps, trap-diffusion pump combinations, leak valves, all-metal valves, heaters, bake-out accessories, and vacuum chambers. The new catalog provides convenient tables for unit conversions, outgassing rates, leak rates, the behavior of gases in vacuum, and other technical data, including useful guidelines for designing your own vacuum chamber. For a copy of this free catalog, please contact: Richard Stratford, Thermo Vacuum Generators, 355 River Oaks Parkway, San Jose, CA 95134, USA. Tel: +1-800-482-2485. Fax: +1-408-965-6141. E-mail: richard.stratford® vacgen.com. Web: www.thermovacgen.com.

(MXL) Distributed Control System introduced in Europe in April are accelerating. World sales are now above 600 contracts, achieved in six months of marketing. The company expects continued appreciation from the market for this system's significantly up-rated capabilities.
The MXL system configurations and functions cover five operator stations (32 blt MC69020 processor, distributed real-time BASIC), Field Control Units up to 16 (standard), (16 blt MC68000 CPU), and is capable of handling 256 control loops. The system RL-bus (standard: km, Mbps) is expandable to 15 km with an optical fibre link. (The system has effectively pulled down the capabilities of the supervisory computer into reach of small and medium-sized users over a wide spectrum of industries.) This comprehensive and cost-effective machine has been designed for real-time production control of continuous and batch operations with high expandability. It offers the benefits of a large unit, but its price is that of a small unit.
The recent European introduction of MicroExcel will naturally benefit from earlier international operational lessons. MXL has been designed to grow with clients into the next century.
For further information contact: Designed to take roll or fanfold recording paper, the E-5200 can operate at two chart speeds, either 20 or 60 mm/h, and x l0 multiplier switches can be used with any chart speed option.
There is an option for a second independent measurement channel which can be switched on while recording is in progress.
In the two-channel version, the recorder uses red and blue felt-tip pens capable of covering up to 1500 metres of chart.
Charts can be consulted without interrupting the recorder's operation and it is also possible to monitor recording visually through the front of the casing. The E-5200 relies on a highly accurate potentiometric balance system, giving it an accuracy of 0"5%. Using YSI's patented immobilized enzyme technology, the 2300 STAT provides precision and accuracy substantially equal to its predecessors. The unit measures glucose and lactate simultaneously, printing and displaying results in less than 90 s.
The user presents a sample and presses the keypad-the 2300 STAT aspirates 25 tl for analysis. It will determine glucose levels in whole blood, plasma or serum, and lactate levels in whole blood, plasma or cerebrospinal fluid.
The unit can interface with a PC through its RS232C port. The glucose measurement range is 0 to 500 mg/dl; the lactate range is 0 to 135 mg/dl. The measurement technique is based on photoacoustic infra-red spectroscopy which offers advantages over existing methods in speed of response, sensitivity and immunity to interferents. The instrument is highly selective by virtue of a wide choice of optical filters, enabling detection of almost any gas which absorbs infrared light, while compensating for the effects ofwater vapour. The detection threshold is gas-dependent and in the parts per billion to parts per million region. Wide dynamic range allows measurement of concentrations four orders of magnitude higher than the detection threshold.
Bruel & Kjaer supplies software enabling one to 31 gas monitors to be controlled by an IBM PC or compatible computer. Highly graphic screen displays and simple on-screen selection of commands make the system very easy to operate. The user selects a normal measurement interval, which is supplanted by intensification and alarm modes when preset thresholds are exceeded. When alarm levels are detected, measurements are made continually. Storage is provided for the most recent measurement and self-test sequences, the data being available on request without disrupting operation. Results can be printed or plotted if required.
Applications areas for the new monitors are widespread and include engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining, oil and gas, water, building, and waste disposal industries. 'Split version' model 9150/SV CO and O2 and flue gas analyser Teledyne's Model 9150/Sv helps improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions by monitoring carbon monoxide (CO) and oxygen (O2) in flue gas. The 9150/SV's simple, low cost on-stack sampling design is ideal for monitoring natural gas-fitted combustion and other clean-burning applications. The 9150/SV features a 'split version' configuration: The analysis section contains the sampling system and CO and O2 sensors, and mounts on or near the stack-providing fast response and reduced installation costs; the separate control unit contains meter readouts and electronic controls and mounts remotely away from the stack in a control room, instrument shed or other convenient location. The 9150/ SV also features three 02 ranges (0/5 0-10 and 0-25% 02) and two CO ranges (0-500 and 0-1000 ppm CO). A thin layer of sample, which can be liquid or set is applied directly to the instrument's sapphire prism and the cover closed. Results accurate to within 0"0001% are displayed on the digital readout in seconds. After the analysis, the sample is simply wiped clean from the sample window surface.
The measurement range is Nd 1"32 to Nd 1"70. Calibration is simple and there are a wide variety of sample cells available for continuous flowthrough analysis as part of a process control system. Electrolyte system offers STAT-interrupt and instrument chemistry expandability Beckman Instruments has introduced an expandable SYNCHRON EL-ISE TM electrolyte system, which was to be a stand-alone primary routine electrolyte analyser or a complement to a random access profiler.
It is available as an automated twochannel analyser for Na, K, C1, and CO2 analyses. Four operation modes auto, manual, batch and STATare available with each system. STAT-interrupt with results in less than a minute and instrument chemistry expandability in just a few hours are key features of the SYNCHRON EL-ISE.
The high-throughput analyser completes more than 100 total electrolyte panels per hour, and features a 40sample turntable for high-volume testing. Sample requirements are only 50 [al for serum, plasma or CSF, and 60 1 for urine.
Available in six languages-English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanesesoftware with every SYNCHRON EL-ISE provides capability for a patient sample identification number for each specimen. Other features include up to six operator-defined sample comments such as 'lipaemic' or 'possible hepatitis'; storage and calculation of QC statistics for up to nine controls; preprogramming for up to six panels; a selection of two Anion Gap formulas; memory for storage and recall of up to 120 samples from three trays; LCD display; and an INTERLINK interface to other SYNCHRON clinical systems.
Spain seen as hot spot in Europe's automated clinical chemistry analyser market Spain will be the hot spot in the largely mature European market for automated clinical chemistry analysers over the next five years, according to a new study researched and written in Europe by Frost and Sullivan Ltd. Spanish consumption will jump 61% from $8"4 million in 1988 to $13"5 million in 1993 while total regional sales increase 15% from $158" million to $181.7 million.

The number of new units sold in
Europe each year is expected to increase by 2% from 1226 in 1988 to 1253 in 1993. Due to their greater throughput, the European installed base will fall steadily through the forecast period from approximately 12 000 to 10 600.
France, which has more small-and medium-sized private clinical laboratories than other countries, is the largest market for automated clinical chemistry analysers. Its 1989 sales of $41"2 million are expected to grow 10% to $45"5 million in 1993. The West German market should expand at the same rate from $38"6 million to $42"6 million. Italy's consumption is forecast to grow 16% from $35 million to $40"6 million over the period, while the UK market increases 14% from $20"4 million (11.4) to $23"3 million ( 13 million). Robot offers fully integrated laboratory automation A laboratory robot for automating virtually any liquid handling task has been developed by Kemble Instruments. The polar co-ordinate robot (the Autolab 500) is available with a range of interchangeable tools to allow control of sample preparation or entire assay procedures.
The robot offers the benefits of automation, including reduced contact with hazardous fluids, and improved accuracy and consistency, without sacrificing processing speed.
Frost & Sullivan believes that the main demand over the next five years will be for discrete analysers which offer random access to a wide range of tests, the capacity to incorporate new tests, and the ability to perform stat analyses with minimal interruption to routine analysis.
The market for centrifugal analysers is expected to decline, but 'capsule' chemistry may increase its market share if the instruments can demonstrate their functionality. Spectrophotometric methods of analysis should continue, and perhaps increase, their domination of the market as spectrophotometric methods for the analysis of electrolytes are developed and accepted.
The most important technology developments are expected in the areas of data handling and computer control, bar-coding ofsamples and test selection, and the ability to handle the primary sample tube.
The movement toward decentralization testing will be much slower in Europe than in the US, due largely to the level of government control over The Autolab 500 Laboratory robot from Kemble Instrument Company. Some examples of slurry samples which can be successfully analysed are river sediments, coal, fly ash, plant and animal tissues and foods.
Samples are prepared as powders.
Liquid is added to the sample powder, and the mixture is agitated ultrasonically to create a slurry or suspension in which the sample particles are homogeneously distributed. An aliquot of slurry is then introduced into the HGA graphite furnace for direct analysis. The USS-100 offers reduced sample preparation (and hence analysis) times with improved freedom from added contamination, easily, reliably and automatically. Thermal desorption applications Thermal desorption application notes are now available from Perkin-Elmer. They present details of thermal desorption-gas chromatographic analyses relevant to: environmental monitoring; occupational hygiene; and product quality control.
These applications will be of particular interest to anyone involved in these fields, either on a routine basis or as a result of recent health and safety legislation.