Thermo Electron Corporation has extended its Atomic Absorption (AA) Series portfolio with the launch of the new Si and Mi AA spectrometers. Offering advances on the standard S and M Series AA spectrometers, the new instruments incorporate unique intelligent Spectrometer Qualification (iSQ), which enables automatic testing of the spectrometer's hardware performance prior to any analytical run, as well as a pre-programmable "wake-up" option that allows the tests to be carried out before the operator arrives in the lab.
Consisting of a unique motorised filter wheel containing a set of calibrated filters, the Intelligent Spectrometer Qualification (iSQ) module, mounted in the instrument, provides automated system performance checks on wavelength accuracy, photometric stability, monochromator resolution and D2 background correction accuracy, as well as tests on lamp peaking and beam selector movement.
Thermo recommends the spectrometers for high throughput elemental analysis laboratories; potentially sample limited clinical laboratories, and anyone new to AA analysis who may be unsure of how best to identify if their instrument hardware is operating as it should.