The pharmaceutical industry's stringent regulations require researchers and engineers to go above and beyond to ensure products' safety and quality. Whether the goal is in-process preparative separation, or to purify pharmaceutical ingredients from their raw state, researchers must continuously find challenging separation solutions.
Preparative (prep) chromatography is an essential separation tool utilized throughout the drug development process. From early candidate discovery isolations to the ultimate life-cycle quality management of the drug, prep chromatography provides large scale separations of compounds. These separations typically utilize fixed-wavelength detection for peak identification and fraction collection based on the respective absorption of compound(s) of interest. Innovations in light-absorption detection technology allow for further optimization of productivity, purity, and yield.
Distinct innovative features of prep chromatography detectors can speed up and amplify the production process. Relevant ones to consider include:
- Deuterium lamps vs solid-state diodes: While deuterium lamps have been traditionally been used in UV detection, high-intensity solid-state diodes have gained popularity in the past few years due to their instant warm-up time, low maintenance, and higher intensity then deuterium lamp.
- Simultaneous multi-spectrum analysis: This feature allows solid-state detectors to provide peak identification and discernment similar to a variable light detector, such as a diode-array detector (DAD), but with the ease of use and incorporation advantages of specific-chromatic detection or single wavelength analysis. The KeyViewTM Prep detector includes independent channels that allow the simultaneous wavelength analysis of up to six UV mini-spectrums that provide absorption information for both peak discernment and deconvolution.
- Deep 220 nm UVC laser spectrum: KeyView’s 220 nm high-intensity laser source is one of a kind and allows improved sensitivity at this critical chromatographic wavelength. In the purification of complex pharmaceutical ingredients, the KeyView's laser-produced 220 nm can be the high-intensity defining tool to ensure consistent product purity.
- High-intensity and detector dynamic range: The high-intensity of the KeyView light array allows for a high and flexible dynamic range of linearity. This array’s patented semiconductor light matrix (SLM)TM technology allows for intensities that help to circumagitate traditional detector absorption unit limitations and saturation points.
Detector technology is rapidly evolving and transforming preparative chromatography in the pharmaceutical industry. What are some features you are excited about?
Download our podcast with LCGC: Advancing Preparative Chromatography through Preparative Solid State Detectors
A guide to KeyView detectors
