Unimicro EasySep®-3030 High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph

Overview

The Unimicro EasySep®-3030 is a fully integrated, regulatory-compliant high-performance liquid chromatograph engineered for precision, robustness, and long-term unattended operation in QC, R&D, and routine analytical laboratories. Based on classical reversed-phase, normal-phase, and ion-exchange chromatographic principles, the system employs a dual-plunger reciprocating pump architecture with active solvent compressibility compensation, enabling stable gradient delivery and high flow accuracy across its full 0.001–10.000 mL/min range. Its 42 MPa maximum operating pressure supports sub-2 µm particle-packed columns and UHPLC-compatible methods without hardware modification. The optical detection module integrates a high-stability deuterium/tungsten lamp source with optimized thermal management to minimize wavelength drift and baseline noise—critical for quantitative analysis per USP , EP 2.2.46, and ICH Q2(R2) validation requirements.

Key Features

• Fully integrated real-time bidirectional control: ChromStation software provides complete hardware-level reverse control of all modules—including quaternary pump, autosampler, column oven, and UV-Vis detector—ensuring parameter traceability, audit trail integrity, and method reproducibility.
• Intelligent leak detection system: Distributed optical and capacitive sensors monitor critical fluidic junctions (pump head, injector valve, detector flow cell) and trigger immediate hardware halt + software alert—essential for 24/7 unattended sequencing under GLP/GMP environments.
• Enhanced pump reliability: Newly designed ceramic-coated pump heads with automatic online piston cleaning via integrated peristaltic wash module; programmable cleaning cycles support high-salt mobile phases (e.g., ammonium acetate/formate buffers) without manual maintenance.
• High-capacity thermostatted column compartment: Accommodates up to four 250 mm columns simultaneously with precise temperature control (±0.1 °C) from ambient to 100 °C; meets ISO/IEC 17025 temperature uniformity specifications.
• Advanced UV-Vis detection: Dual-lamp (D₂/W) design with static wavelength scanning and time-programmable wavelength switching; enables DAD-like spectral acquisition at fixed wavelengths with 1 nm resolution and <0.001 AU/h baseline stability over 8-hour runs.
• Modular degassing: Optional integrated multi-channel online vacuum degasser servicing both pump and autosampler lines—reducing dissolved gas-induced retention time shifts and peak broadening by >95% compared to offline degassing.

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The EasySep®-3030 accommodates standard 2 mL screw-thread or crimp-top vials (108-position tray), supporting injection volumes from 0.1 µL to 100 µL with <0.3% RSD precision at 5 µL. It is validated for use with silica-based C18, phenyl-hexyl, HILIC, and ion-pairing columns (2.1–4.6 mm ID, 30–250 mm length). All firmware and software components comply with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 requirements—including electronic signatures, role-based user access control, immutable audit trails, and automatic backup of method files, sequence logs, and raw data. System qualification documentation (IQ/OQ/PQ protocols) and calibration certificates are provided per ISO/IEC 17025 and ASTM E2656-20 standards.

Software & Data Management

Unimicro ChromStation is a Windows-based, SQL-server-backed chromatography data system (CDS) supporting multi-user network deployment. It features built-in tools for peak integration (tangent skim, valley-to-valley, exponential curve fitting), system suitability testing (theoretical plates, tailing factor, resolution), and automated report generation compliant with GLP Annex 11 and EU GMP Annex 11. Raw data (.uwd format) are stored with embedded metadata (instrument ID, operator, timestamp, method checksum), while processed results export to CSV, PDF, and XML for LIMS integration. The embedded web server enables secure remote monitoring and sequence initiation via HTTPS—without requiring third-party VNC or RDP solutions.

Applications

The EasySep®-3030 is routinely deployed for pharmaceutical assay and impurity profiling (ICH Q3B/Q5C), food additive quantification (AOAC 2012.01), environmental contaminant analysis (EPA Method 8330B), and natural product fingerprinting (Chinese Pharmacopoeia ChP 2020). Its wide linear dynamic range (0.005–2.0 AU), low detection limit (<5 pg on-column for caffeine at 254 nm), and compatibility with post-column derivatization interfaces make it suitable for amino acid analysis, residual solvent testing, and chiral separations using polysaccharide-based CSPs.

FAQ

Does the EasySep®-3030 support method transfer from legacy Agilent or Waters systems?
Yes—ChromStation includes native import filters for .d, .cdf, and .raw files and supports retention time alignment algorithms compatible with USP General Chapter method equivalency criteria.
Is the autosampler compatible with 96-well microplates?
No—the standard configuration supports only 2 mL vials; optional 96-well plate adapter kits are available upon request with modified needle positioning firmware.
Can the system be integrated into a LIMS environment?
Yes—via ODBC-compliant database connectivity and configurable HL7/SOAP API endpoints for bidirectional sample registration and result posting.
What is the recommended maintenance interval for pump seals and check valves?
Under typical aqueous/organic mobile phase usage, pump seals require replacement every 6,000 operational hours; check valves every 3,000 hours—both intervals are tracked automatically in ChromStation’s instrument health dashboard.
Does the UV-Vis detector support spectral library matching?
No—spectral acquisition is limited to single-wavelength or time-programmed multi-wavelength modes; full DAD functionality requires the optional EasySep®-3030-DAD upgrade module.