SPE Clean Up Map
Why Should I use SPE for my Sample Clean-up?
What are the Advantages to Using SPE?
Using SPE (Solid Phase Extraction) to clean up your sample prior to injection can help improve the quality of your data. By removing any extraneous material like fats, proteins and salts, you can reduce the background noise for improved detection of the analyte of interest. SPE can also be used for more selective analyte extraction.
Will I Damage my Equipment if I Inject a Dirty Sample?
Your GC Column and injection port like clean samples and will thank you by lasting longer.
How Does SPE Compare to LLE?
The methods of extraction are different with SPE and LLE. SPE requires less organic solvents than a liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and is faster, more selective and efficient. Since LLE uses solubility differences for extraction it can be less costly if your simple sample is made up of a mixture with significantly different solubilities and if you are also working with large volumes.
Can I Automate the SPE Clean-Up?
Yes, SPE can easily by automated. You can use your existing vacuum manifold system and add automated controls or you can use a completely different system called positive pressure automation.
Click here to view the UCT Glass Block Manifold.
Click here to view the UCT Positive Pressure Manifold.
Below is a guide to help you with optimizing your sample clean-up or analyte extraction.
What are the Different Brands of SPE Products Offered by UCT?
CLEAN SCREEN®, XtrackT® , STYRE SCREEN®, Clean-Up®, and Enviro-Clean®.
Click here to view the UCT Products Catalogue.
Click here to view the UCT Solid Phase Extraction Application Manual
Why Would I Choose One Over the Other?
CLEAN SCREEN® UCT’s flagship forensic SPE product line.
This brand features handpicked mixed-mode chemistries for the extraction of hundreds of commonly encountered and newly discovered drugs of abuse. The CLEAN SCREEN® family includes dedicated phases for broad-spectrum drug screening (DAU), cannabinoid analysis (THC), gamma-hydroxybutyrate isolation (GHB), ethyl glucuronide extraction (ETG), benzodiazepine analysis (BNZ), streamlined multi-drug extraction (XCEL®), and rapid filtration-based sample preparation (FASt®). CLEAN SCREEN® products are the most widely used forensic SPE columns in toxicology laboratories and medical examiner offices across North America.
Click here to view the UCT CLEAN SCREEN® Copolymeric Bonded Phases for Drug Abuse Testing Information.
Click here to view the UCT CLEAN SCREEN FASt™ Filter and Shoot Information.
Click here to view the UCT CLEAN SCREEN Xcel® SPE Columns Information.
Click here to order the UCT CLEAN SCREEN® SPE Products
XtrackT® is specifically designed for viscous or difficult sample matrices that clog standard SPE cartridges.
These SPE columns use large-particle silica gels. Postmortem blood, hemolyzed specimens, tissue homogenates, and other challenging forensic matrices flow easily through XtrackT® columns without the backpressure issues common with fine-particle sorbents. Available in seven phase chemistries including the mixed-mode DAU phase for broad drug screening, XtrackT® columns are ideal for medical examiner and coroner laboratories where sample quality varies significantly from case to case.
Click here to order the UCT XtrackT® SPE Products
STYRE SCREEN® forensic SPE columns.
These columns are built on ultra-clean, highly cross-linked styrene-divinylbenzene (DVB) polymer sorbents that deliver high analyte capacity with significantly lower bed masses compared to silica-based alternatives. The polymer backbone provides pH stability across the full range (pH 1–14), eliminating concerns about sorbent degradation during aggressive wash or elution steps. STYRE SCREEN® columns enable faster flow rates and reduced solvent consumption, making them an excellent choice for high-throughput forensic and clinical toxicology laboratories processing large daily sample volumes.
Click here to learn more about the UCT STYRE SCREEN® Polymeric Resins.
Click here to order the UCT STYRE SCREEN® SPE products.
CLEAN-UP® offers the broadest phase selection in the forensic SPE market.
UCT’s comprehensive line of silica-based SPE chemistries, with hydrophobic phases (C2 through C30), hydrophilic phases (silica, florisil, alumina, diol, cyanopropyl), ion exchangers (both cation and anion), and unique copolymeric bonded phases that combine two mechanisms on a single sorbent. CLEAN-UP® columns provide the versatility to screen biological samples for unknown compounds or target specific drug chemistries with precision. CLEAN-UP® is the go-to product line when your application requires a specific retention mechanism beyond what mixed-mode phases offer.
Click here to view the UCT CLEAN-UP® Product Information.
Click here to order the UCT CLEAN-UP® SPE Products.
ENVIRO-CLEAN® is for your environmental analyses.
At UCT, their environmental-food SPE phases are trusted in laboratories to analyze pesticides, contaminants, and trace compounds in food and environmental samples. Their cartridges are precision-engineered for the isolation and purification of environmental analytes, ranging from pesticides and herbicides to polyaromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls, and other environmentally related compounds. Designed with ultra-clean extraction sorbents and chemically resistant frits, their cartridges empower users to purify complex matrices while minimizing ion suppression or enhancement. Crucially, they excel at enriching compounds present at trace concentration levels, ensuring accuracy and reliability in your analyses. Their configurations cover a range of volume capacities, bed masses, and options with or without endcapping, guaranteeing a personalized solution for any analytical challenge you encounter. UCT also provides customization upon customer request to meet specific requirements.
Click here to view the Enviro-Clean® Solid Phase Extractions Manual.
Click here to order the UCT Enviro-Clean® SPE Products
Still Have Questions ?
You can give us a call or email us and we can find the right SPE product number for your application. It's our pleasure to help you and it's free!
1-800-267-8103 or tech@chromspec.com
