Thermo Scientific EXTREVA ASE Accelerated Solvent Extractor (Product specifications)

Importance of the Topic

The development of automated accelerated solvent extraction with integrated concentration addresses the growing demand for high-throughput, reproducible, and eco-friendly sample preparation in analytical laboratories. By combining extraction and concentration in a single platform, laboratories can reduce solvent consumption, minimize user intervention, and improve data consistency across environmental, food safety, and industrial quality control applications.

Objectives and Study Overview

This document presents the Thermo Scientific EXTREVA ASE Accelerated Solvent Extractor, detailing its design goals, workflow enhancements, and performance targets. Key aims include walkaway operation from sample introduction to vial, parallel processing of multiple samples, automation of concentration steps, and seamless integration with chromatography systems to streamline routine analyses.

Methodology

Accelerated solvent extraction employs elevated temperature and pressure to drive organic or aqueous solvents through solid or semi-solid matrices, enhanced by a patented gas-assisted delivery system. Nitrogen gas co-delivers solvent into stainless steel extraction cells, improving analyte recovery and reducing solvent volumes. Following extraction, analytes are transferred directly into glass assemblies for concentration by controlled heating, vacuum, and nitrogen blow-down, with end-point detection guided by machine vision.

Instrumentation

The EXTREVA ASE platform comprises:

• Automated extraction unit with four parallel channels and 16-position cell trays compatible with 1–100 mL stainless steel cells
• Integrated concentration module supporting unattended evaporation to dryness or fixed volumes in GC/LC vials
• CFC-free refrigerated vapor trap for solvent recovery
• Optional Welch vacuum pump and refrigerated vapor trap accessories
• User interface with 10.1-inch multi-touch display and optional Chromeleon CDS software control

Main Results and Discussion

Performance highlights include:

• Walkaway extraction and concentration of up to 16 samples per batch without manual intervention
• Parallel or sequential workflows using up to six solvents for flexible method development
• Reduction of hands-on time and solvent usage through optimized gas-assisted delivery and AI-driven concentration end-point
• High and eco-friendly solvent recovery ensuring safe laboratory operation without dedicated fume hoods

These capabilities translate into increased sample throughput, reproducible analyte recovery, and a lower cost per analysis.

Benefits and Practical Applications

By streamlining sample preparation, the EXTREVA ASE system supports diverse analytical tasks such as:

• Environmental monitoring of soils and sediments
• Residue analysis in food and feed matrices
• Quality control in pharmaceuticals and polymers
• Research workflows requiring unattended, high-volume processing

The integration with chromatography platforms further accelerates time to result and reduces operational errors.

Future Trends and Applications

Emerging directions include expanding solvent compatibility toward greener mixtures, integration with laboratory information management systems for full data traceability, and enhanced automation through remote monitoring and advanced AI-based fault detection. Further developments may combine extraction with on-line cleanup and fractionation for more complex sample matrices.

Conclusion

The EXTREVA ASE Accelerated Solvent Extractor offers a robust, fully automated solution for modern chromatographic sample preparation. Its combination of accelerated extraction, integrated concentration, and minimal user input delivers reliable, reproducible results while reducing solvent use and overall operational costs.

References

• Thermo Fisher Scientific. EXTREVA ASE Accelerated Solvent Extractor, Product Specification PS001104-EN.