Reducing the Cost of Ownership of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Systems

Significance of the Topic

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a cornerstone technique in pharmaceutical, food and environmental analysis. Minimizing instrument downtime, maintenance costs and sample-to-sample variability is essential for driving laboratory productivity and profitability without sacrificing data quality.

Objectives and Overview of the Study

This whitepaper infographic examines key hardware elements and workflow features that reduce the total cost of ownership of modern HPLC/UHPLC systems. It highlights specific technologies and quantifies annual time and cost savings achievable through system design optimizations.

Methodology

The analysis compiles feature-by-feature performance data from Thermo Scientific Vanquish HPLC and UHPLC platforms. Each hardware innovation is evaluated for its impact on maintenance intervals, setup time, diagnostic capability and method flexibility, then translated into annual labor and resource savings.

Used Instrumentation

• Thermo Scientific Vanquish Core HPLC and UHPLC systems
• Viper and nanoViper fingetight fittings for tool-free installation
• SmartInject pressure-spike suppression technology
• 700 bar pump modules for high-pressure method modernization
• Integrated software dashboard with health checks and diagnostics
• Automated “Prepare Next Injection” sequences
• On-board solvent level monitoring

Main Results and Discussion

Individual feature contributions to annual time savings include:

• Fittings installation: 21 h saved
• Column wear reduction via SmartInject: loss of 2 columns
• High-pressure capability: 278 h saved through method modernization
• User interface monitoring: 42 h saved
• Automated injection prep: 25 h saved
• Proactive health checks: 22.5 h saved
• Built-in diagnostics: 10 h saved
• Remote support tools: 5 h saved
• Solvent monitoring: 2 h saved

Total laboratory runtime savings exceed 406 h per year, enabling an additional 975 sample analyses annually. Financially, this translates to approximately $2,531 in direct cost and service savings plus up to $29,841 in incremental sample revenue when modernized methods are employed.

Benefits and Practical Applications

The optimized HPLC workflow delivers:

• Increased uptime and throughput
• Lower operational and service costs
• Enhanced method transfer and compliance readiness
• Streamlined integration with chromatography data systems
• Improved analytical precision and reproducibility

Future Trends and Opportunities

Emerging developments in liquid chromatography will focus on:

• Greater automation and AI-driven predictive maintenance
• Higher-pressure and faster separation methods
• Miniaturized and microflow systems for reduced solvent use
• Cloud-based data analytics and remote instrument control
• Expanded compatibility with biomolecular and lipidomic workflows

Conclusion

Investing in advanced HPLC system design yields substantial time and cost savings while preserving data integrity. By adopting robust hardware features and intelligent software tools, laboratories can achieve higher throughput, lower ownership costs and greater operational flexibility.

References

Thermo Fisher Scientific. Reducing the Cost of Ownership of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Systems. Part number in-001318-na-en, 08/09/22. ©2022 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.