Automation in sampling

Finally, no discussion of this topic would be complete without the mention of automation in sample preparation and its impact on this activity. Laboratory robotics initial focus was on the automation of sample preparation and is used in that way in many laboratories, but islands of automation have developed within certain organizations where certain portions of sample preparation such as SPE are automated. 

This system, like other FIA systems, has advantages of the high degree of automation in sample pretreatment, online sample separation and dilution, good sample clean-up for prolongation the lifetime of the expensive HPLC column, low consumption of chemicals and materials, and short analysis time. 

Some of the advantages include automation in sample application, ability to switch columns, and sensitivity, as this method is able to identify proteins at very low levels [107]. In addition, this method has been extensively used for the determination of drugs and hormone levels in human serum [108-111], making it a promising tool for the detection of disease prognosis markers. 

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