Batch versus serial approaches to automated sample preparation

BATCH VERSUS SERIAL APPROACHES TO AUTOMATED SAMPLE PREPARATION 

Automated sample preparation can be accomplished by using a batch or a serial approach. In the batch mode, multiple samples are prepared and then transferred to the analytical instrument for measurement. In the serial mode, samples are prepared one at a time and the SP device is connected (integrated) with the analytical instrument only. 

From the viewpoint of sample availability, if limited sample is available, the user may feel more confident in preparing one sample at a time by contrast, batch preparation is to be preferred for abundant, complex samples. 

The batch environment is often an accommodation of the human operator in the laboratory rather than the most appropriate way for a given chemical-instrumental system. Frequently, batch methods are not science-based but developed by the constraint of an eight-hour working day, so phrases such as let stand overnight to settle or allow to digest for 1 h are common in these procedures. Automated systems are not so strongly constrained and should not be penalized with human limitations. The human element also dictates the use of the batch mode because of our limited ability to keep track of too many events. 

In short, automated sample preparation is changing most SP protocols and giving a new face to this step of the analytical process, which was formerly envisaged as a clumsy, unproductive step. 

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