
ALIAS™
is a generic autosampler for HPLC and LC-MS using state-of-the-art injection technology with fast injection and wash cycles. Efficient, multi-solvent needle wash virtually eliminates carry-over. ALIAS™ handles well plates and sample vials, either open or sealed, and provides true 4 °C sample cooling.
Its compact, stackable design and unrivalled performance makes the ALIAS™ autosampler the best fit for your HPLC system and your UHPLC system.
ALIAS™ UHPLC
ALIAS™ is also available as a UHPLC compatible version permitting injection into UHPLC systems operated at pressures as high as 18.000 psi (= 1.285 bar = 128,6 MPa). A special injection routine has been developed to eliminate influence of sample loop decompression on injection performance. The UHPLC version can also be equipped with sample cooling.
ALIAS™ Prep LC
A special modification for large volume injections turns the ALIAS™ into a perfect injector for your preparative LC system. The ALIAS™ Prep version holds 24 vials of 10 mL and uses a 2.5 mL syringe. Needles, tubing and sample loop have larger capacity and allow rapid injection of sample volumes up to 10 mL.
FEATURES AND OPTIONS
- Metal free sampling with silica coated steel needle and PEEK valve (option)
- Reagent addition and mix capabilities for derivatization, dilution, internal standard addition
- Solvent Selection Valve (SSV): Optional 6-port solvent selection valve for extended selection of reagents for needle wash and reagent addition (option)
- Integrated Stream Switching (ISS): Optional extra high pressure 6-port switching valve for column switching or other stream switching applications up to 18.000 psi (= 1.285 bar = 128,6 MPa)
- Quick-fit injection valve for fast service
- Very efficient cooling of the sample and the entire sample space
SOFTWARE CONTROL
Since ALIAS™ does not provide its own user interface like keypad or display an appropriate software for instrument control is required. There are two different solutions:
- Spark-Link This software will be delivered with the instrument for using the main functions of the instrument.
- SCPA-ALIAS control software ALIAS™ has more capability and features, described above, not only injecting samples or switching valves etc, but much more. Beside a very comfortable programming of injections, dilutions, derivatisation, needle cleaning and much more makes out of a „only sample” injector a fully automatic sample robotics with nearly unlimited features and possibilities.
REASSURING RELIABILITY

Spark has more than 25 years of experience in autosampler development and innovation. The concept
PASA™ – (Pressure Assisted Sample Aspiration) avoids sample/syringe contact and air bubbles. The system and has proven its reliability in more than 20,000 autosamplers.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
ALIAS™ and ALIAS™ UHPLCALIAS™ PrepInstrument controlSafetyCompliances
Injection modes |
- Full-loop
- Partial loop-fill
- μL-pick-up (zero sample loss)
|
Pressure Assisted Sample Aspiration (PASA) using approx. 10 psi (0.07 MPa) pressure to avoid airbubbles in sample lines. |
Injection volume |
Programmable from 0 – 9999 μL in 1 μL increments |
Max. injection volume depends on installed sample loop and injection mode |
Injection precision |
- Full-loop injection < 0.3 % RSD
- Partial loop-fill < 0.5 % RSD
- μL -pick-up < 1.0 % RSD
|
For injection volumes > 5 μL |
Sample viscosity |
0.1 – 5 cP |
|
Injections per vial/well |
max. 9 |
|
Syringe volume |
- 500 μL standard
- 250, 1000 and 2500 μL optional
|
|
Needle wash Inside and outside needle wash with drying. Wash can be programmed between injections and between vials/wells. |
- 1 solvent
- 5 additional wash solvents
|
Programmable volume from a 250 μL wash reservoir
SSV option required |
Injection cycle time |
< 60 sec |
< 20 sec, with typical 10 μL injection (loop fill with rinse buffer) |
valve switching time |
60 msec |
|
Wetted parts |
SS316, PTFE, Tefzel™, Vespel®, glass,
For Bio-kit option: PEEK and coated steel (needle) instead of SS316 |
|
Carry-over |
< 0,05 % with standard wash
Typically < 0,01 % with extra wash |
“zero carry-over” can be accomplished with ALIAS™ wash capabilities |
Sample capacity |
- Microtiter plates: 2
- Vials: 2 x 48 (1.5 mL) or
- 2 x 12 (10 mL) – optional
|
Microtiter plates according to SBS standards. 96-well high and low and 384-well. |
Maximum vial/MTP height |
47 mm |
including cap |
Sample cooling Factory installed option (Peltier technology) |
- Minimum: 4 °C ± 2 °C
- Maximum: ambient temperature -3 °C
|
Measured as air temperature in sample compartment for ambient temperature max. 25 °C and max. humidity 80 % |
Dimensions |
- 300 x 510 x 360 mm (w x d x h)
- 300 x 575 x 360 mm (for ALIAS™ cool)
|
|
Weight |
- 19 kg
- 21 kg (for ALIAS™ cool)
|
|
Max load on top cover |
65 kg |
|
Power requirements |
- 95 – 240 Volt AC ± 10 %;
- 50 – 60 Hz;
- 200 VA
|
|
Sound pressure level |
LeAq < 70 dB |
|
Working temperature |
10 – 40 °C |
Indoor use only |
Storage temperature |
-25 °C to +60 °C |
|
Humidity |
20 – 80 % RH |
|
Injection modes |
Partial loop-fill |
|
Injection volume |
Programmable from 0 μL to 19.999 μL in 1 μL increments |
Injection volume depends on sample loop |
Sample loop |
10 mL |
1/8“ o.d. tubing with 1/16“ tubingends and fittings (Valco) Other loop sizes may be installed. |
Injection precision |
< 1 % RSD |
For injection volumes ranging from 10 μL up to 50 % of sample loop volume |
Syringe volume |
2500 μL |
Syringe buffer tubing volume is 2 mL |
Carry-over |
< 0.1 % |
Using standard needle wash |
Injection valve |
Valco 0.75 mm ID bore |
|
Sample capacity |
24 vials of 10 mL (LSV) |
Maximum vial height 47 mm Minimum vial height 32 mm |
Outputs |
Single auxiliary output which can be programmed as inject marker(default), alarm, etc. |
Contact closure; Vmax = 28 Vdc/Vac, Imax = 0.25 A |
Inputs |
2 programmable TTL inputs. Free programmable as next injection (default), freeze or stop command |
|
PC interface |
RS232 is standard |
Extra serial RS232 for Multilinkfunctionality allows upgrading for Symbiosis Pico Note: OEM versions can be with Ethernet, CAN, USB etc. |
Software |
SparkLink 4.0 (included) Driver for Analyst™ Ver. 1.4.1 and up ALIAS™ Service Manager |
For rapid (remote) diagnosis of maintenance and failure issues by a service engineer. |
Door-open sensor |
Needle movement speed reduction if door is open |
Missing vial/well plate sensor |
User programmable response to missing vial: skip vial or stop running |
Software malfunction |
“Watchdog” function in FPGA for embedded software control |
Safety |
CE, CSA (UL), ROHS |
Installation category |
II (according to IEC-1010) |
Pollution degree |
2 |
Quality |
ISO 9001 certified |
ORDER INFORMATION
0841.000 |
ALIAS™ |
0841.001 |
ALIAS™ cool |
0841.200 |
ALIAS™ UHPLC |
0841.201 |
ALIAS™ UHPLC cool |
0840.840 |
Sample cooling (for ALIAS™ and ALIAS™ UHPLC) |
0840.832 |
Metal free sampling (Bio-Version) für ALIAS™ |
0840.833 |
UHPLC kit for upgrading ALIAS™ to ALIAS™ UHPLC |
0840.837 |
Prep kit (turns ALIAS™ into ALIAS™-Prep) |
0840.834 |
ISS for ALIAS™ (Integrated Stream Switch) |
0840.861 |
ISS for ALIAS™ UHPLC |
0840.835 |
SSV for all ALIAS™ versions (Solvent Selection Valve) |
0840.731 |
Syringe kit 250 μL (includes 500 μL syringe-buffer tubing) Note: this option is NOT controlled by Sparklink 4.0 and Symbiosis Pico software |
0840.862 |
Syringe kit 1000 μL (includes 2000 μL syringe-buffer tubing plus larger i.d. sample needle and air needle) |
0930.296 |
Driver for Analyst (Analyst is a registered trademark from Applied Biosystems) |
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