So I was skimming IG and came across these guys
https://instagram.com/cannabistestingsimplified?igshid=jma3u14c4mq8
Curious to here what the educated have to say about the device.
They claim setup with 15 mins, couple hours training to be able to fully utilize the device and about 13 mins to run a test.
I don’t know about how long it would take to set this instrument up - but it doesn’t take much more than 15-20 minutes to set most HPLC in my experience. The method they are running (based on their website @cannabishplcanalyzer.com) looks to be less than 15 minutes for a full run.
For $37,000 you could get most low throughput HPLCs (few samples per day units). The price they mention on instagram for running a test is around the same amount for everything else.
My question for you is - even if this instrument will do this - how are you doing sample prep? Grinding? Freezing? Sonication? Vortex and centrifuge? How are you handling weighing those samples? Dispensing the solvent for sample prep? Making dilutions?
In short - I think the advertising is misleading. You can move all the other instruments too (some of them even come with carrying cases…) but you also need to move the rest of your lab with you to get the accuracy and precision most people want these days.
Sure Agilent doesn’t want you to move their machine around… but how many times have I packed up a 1100 series into my truck and moved to a new lab location? Dozens of times.
Doesn’t look any fancier than other instruments you can get. And it is a lot more expensive that the used ones available. For licensed places you are required to use third party in most places for label claims. For all my in-house quality testing I’ll probably go with a refurbished 1100 or 1200 series HPLC which I can get for around $15-20000 or so and are still supported, plus there’s loads of places to get the change parts, maintenance stuff, and consumables.
Are you wanting to do basic in-house process analytics? How did this catch your eye?
It is difficult to judge because there is no supporting scientific data associated with the product.
Like @Cassin mentioned what is the sample prep? Typically your sample prep solution will replicate what the mobile phase is and they do not provide any information in regards to this. Sure, it may be able to test cannabinoids in edibles, but do you even have the appropriate sample prep to extract the cannabinoids for analysis?
Also interested in what the “Reliable UV detector” is and what technology it uses.
I would properly save up and end up going with an ole faithful company Agilent’s 1100 or 1220 for the low end HPLCs
Fully agree this may be a “mobile” tester but so is the SRI GC. you still need a small bench top lab to do proper sample prep though.
Yeah I’m looking at getting something for in-house, but for that, I was actually considering an Agilent. This particular caught my eye as a mobile ready unit, but again I’m not as educated on what’s good.
I thought there was too
If performing mobile my idea would be to freeze with dry ice and grinding up though if I could afford a sonicator to I could see the benefit. Mobile would only be for testing product in the field so I don’t have to consistently travel back to the lab to test shit
Good question that i would not have known to ask to expand upon
I asked what their lods and loqs were for testing and I was replied with this:
“We only establish LLOQ - which is within the method calibration curve linearity. These are dependent on dilutions. No point of going below that to LOD ranges if LLOQs are around 0.02%. We also establish RSDs for the commercial calibration standards - they are currently at 2.20% on the historical series of calibration standards validations.”