Injecting New Life Into Environmental Science

Picarro, a laboratory instrument manufacturer specialising in isotope analysis for the environmental sector, is using Tecan’s Cavro® Centris Pumps as part of an innovative atmospheric water vapour isotope analyser. Based on Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS), the Picarro analyser provides environmental scientists with important information on the movement and cycling of water around the world, by measuring the ratio between environmentally significant
isotopes such as 1H and 2H or 16O and 18O.

Gregor Hsiao, Product Marketing Manager at Picarro, explained: “Our customers rely on fully automated,
standalone systems which are able to operate autonomously in remote and inaccessible locations for prolonged periods. To achieve the quality of data required, it is necessary to perform regular, unattended calibration checks using known calibration standards, and so we began developing a module that would provide this functionality.”

“The Picarro analyser requires vaporisation of very small volumes of liquid standards which, in turn, requires very
accurate control of flow rates and injection volumes. We needed incredibly high performance fluidics transport,
combined with extremely reliable operation, to ensure consistent performance during days, weeks or even months
of continuous operation. Tecan’s Cavro Centris Pump can provide this accuracy while coping with the demanding
operational needs of the application, and is compact enough to be easily integrated into our platform. The system has two Centris units – each delivering a separate calibration standard – allowing our instruments to perform optimally for
prolonged periods in harsh and challenging conditions.”