Q. What does SOLARIS<sup>[PRO]</sup> actually do?
A.
SOLARIS[PRO] disinfects eluents by killing existing germs and preventing their resettlement in the storage bottle. The UV radiation emitted by the device, with a wavelength of 253.6 nm, destroys the DNA of viruses, bacteria and algae.
Q. How efficient is the device?
A.
It kills 99.99% of unwanted species.
Q. How is this efficiency achieved with such a small UV-source?
A.
By the combined performance of the UV source and the fact that it constantly acts on the solvent supply.
Q. Why do you recommend keeping the light source powered all the time?
A.
Disinfection is structured in 2 phases. After mounting the device, it kills all germs in a fresh bottle to reach a zero germ level. In the second phase, subsequent species from sucked-in air are effectively killed, which maintains a zero level.
Q. Is SOLARIS<sup>[PRO]</sup> still effective when the solvent level drops below the reach of the UV-source?
A.
Yes, it does. Firstly, because there are no longer any living germs in the bottle (after several hours of being permanently radiated). Secondly, because the reflection of the bottle’s inner glass surface is so strong, the UV radiation penetrates the remaining solvent up to the ground.
Q. Why do I not create a vacuum, even though I constantly remove solvent?
A.
SOLARIS[PRO] has a built-in PTFE (Teflon) membrane pressure compensator with 0.1 micron pore size. This avoids the creation of a vacuum, keeping out floating particles, dust or infectious droplets.
Q. How to access my buffer when the lamp is inserted?
A.
The SOLARIS[PRO] comes with extraction tubing & suction frit filter. Simply connect the device to your solvent degasser and set up the desired flow. If you need to extract small volumes of solvent to dissolve (e.g. dry power samples) in the same eluent as used for the separation, we recommend using the solvent extraction kit.
Q. What is the lifetime of the lamp?
A.
5000 working hours or one full working year.
During this time, we guarantee a perfect disinfection. Although there is no hard time limit, after this time the efficiency begins to decrease significantly because of degrading processes of the UV-lamp. The visible radiation of the lamp is not an indication of UV emission. While UV-C is invisible to the human eye, one cannot estimate the effectiveness after this period. We recommend replacing the SOLARIS[PRO] annually to be on the safe side.
Q. Can the SOLARIS<sup>[PRO]</sup> be recycled / refurbished?
A.
No, for safety reasons.
SOLARIS[PRO] operates internally with high voltages to ignite and power the UV-source. Absolute impermeability to water is therefore mandatory. This cannot be guaranteed when assembling a device from used parts.
Q. Do I have to install a new power supply annually?
A.
No, the power supply comes with the SOLARIS[PRO] starter kit and needs to be bought once. The lamp itself is subject of replacement and can be returned to your local dealer for environmentally correct disposal.
Q. Is the use of a SOLARIS<sup>[PRO]</sup> technically safe?
A.
Yes, the SOLARIS[PRO] has passed all CE and TÜV product safety approvals. The design itself and the German manufacturing process is inspected twice a year by TÜV for compliance of the approved safety standards.
Q. Does the emitted UV-light harm the skin or eyes? Do I have to wear safety goggles or gloves?
A.
All of the UV-light is absorbed by the solvent reservoir glass, or dissipated by internal reflection within the bottle. No UV-light will ever leave the glass bottle.
However, NEVER operate SOLARIS[PRO] in unmounted condition.
Q. Do I need to change my flasks to amber flasks?
A.
No. UV-radiation is completely absorbed by borosilicate glass, not by its colour.
Clear glass flasks are fine. But we do not recommend storage flasks made of plastic because they potentially decompose over time.
Q. Do I need a special solvent bottle?
A.
You can use all laboratory flasks with standard GL45 threading made of ordinary clear or amber glass.
Q. What about different bottle volumes?
Q. Can you use a magnetic stirrer?
Q. How long is the cable?
A.
The cable is 1.8 meters long.
Q. Are there any restrictions on the type of solvent used?
A.
In principle, all solvents and buffers (which do not contain strongly UV-active substances) can be used. This includes all common salt buffers and simple surfactants like SDS.
Organic additives (e.g. decaline) or even pure organic solvents, cannot be sterilised with SOLARIS[PRO], since these compounds decompose under permanent UV-radiation.
It is recommended conducting a screening test in case of uncertainty.
Q. Why does SOLARIS<sup>[PRO]</sup> heat up my solvent?
A.
The light source of SOLARIS[PRO] generates ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS) and infrared (IR) light. The harmless IR light is completely absorbed by the solvent and the glass of the bottle leading to a temperature raise of 7-10°C above ambient. This is not a problem for known solvents, or for temperature dependent experiments, since the solvents will cool down to ambient when passing through the degasser, acting as a heat exchanger.
Q. What if a sample in the vial is infected by bacteria?
A.
SOLARIS[PRO] cannot disable bacterial loads accidently drawn by the autosampler.
Please therefore sterilise the entire HPLC-System at regular intervals in your usual way as recommended by the HPLC manufacturer.
Q. Is it difficult to maintain?
A.
Definitely not. To remove normal soiling, just rinse off with water and wipe off with a dry, lint-free cloth. Do not use corrosive or abrasive detergents for cleaning the product.
Q. SOLARIS<sup>[PRO]</sup> renders germs, algae and viruses harmless, but what about their debris?
A.
We recommend using an inline filter holder, to retain all kind of biological remnants as well as abrasion of sealing rings and pistons to avoid getting these into your system.
