How To Achieve Higher Sensitivity - Agilent Technologies 1200 Infinity Series User Manual

5
Optimizing the Detector
Optimizing the Detector Regarding to the System

How to Achieve Higher Sensitivity

The detector has a number of parameters that are used to optimize
performance. The following sections describe how the detector parameters
affect performance characteristics:
• Flow cell affects sensitivity,
• Wavelength and bandwidth affect sensitivity, selectivity and linearity,
• Slit Width affects sensitivity, spectral resolution and linearity,
• Peak Width affects sensitivity and resolution.
Flow Cell
The Max-Light cartridge flow cell has a standard 10 mm path length and is
optimized for minimal volume and dispersion (σ volume 1.0 μL). It has high
light transmission minimizing noise to reduce noise due to the optofluidic
waveguide. It is suitable for use with a wide range of analytical columns from
short narrow-bore columns to long standard diameter (4.6 mm) columns.
Generally the peak dispersion volume (calculated from peak width x flow rate)
should be greater than about 2 μL for this cell (for example 0.02 min x
200 μL/min = 4 μL).
The Max-Light high sensitivity cell has a path length of 60 mm and this will
give between three and five times increase in signal-to-noise values depending
on the application conditions. The dispersion volume is fractionally increased
compared to the standard cell.
Agilent 1200 Infinity Series DAD User Manual 101