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The Pharmacia SMART System / µPeak Micro-Purification System is a fully integrated micro-purification system for large and medium sized biomolecules. Through the combination of specially developed columns, precision hardware, unique software and a knowledge information system, SMART System enables nanogram to microgram quantities of biologically active material to be securely isolated into individual fractions as small as 5 µL. The versatile hardware and the broad column range allow a wide range of chromatographic techniques to be used, enabling the most refined purification strategies to be developed and optimized. The software, SMART Manager, controls the system and evaluates the results of the separations. The knowledge information system, SMART Assistant, assists in planning strategies for protein purification.

The eluent is delivered to the µSeparation Unit by the µPrecision Pump. This dual cylinder syringe pump is fitted with cylinders and piston heads manufactured in titanium. It provides a high pressure, pulse-free flow and accurate gradients at flow rates as low as 10 µmin. This feature is critical for precision isocratic systems and for the accurate formation of a gradient. The µseparation Unit, which can be cooled, houses the chromatographic, detection and collection components. All parts of the flow path are manufactured from inert materials and particular attention has been paid to the elimination of dead volume.


The µSeparation Unit houses the rest of the systems flow path: the mixer, the injection valve, the automatic column holder, the µPeak Monitor flow cell, the gradient monitor and fraction collector. The compact design minimizes dead volumes and thereby maintains column resolution and monitor sensitivity which is critical for microscale separations. The entire µSeparation Unit can be temperature controlled 4 - 20 C to ensure maintained biological activity during the separation. All system components in contact with liquid are manufactured in inert materials.


The µPrecision Pump is designed to deliver pulse-free flow with accurate and reproducible gradient formation in the low flow rate range, 10 µL/min to 2 µL/min, required for high sensitivity, micropurification work. The pump is a syringe pump with two cylinders driven by two separate stepper motors. It can be run in either gradient mode, when the cylinders are pumping different eluents or in continuous mode when the both cylinders alternate to deliver the same eluent.


The µPeak Monitor is a variable wavelength monitor for detection in the wavelength range 190 - 600 nm. In the SMART System it is placed on the µSeparation Unit with the µPrecision Pump on top of the monitor. The µPeak Monitor consists of a main unit, optical fibres and a flow cell (optical pathlength 3 or 10 mm, cell volume 0.7 or 2 µL). The flow cell is placed at the column outlet. The optical system inside the µPeak Monitor consists of a xenon flash lamp, condenser, block filter, grating, a beam splitter, the flow cell and a detection unit.


The µFraction collector is designed to collect small fractions, down to 5 µL, with an accuracy of ± 0.5 µL. Collection tubes are held in a tube holder fitted to a circular bowl. Three types of tube holder are available; each holds a different number of tubes. These are:
• 48 x 0.5 mL sample tubes and 4 x 24 mL tubes
• 60 x 0.5 mL sample tubes
• 41 x 1.5 mL sample tubes

Amersham Pharmacia Biotech is now a division of GE Life Sciences