ETN-12

The ETN-12 is a laboratory system for Electromembrane Extraction (EME) and Liquid Membrane Extraction (LME), offering a modern and fundamentally different approach to sample preparation compared to conventional techniques such as liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction.

The system is built around a supported liquid membrane positioned between a sample solution and a clean aqueous acceptor phase. Depending on analytical requirements, analytes are transported either by applying an electrical field (EME mode) or by controlled diffusion across the membrane (LME mode). This dual capability provides methodological flexibility within one instrument platform and enables laboratories to select the extraction mechanism best suited to their analytes and matrices.

In EME mode, charged analytes are actively driven through the membrane under an applied voltage. The combination of electrical control and membrane chemistry introduces an additional level of selectivity beyond traditional extraction principles. Ionizable compounds can be efficiently isolated from complex matrices such as plasma, serum, urine, oral fluid and environmental samples. At the same time, proteins, phospholipids and many endogenous matrix components are excluded during extraction, resulting in highly purified aqueous extracts.

Cleaner extracts have direct operational benefits in LC-MS/MS workflows. Reduced matrix components contribute to lower ion suppression, less contamination of ion sources and LC columns, and a lower frequency of instrument maintenance. Improved instrument uptime and reduced downtime on critical mass spectrometry systems support both laboratory productivity and cost efficiency.

In LME mode, extraction is performed without voltage and relies on membrane selectivity and partitioning. This provides a complementary extraction approach when electrical driving force is not required, further expanding the application range of the platform.

Compared to classical multi-step extraction procedures, ETN-12 integrates extraction and clean-up into a streamlined process where the acceptor phase can typically be injected directly into the analytical system. Reduced sample handling minimizes variability and supports reproducible performance.

The instrument processes up to 12 samples in parallel. In EME mode, individual current monitoring for each extraction cell provides documentation of membrane stability and operational performance, contributing to robust method development and traceability.

ETN-12 is also a green sample preparation technology. Only microliter volumes of non-volatile organic solvent are used per sample, significantly reducing solvent consumption and hazardous waste compared to traditional extraction methods. This supports safer laboratory operation and improved environmental sustainability.

With validated generic methods for basic and acidic analytes across broad polarity ranges, ETN-12 is well suited for pharmaceutical analysis and impurity testing, bioanalysis and therapeutic drug monitoring, forensic and toxicological investigations, veterinary applications, and environmental monitoring of contaminants and micropollutants.

By combining membrane-based selectivity, electrical control and sustainable operation, ETN-12 provides laboratories with a next-generation extraction platform aligned with the evolving demands of modern analytical chemistry.