QCM-D for Industrial Users Faced With Complex Challenges – QSense Omni
In recent years, the use of quartz crystal microbalances in scientific research labs has increased tremendously. Thanks to better availability of suitable sensors, applications for polymers, biological systems, lipid bilayers, electrochemistry and many other areas have become possible.
With QSense Omni, the new and enhanced instrument by the pioneers of QCM-D, this technology is now ready to support industrial users in solving the most complex problems. Omni is based on the proven QSense technology that has helped to develop a deeper understanding of molecular interactions at surfaces for decades. Of course, Omni offers frequency and dissipation measurement at seven-harmonics, as used from QSense systems.
Omni combines the ability to increase the sensitivity of the QCM-D with clever automation of the measurement – from installation of the sensor to evaluation of the data. This allows measurements to be performed quickly and reliably and with little manual effort.
Omni's sample feeder is designed in such a way that the sample
containers are placed directly above the sensor. The distances to the sensor are very short, thus providing for well-defined changeover between samples. Cross-contamination or mixing between the individual measurement steps is largely eliminated.
The hardware has been designed and optimised so as to provide a very low-noise signal (4x better than the QSense analyser) for a significantly improved detection limit. Thanks to the high degree of sensor handling automation, a reproducibility of the frequency value of ±2 Hz can be achieved at installation, thus further improving the use of externally coated sensors.
One consideration in developing Omni was to make sure that the system can be used with as many media (aqueous or organic) as possible to enable a broad range of applications.
QSense Omni can be connected to the external platform QSense Orbit, that can be used with all known QSense combination modules (e.g. the QEM401 electrochemistry module, the QWM401 window module or the QOM401 open module) and also benefits from the improved Omni electronics and the autosampler.
The QSense Omni measurement software controls the measurement and the autosampler. The measurement steps are defined by simple drag & drop handling. These steps may also be changed during the measurement and, as a matter of course, the script can be saved as a template.
Finally, we would like to provide you with some interesting technical details:
The temperature range is 4-70°C with a stability of << 0.01 K, which means excellent long-term stability of the measurement. Omni can be fitted with 1-4 measurement channels (upgrade is possible), with each of these channels having a measurement rate of 300 Hz.
An online demo of QSense Omni may be arranged at any time.
