Light Years Ahead - Wyatt Technology Launches The ViscoStar™, The Next Generation Viscometer

Wyatt Technology, the industry leader in absolute macromolecular characterization, announces the availability of its innovative new instrument, the ViscoStar viscometer. First announced at Pittcon 2004, the ViscoStar is a new generation of online differential viscometer, which incorporates a traditional four-arm "bridge" design. It combines high accuracy with contemporary electronics and can be integrated with Wyatt's Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS) detectors and ASTRA software to benefit the biotechnology, chemical/petrochemical, pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

The ViscoStar is the only viscometer that can measure intrinsic viscosity across the peaks of monodisperse samples, providing truly accurate readings for the first time. The instrument incorporates a high efficiency heat exchange to offer extremely stable baselines, and achieves at least 2x the signal-to-noise ratio of any commercial viscometers currently on the market. Additionally, it features a Transducer Protection System (TPS) which protects sensitive transducer membranes from accidental damage.

The ViscoStar viscometer incorporates a number of "firsts" and state-of-the-art functionality, including:

· Advanced Peltier temperature control (4°C to 60°C) eliminates the need for an external water bath, and allows the ViscoStar to operate at the same temperatures as the HPLC separation.
· Proprietary band-broadening correction algorithm integrated in the ASTRA software solves the long standing problem of inter-detector band broadening.
· Pump pulses are greatly reduced by the ASTRA software-based pulse dampening correction algorithm.
· ASTRA is the most powerful and versatile macromolecular characterization software available able to collect simultaneously data from MALS, RI,UV, QELS, Viscometer, and more.
· ASTRA is also 21 CFR Part 11 compliant for regulated labs.
· User-selectable delay volumes (4, 8 and 15mL) eliminate the need to re-plumb the instrument when a different solvent is chosen.
· 18 bit A/D resolution, USB and Ethernet Communications, and stunning full color LCD-based user interface come as standard.
· The ViscoStar accepts external signals for zero, purge and recycle.

Wyatt Technology has been offering the most advanced and versatile products to the biotechnology, chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical sectors for the last 22 years. The ViscoStar is the latest in this family of instruments designed to solve customer's most difficult macromolecular requirements. The ViscoStar can be combined with Wyatt's new groundbreaking HPLC software system, ASTRA V or can be easily integrated with any HPLC system.

With installations in more than 50 countries, Wyatt Technology is the world's leading manufacturer of laser light scattering instrumentation for absolute macromolecular characterization. It is the only company in the world focused exclusively on such systems, their design, and their application.