World Leader in Planar Chromatography – Camag

Our CATS software was enhanced with a considerable number of user-friendly features and options, including various calibration functions, path optimization, background subtraction, spectrum acquisition, spectrum library, to name but a few. CATS also supported the calculation of results in mg/tablet, Content Uniformity Test (CUT), and the correlation calculation of the corresponding spectra for identity and purity tests, which is important for many pharmaceutical customers.

CAMAG took into account the requirements of cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) with its equipment and software development.

Starting in 1991, CAMAG established a quality assurance system, on the basis of which the company achieved ISO 9001 certification at its first attempt in 1995 and has since regularly regained it.

With the CAMAG® Automatic Sample Applicator III (ATS III), a software-controlled device was introduced to the market in 1990 that enabled spot and band-shaped application in the nL and μL range. Initially, it was operated stand-alone. Later, the ATS 3 software was integrated into CATS so that the corresponding parameters did not have to be entered again for the Scanner. The ATS III helped many customers worldwide to use TLC and HPTLC for quantitation. The device remained in the CAMAG product range for 10 years until it was replaced by the ATS 4 in 2000.

CAMAG® ATS III

The slightly less demanding sample applicator, CAMAG® Linomat IV, was introduced at the beginning of this decade and remained in the program until 2001. The device was microprocessor controlled, the application parameters were entered via a keyboard.

In 1992, with the CAMAG® Automatic Developing Chamber (ADC), the development step was automated and thus made convenient for the user.

In 1994 we launched the CAMAG® TLC Scanner 3. The device features a spectral range from 190 to 800 nm, a measuring speed of up to 100 mm/s, step resolution selectable between 25 and 200 μm, and fast spectra acquisition of up to 100 nm/s at an oversampling rate of 40/nm.

Despite all the advances in classical densitometry and the advantages of spectral resolution, it became apparent that many users of Planar Chromatography wanted to use electronic image acquisition either alternatively or complementarily. Therefore CAMAG extended its documentation system with Video-Store for documentation, archiving and with VideoScan for quantitation.

We should also mention CAMAG® AMD 2, which we released in 1997. With this system, the development paths are no longer controlled by time increments, but, as with the ADC, directly by a CCD sensor. AMD is still the only way for many users to separate matrix-loaded multicomponent mixtures with high resolution using HPTLC.