BLADE
CEM's automated sequential microwave digestion system — described by CEM as the world's fastest. Each sample digested individually, under its own method, at approximately 5 minutes per sample.
Not every laboratory runs the same sample twice.
Batch digestion systems like the MARS 6 require all samples in a run to share the same method — the same acid combination, temperature, pressure profile and hold time. This works well for batches of similar samples. It works poorly when a laboratory receives varied matrices every day, as commercial testing laboratories do. BLADE processes each sample individually: a soil, a food product, a pharmaceutical tablet and a plastic can all be loaded into the same sequence, each receiving its own acid chemistry and temperature profile.
A 40-sample rack in about three hours — with individual methods per sample.
A 5-minute sequential digest means a 40-sample rack completes in about three hours — comparable to a batch system run, but with the flexibility of sequential individual methods. For the first time, speed and flexibility are not a trade-off. CEM has publicly demonstrated BLADE to Agilent teams and published installations at Eurofins; both organisations have a significant South African presence.
Single Mode Cavity and vortexing.
CEM combined advanced vortexing with Single Mode Cavity™ (SMC) technology to deliver the highest watt-density available, achieving clear digestions in a fraction of the time of traditional microwave digestion systems. A single-mode cavity concentrates the microwave standing wave at one point rather than distributing it across a large multimode chamber, producing very high energy density. Vortexing agitates the sample during the run, improving heat and mass transfer so the acid reaches all of the sample rather than only the surface of a settled bed.
CEM's own framing for what makes BLADE different.
Digestion in minutes. SMC technology plus vortexing delivers the highest watt-density and clear digestions in a fraction of the time of traditional systems.
Add sample and acid, snap on a cap, load into the autosampler. No vessel assembly — a departure from multi-component screw-assembled batch vessels. Processing, including cool-down, is automatic.
Barcode scanning follows a sample from balance to analysis. BLADE is the only microwave digestion system that automatically loads and unloads vessels from the cavity, with CFR-compliant documentation for every sample.
Samples and acids — including HNO₃, HCl and HF — can be mixed and matched in one run. A high-definition built-in camera allows the digestion to be watched in real time.
Audit evidence produced as a by-product of running the work.
BLADE handles HNO₃, HCl and HF, and permits mixing different acids across samples within the same run — relevant to South African mining laboratories processing both geological (HF) and non-geological samples in one continuous run.
Mixed-matrix, daily-intake laboratories.
Receiving mixed matrices daily — the primary use case.
Tablets, excipients and packaging requiring different digestion protocols.
Grain, oil and packaging in the same run.
Flexibility to develop new methods without committing an entire batch run.
Documentation built for regulated and accredited environments.
Where BLADE's mixed-matrix flexibility is put to work.
See BLADE handle your mixed-matrix samples
Ask our applications team whether BLADE or MARS 6 fits your laboratory's sample mix.
| Traditional batch vessel | BLADE vessel | |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly | Multi-component; screw assembly per vessel | Snap-on cap; no assembly |
| Material | PTFE/TFM fluoropolymer (typically) | High-purity quartz |
| Cleaning | Disassemble, wash, dry, reassemble | Easy-clean single piece |
| Cool-down | Manual removal and wait | Automatic, included in the run |
| Handling per sample | Several minutes of analyst time | Load and walk away |
| MARS 6 | BLADE | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Batch — all samples in one run | Sequential — one sample at a time |
| Throughput | Up to 40 samples simultaneously | ~5 minutes per sample |
| Method per sample | Same method for all samples in the run | Individual method per sample |
| Best for | High volumes of similar matrix | Mixed matrices; varied sample types |
| Automation | Manual loading; runs unattended | Automated sequential; fully unattended |
| Milestone's critique of batch digestion | How BLADE addresses it |
|---|---|
| Pre-cleaning acid blank cycles | Single-piece quartz vessel, easy-clean |
| Labour-intensive assembly/disassembly | Snap-on cap, no assembly |
| Digestate transfer requirements | Not eliminated — digestate is still transferred for analysis |
| Vessel degradation costs | Quartz vessel; degradation profile differs from PTFE/TFM |
| All samples must share weight, matrix and acid | Individual method per sample; mixed acids in one run |
Where the BLADE is put to work.
Questions we are asked about the BLADE.
At approximately 5 minutes per sample with fully unattended automated sequential processing, a 40-sample rack completes in about three hours — comparable to a full batch system run. Because BLADE loads and unloads vessels automatically, it can keep running across a shift or overnight without an analyst present, so daily throughput scales with the hours it is left running rather than being capped by manual handling.
Yes. BLADE handles HNO₃, HCl and HF, and permits mixing different acids across samples within the same run — relevant to laboratories processing both geological (HF) and non-geological samples in one continuous sequence.
No. The BLADE vessel is a single-piece high-purity quartz tube with a snap-on cap — there is no vessel assembly, and the single-piece design is easy to clean between runs.
BLADE provides CFR-compliant documentation for every sample, relevant to 21 CFR Part 11 environments in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
BLADE processes samples automatically, including cool-down, as part of the sequential run — there is no manual removal and wait, unlike traditional batch vessel handling.
The two complement each other. The MARS 6's batch format gives the highest throughput when samples share a similar matrix and method. BLADE is the better fit where daily intake is mixed matrices needing an individual method per sample. Many laboratories run both.
The high-definition built-in camera allows the digestion to be watched in real time. The content file supplied to MAD does not specify footage retention or storage duration — contact our applications team for the current specification.
The workflow around the BLADE.
MARS 6
The batch, multimode, closed-vessel microwave digestion system that converts up to 40 solid samples simultaneously into clear acid solutions for elemental analysis.
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A microwave muffle furnace for ashing, loss on ignition, and sulfated ashing — the same result as a conventional furnace, up to 10× faster, with no requirement to leave a furnace running hot all day.
View product →Autosamplers & Automation
Unattended sample delivery from micro-volume to extended-rack high-throughput — standard, flowing-rinse, stirring and rapid-introduction configurations.
View product →Vessels, Liners & Consumables
The annuity supply that keeps MAD's installed base running — digestion vessels, seals, tubing and proteomics sample preparation, in local stock.
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