Oxford, 12th March, 2012: Oxford Instruments, the supplier of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) solutions for QA laboratories in the food, agricultural, healthcare, polymer, and energy sectors, announces a partnership agreement with Active Spectrum to add their micro-EMR technology to the Oxford Instruments family of benchtop instrumentation solutions.
Oxford Instruments Magnetic Resonance and Active Spectrum, a California-based technology company located in Foster City, have entered an agreement to develop and manufacture Electron Magnetic Resonance (EMR) products that will be sold worldwide by Oxford Instruments. The agreement will enable Oxford Instruments to expand their range of benchtop QA products through the offering of Active Spectrum’s innovative micro-EMR technology. With applications in the foods sector, it is a natural complement to Oxford Instruments’ established MQC nuclear magnetic resonance systems. The collaboration will also provide a new, practical and affordable way to reinvigorate the teaching of EMR in universities and colleges, where the technique has become under-used due to the obsolescence of existing instruments, and the (until now) prohibitively high cost of buying a new instrument.
Electron Magnetic Resonance (EMR), also known as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and as electron spin resonance (ESR), was first introduced more than sixty years ago, developed simultaneously but independently in Kazan, Russia, and Oxford, England. EMR measures unpaired electrons in a sample. Unpaired electrons are characteristic of free radicals and of complexes containing transition metal ions. EMR is a highly selective technique making it the first choice for free radical and transition metal oxidation state investigations. Furthermore, EMR lends itself admirably to a number of application areas. Many common reactions follow free radical chemistries. These include oxidation, free radical polymerisation and a wide range of biochemical processes. Similarly, understanding the oxidation state of inorganic transition metal complexes gives vital information to the analysis of processes such as those associated with catalysis.
The first fruit of the partnership, the AffirmoEX benchtop EMR instrument, will make its debut at the Pittsburgh Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, March 11-16. The AffirmoEX is an affordable system occupying minimal bench space and does not require the large magnets and cooling systems needed by older style systems. It will be offered with a curriculum package for teaching professionals to bring the technique back into the laboratories of the 21st century with a modular program backed with online and written documentation.
Speaking about this collaboration, Oxford Instruments’ Product Marketing Manager, John Paul Cerroti, describes a perfect fit for the two companies and their complementary technology. “Oxford Instruments has a strategy of developing by organic growth, partnering, and acquisition. The collaboration with Active Spectrum falls right in the middle of this strategy.” Continuing, he said “EMR is a perfect pairing with our existing NMR products. The technologies lie in the same field, but the applications are complementary, and bring real value to our customers.”
Active Spectrum CEO, James White, echoed this opinion. “Oxford Instruments offers a great distribution and sales channel and our product is a good fit with their existing NMR product lines. We look forward to significant growth in our business through this partnership.”
The AffirmoEX will make its European entrance at the Analytica International Trade Fair and Conference in Munich, April 17-20, and again at the ACHEMA world forum for the process industry in Frankfurt in June, 18-22. For full details on hardware and software, please visit www.oxford-instruments.com/affirmoex
