PEARL cleaning tool for all quartz and glass concentric nebulizers

With this device a cleaning solution can be pumped manually in reverse through both the sample and gas passages of concentric nebulizers. Common cleaning solutions are, for example, Sigma-Aldrich RBS™-25 or Deconex® from Borer Chemie diluted about 20x with water - or, alternatively, either of these solutions with the addition of 10% methanol. Once the wet-cleaning procedure is finished, rinse with DI water and then flush dry with compressed air or inert gas.

1, 2 and 3 in the drawing below show the three most common blockages that occur in pneumatic concentric nebulizers:

1. Deposits at this point are typically composed of salts coming out of solution and can usually be removed by repeated rinsing of the nebulizer with an appropriate solvent.
2. This is the worst type of obstruction and is capable of breaking the tip of a glass capillary. If the deposit is insoluble, the PEARL cleaner is a safe and reliable way of removing it.
3. Deposits inside the capillary often go unnoticed for quite a while, particularly if sample is being pumped. Paper and textile fibers are usually at fault. They can be easily removed using the PEARL.