Vert Rotors has concluded its first major sales contract.

The Scottish firm’s A100 compressor — based on innovative technology that has been described as the biggest advance in the industry in 40 years — has been deployed at the University of Edinburgh to streamline the operation of the Mass Spectrometry Core Laboratory in its Clinical Research
Facility.

It has allowed the laboratory to take full advantage of new instrumentation that prepares biological samples for trace-level clinical analysis.

Many of the instruments in the laboratory require compressed gases such as nitrogen or air in order to operate. When a new sample-preparation liquid-handling robot was connected to the nitrogen supply, the flow of gas to the existing equipment was reduced, so constant operation was not possible.

The decision was made to source a dedicated supply of compressed air for the new sample-preparation instrument, allowing it to operate independently and reliably.

Vert’s (www.vertrotors.com) compact and portable compressors are significantly quieter than other compressors in the market, which means that researchers in the shared laboratory are not affected by high noise levels.

Deputy core manager Scott Denham said: “The Vert A100 has solved a big problem for us.

“It fits neatly under the lab bench and works away quietly, so it has been a quick and easy solution to what could have been a major obstacle to our operations.”

Set up in 2013, Edinburgh-based Vert has to date focused on the technical development of its compressor technology, which has potential applications in a wide range of industry sectors.

The deal with the University of Edinburgh is the firm’s first commercial success; it follows the appointment of John McNeil as sales engineer in charge of driving new business.