Empower Tip: Empower 3.8.0

In this tip, we learn about the updates to System Suitability calculations because of the changes to USP Chapter <621> Chromatography.

Let’s see how it’s done!

Empower 3.8.0 uses the revised language as per the USP, i.e., Plate Number and Symmetry Factor. All fields in versions prior to 3.8.0 are available for legacy data.

STEP 2Resolution now uses peak width at half height. The USP calculation is on the left and the Empower calculation on the right.

Plate Number, formerly Plate Count, now uses peak width at half height. The USP calculation is on the left and the Empower calculation on the right. USP Plate Count is a legacy field.

STEP 4Symmetry Factor, formerly USP Tailing, has no change to the calculation.

STEP 5Signal-to-noise ratio has a major change. Noise should be calculated from a blank injection at the expected retention time of a peak. There is a time range around that expected retention time which is peak width at half height times 5.

STEP 6Empower 3.7.0, which was released in 2022, added the calculations for the Chinese Pharmacopeia. This is now an available selection on the Suitability tab of the Processing Method as can be seen on the left side of the figure. The new fields found in Empower 3.8.0 can be seen in the Peaks table in Review as can be seen on the right side of the figure.

It’s that easy!