RSA™ low‑volume vials and inserts are designed to maximize sample recovery and minimize analyte loss when working with limited volumes and adsorption‑prone compounds. These products are widely used in HPLC, LC‑MS, GC and GC-MS as well as bioanalytical workflows where reproducibility, surface cleanliness, and quantitative accuracy are critical.
RSA™ (Reduced Surface Activity) products are the result of proprietary manufacturing processes that control and minimize surface activity within the finished vial or insert. RSA™ is not a glass type, but a performance outcome achieved through precision manufacturing techniques that reduce analyte interaction with the vial interior while maintaining chemical durability and dimensional consistency.
Compared to conventional untreated autosampler vials, RSA™ products significantly reduce adsorption of low‑abundance and basic compounds, improve analyte stability, and support consistent performance—even in highly aqueous sample matrices. These characteristics make RSA™ vials and inserts especially effective for sensitive LC‑MS methods and bioanalytical testing.
This Category includes a range of low‑volume vial geometries and insert formats, optimized to recover nearly all available sample from standard autosampler vial dimensions.
RSA™ Low‑Volume Product Formats
RSA™ Center‑Draining Vials.
Center‑draining vials feature smooth, ridge‑free interior walls that allow liquid samples to completely drain to the vial bottom. This geometry supports consistent needle access and reduced residual volume while benefiting from RSA™ reduced surface activity.
RSA™ Max Recovery™ Vials (1.8 mL format).
Max Recovery™ refers to a precision vial bottom geometry, not a material. These vials feature a concave drain profile that concentrates sample into the lowest point of the vial, supporting maximal recovery from standard 2 mL formats. When manufactured as RSA™ products, Max Recovery™ vials combine optimized geometry with reduced surface activity, making them one of the most widely used configurations in routine and high‑sensitivity chromatography workflows.
RSA™ MRQ™ Vials (1.2 mL format).
MRQ™ vials incorporate a narrow, precision drain pocket that concentrates samples into a collection zone sized to match autosampler needle geometry. This design minimizes dead volume and supports reliable recovery of low‑microliter sample volumes, while benefitting from RSA™ surface activity reduction.
RSA™ Fused‑Insert Vials (300 µL format).
Fused‑insert vials incorporate precision inserts permanently integrated into the vial body, eliminating excess dead volume and reducing headspace. The fused design prevents sample migration into the vial cavity and ensures consistent sealing against the cap septum. When produced as RSA™ products, fused‑insert vials deliver exceptionally low adsorption and high recovery from very limited sample volumes.
RSA™ low‑volume vials and inserts are commonly selected for pharmaceutical development, bioanalytical assays, standards preparation, stability studies, dissolution testing, and QC workflows, where surface interactions and variability cannot be tolerated.
Additional resources:
Explore RSA‑Pro X™ surface‑treated variants for highly glass‑sensitive compounds
View 2 mL RSA™ vial kits, the most widely adopted configuration in routine laboratories
