Agilent Technologies Acquires RVM Scientific, a Leading Manufacturer of Direct Rapid Heating/Cooling Systems for GC Capillary Columns

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced it has completed the acquisition of RVM Scientific Inc., a leading manufacturer of rapid, direct heating/cooling systems for gas chromatography (GC) capillary columns. Financial details were not disclosed.

RVM Scientific’s patented technology expands Agilent’s portfolio of GC platform solutions and continues to position Agilent as the premier workflow solutions partner to research, testing and quality-control labs. The technology interweaves heating and temperature sensing components wound directly around a capillary column for rapid and efficient heating/cooling. This technology greatly reduces GC and GC/MS analytical cycle times, addressing customers’ demand for greater productivity, lower power consumption and a reduced footprint.

“RVM Scientific has coupled its highly efficient LTM [Low Thermal Mass] technology with Agilent’s GC platforms for some time now,” said Shanya Kane, Agilent vice president and general manager, Gas Chromatography Systems.

“This acquisition is a natural fit and demonstrates Agilent’s commitment to creating major advances in GC. Agilent can now expand the reach of this technology to customers worldwide, while providing total system support utilizing Agilent’s extensive worldwide GC and GC/MS support network.”

“Agilent now has the potential to take advantage of ways to truly integrate and expand LTM and GC technologies to provide further advances in reliability and productivity,” added Robert Mustacich former president and founder of RVM Scientific. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, Calif., and privately held, the company was founded in 1993. Dr. Mustacich has joined Agilent in an R&D capacity.

RVM Scientific was established to perform contract research in gas chromatography and nonlinear electro-optics in polymer thin films. Following several years of successful technology developments in these areas, RVM reorganized its business as a manufacturing start-up for its high-efficiency gas chromatography components. RVM continued its R&D investment and intellectual property development in the areas of high-efficiency gas chromatography components. These developments include products based on low thermal mass column assemblies, high-temperature insulation technology for GC components, low-power thermal desorbers for vapor sampling from air, GC interface technologies and related manufacturing technologies.