Automated extraction of drugs from biological fluids.

An automated continuous flow liquid-liquid extraction procedure is described for the separation of the H2-antagonist loxtidine from plasma samples containing two metabolites which interfere in the radioimmunoassay of the drug. The extraction of the bronchodilator salbutamol was studied using the DuPont Prep I automated liquid solid extraction apparatus, with a 12 cartridge capacity, and a vacuum extraction box designed in this laboratory to hold 30 Sep-pak C-18 (Waters Associates) cartridges. Twenty-four plasma samples per hour can be automatically processed with the Prep I. Although the vacuum box is not fully automated 45 plasma samples per hour can be processed. The Prep I can only be used with DuPont XAD, strong cation and anion exchange cartridges. Cartridges containing alumina, silica, florisil, cation and anion exchange resins and reverse phase packings can all be used with the vacuum extraction box. The latter costs only a fraction of the Prep I and therefore each analyst can have his own unit.