The ultimate evolution in microwave digestion
With ETHOS, Milestone introduces the latest and most advanced evolution of microwave rotor-base digestion technology. Designed to meet the highest standards in laboratory safety, reproducibility, and efficiency, ETHOS goes beyond digestion to become a true microwave labstation, supporting solvent extraction, evaporation, concentration, high-temperature processes, and more.
ETHOS features rugged stainless-steel construction, pressure-responsive doors, automatic locking, and SafeVIEW camera monitoring. Its high-purity PTFE vessels and reinforced PEEK components, combined with Milestone’s exclusive vent-and-reseal rotor technology, ensure maximum safety and chemical compatibility.
With MAIA, Milestone’s AI Agent, users receive instant guidance on methods, maintenance, troubleshooting, and consumable handling, via chat or voice commands.
ETHOS features rugged stainless-steel construction, pressure-responsive doors, automatic locking, and SafeVIEW camera monitoring. Its high-purity PTFE vessels and reinforced PEEK components, combined with Milestone’s exclusive vent-and-reseal rotor technology, ensure maximum safety and chemical compatibility.
With MAIA, Milestone’s AI Agent, users receive instant guidance on methods, maintenance, troubleshooting, and consumable handling, via chat or voice commands.
Questions?
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APPLYING GREEN CHEMISTRY PRINCIPLES TO ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
ETHOS minimizes instrument redundancy, energy use, and consumables, with the Green Prep MW Score providing measurable sustainability insights. ETHOS represents the ultimate combination of performance, safety, versatility, and sustainability, empowering laboratories to advance elemental analysis workflows with confidence.
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‘TOTAL WORKFLOW’ SAMPLE PREPARATION APPROACH
Look beyond sample digestion and consider the total sample preparation workflow for elemental analysis. Find ways to avoid workflow disruptions that have negative effects on your lab’s outcomes. Consider several parameters like reagents handling, cleaning approach, supply of ultrapure acids and the handling of digestion vessels.
Safety engineered into every detail
Microwave closed-vessel digestion operates at elevated temperatures and pressures with concentrated acids, so the system must ensure maximum protection unader all conditions. ETHOS is designed with safety as a priority: its rugged stainless-steel construction guarantees durability, while the unique pressure-responsive door, mounted on loaded springs, provides the highest level of protection. Even in the unlikely event of an overpressure release from a vessel, the stainless-steel door fully contains the pressure, while the exhaust system safely directs acid fumes to the laboratory ventilation. The automatic door-locking mechanism prevents opening until a user-defi ned safe temperature is reached, and the integrated SafeVIEW camera provides continuous real-time monitoring of the cavity.
Accurate, safe, reproducible
Temperature control is critical in microwave digestion, as it directly impacts both process quality and safety. ETHOS is equipped with easyTEMP, a contactless direct temperature sensor that combines the accuracy of an in-situ probe, measuring the actual temperature of the sample/solution, with the flexibility of infrared monitoring across all vessels. This dual advantage ensures continuous control and perfectly uniform digestion conditions, delivering reproducible results for every sample while avoiding the need for reprocessing.
In the picture easyTEMP temperature control of an exothermic reaction during the digestion of an API with HNO3 and HCl in the SK-15 rotor.
In the picture easyTEMP temperature control of an exothermic reaction during the digestion of an API with HNO3 and HCl in the SK-15 rotor.
Milestone's easyTEMP
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Ease of use: -
Direct control:
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Precision and accuracy:
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Control in all vessels:
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Safety:
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Run any number of vessels:
In-Situ approach
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Ease of use: -
Direct control:
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Precision and accuracy:
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Control in all vessels: -
Safety: -
Run any number of vessels:
Infrared approach
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Ease of use:
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Direct control:
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Precision and accuracy:
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Control in all vessels:
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Safety:
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Run any number of vessels:
THE HEART OF DIGESTION: ROTOR AND VESSELS
Where Safety and Performance meet
Digestion vessels are the core of any microwave system, as this is where sample decomposition actually takes place. Their components must combine chemical purity with mechanical strength: some must resist concentrated acids, while others must safely contain the pressure generated during digestion. All Milestone rotors are engineered to deliver both safety and performance. They are built with high-purity PTFE vessels and covers, which ensure broad chemical compatibility and ultra-low blanks, while reinforced PEEK shields withstand high pressure even at elevated
temperatures. In addition, Milestone rotors incorporate the exclusive vent-and-reseal technology, which keeps vessels completely sealed during digestion. Only in the rare event of overpressure does the system activate, safely venting the excess gas before automatically resealing. This unique design guarantees maximum safety and allows every digestion to be completed without the loss of volatile elements.
Under normal conditions, the vessel remains fully sealed (1).
If pressure unexpectedly exceeds the vessel limit, the safety spring allows controlled venting (2).
Once the pressure returns below the limit, the cover reseals automatically (3).
If pressure unexpectedly exceeds the vessel limit, the safety spring allows controlled venting (2).
Once the pressure returns below the limit, the cover reseals automatically (3).
HIGH PERFORMANCE AND THROUGHPUT IN ONE ROTOR
The MAXI-24 High Performance (HP) rotor combines
double pressure limits with greater capacity than
standard high-throughput rotors. It processes larger volumes and a wide variety of matrices within a single platform. Its quick-assembly vessels, made of only three components, can be closed within seconds, boosting efficiency and daily productivity. With 24 positions, it is the perfect choice for routine digestion of diverse sample types.
HIGH-PRESSURE ROTOR FOR THE TOUGHEST SAMPLES
The SK-15 is a high-pressure, high-temperature rotor with a capacity of up to 15 PTFE-TFM vessels of 100 mL. Its broad working range makes it ideal for virtually any matrix, including hard-to-digest, reactive, or large sample masses. Reliable and versatile, it simplifies the
journey from sample to analysis, even under the most demanding conditions.
MAXIMUM PRODUCTIVITY FOR LARGE SAMPLE BATCHES
For laboratories processing high numbers of samples, such as soils, sediments, or aqueous matrices, the MAXI-44 offers unmatched productivity. Featuring up to 44 PTFE-TFM vessels of 100 mL, it delivers high throughput, reliability, and superior ease of use. The
MAXI-44 is the natural solution for labs that demand efficiency in handling large sample batches.
Agriculture
Beverage
Cannabis
Ceramics
Chemicals
Clinical
Cosmetics
Environmental
Food & Feed
Geochemistry
Metals
Officials
Petrochemical
Pharmaceutical
Pigments
Polymers
Simple and Functional
Operating ETHOS is straightforward: select a method from the library, press START, and the digestion begins. The user interface displays all key parameters, time, power, and temperature, in real time, while full documentation of each run can be saved for traceability.
Behind this simplicity lies easyCONTROL 3, which continuously adjusts microwave power to follow the programmed temperature profile with precision and reproducibility. All ETHOS configurations are powered by easyCONTROL 3. Three terminals Easy, Up, and Plus offer different capabilities, so every laboratory can choose the solution that best matches its workflow, regulatory requirements, and connectivity needs.
Behind this simplicity lies easyCONTROL 3, which continuously adjusts microwave power to follow the programmed temperature profile with precision and reproducibility. All ETHOS configurations are powered by easyCONTROL 3. Three terminals Easy, Up, and Plus offer different capabilities, so every laboratory can choose the solution that best matches its workflow, regulatory requirements, and connectivity needs.
Plus
- Display: 10.1” touch screen
- Built-in library: Yes
- SafeVIEW (camera): Yes
- USB port: Yes
- CFR 21 part 11 compliant: Yes
- Connection to balance: Yes
- Milestone Connect: Yes, integrated into terminal
- Milestone AI Agent (MAIA): Yes
Up
- Display: 6.5” touch screen
- Built-in library: Yes
- SafeVIEW (camera): Yes
- USB port: Yes
- CFR 21 part 11 compliant: Yes
- Connection to balance: Yes
- Milestone Connect: Yes
- Milestone AI Agent (MAIA): No
Easy
- Display: 5” touch screen
- Built-in library: Yes
- SafeVIEW (camera): No
- USB port: Yes
- CFR 21 part 11 compliant: Yes
- Connection to balance: No
- Milestone Connect: Yes
- Milestone AI Agent (MAIA): No
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FastEX-24
Extraction rotor for environmental applications -
XTR-44
Extraction rotor with disposable polypropylene vials -
SR-15
Rotor for total fat determination in food and feed -
UltraFAST
High-temperature muffle furnace -
MMR-15
Evaporation and concentration rotor -
RAR-15
Evaporation rotor with disposable cups
Milestone Validation Package
Compliance with regulations and data traceability is essential in today’s analytical laboratories, particularly in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and other regulated industries.
ETHOS, powered by easyCONTROL 3 software, is fully compliant with FDA 21 CFR Part 11. To support laboratories, the Milestone Validation Package (MVP) provides access to factory-trained engineers and specialists, ensuring fast implementation in line with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines. The MVP covers the complete qualification of the instrument, with packages tailored to specific needs, including:
- DQ – Design Qualification
- IQ – Installation Qualification
- OQ – Operational Qualification
- PQ – Performance Qualification
- Re-qualification
Applying green chemistry principles in the world of elemental analysis can be a real challenge.
Sample preparation is not inherently sustainable as it involves the use of harsh chemicals and generates waste. However, examining the overall sample preparation process can reveal opportunities for significant improvements that lead to more sustainable and environmentally friendly procedures.
Three key parameters of the sample preparation process should be considered: chemistry, technology and workflow enhancement.
Sample preparation is not inherently sustainable as it involves the use of harsh chemicals and generates waste. However, examining the overall sample preparation process can reveal opportunities for significant improvements that lead to more sustainable and environmentally friendly procedures.
Three key parameters of the sample preparation process should be considered: chemistry, technology and workflow enhancement.
Sustainable
Chemistry
Moving toward greener method requires a thorough evaluation of several parameters, like type of acids, total volume of reagents, sample mass, reagent concentration, while maintaining analysis quality.
Technology and Performance
The technological design of the digestion systems significantly impacts sustainability through recyclability, energy consumption, and gas waste generation.
Green & Optimized workflow
While digestion plays a central role in sample preparation for elemental analysis, several other key steps can be optimized to make the entire process more sustainable and safer.
The Green Prep MW Score is a revolutionary tool designed by Milestone to help laboratories across the globe measure, analyze, and enhance their sustainability practices in the sample preparation process for elemental analysis.
Based on a recent scientific publication in Elsevier, this tool provides a scientific-based framework to evaluate and improve laboratory sustainability.
By assessing your laboratory procedures, Green Prep Score provides actionable insights to reduce environmental impact while optimizing efficiency.
By assessing your laboratory procedures, Green Prep Score provides actionable insights to reduce environmental impact while optimizing efficiency.
Connect with us
Contact us directly by phoning at +39 035.573857
or discover your National Representative to get local support.
or discover your National Representative to get local support.
Milestone™ SpA
Via Fatebenefratelli 1/5 - 24010 Sorisole (BG) - Italy
Phone: +39 035.573857 | Fax: +39 035.575498
Via Fatebenefratelli 1/5 - 24010 Sorisole (BG) - Italy
Phone: +39 035.573857 | Fax: +39 035.575498
Milestone™ SpA
Via Fatebenefratelli 1/5 - 24010 Sorisole (BG) - Italy
Phone: +39 035.573857 | Fax: +39 035.575498
Via Fatebenefratelli 1/5 - 24010 Sorisole (BG) - Italy
Phone: +39 035.573857 | Fax: +39 035.575498