SPDE uses an injection needle, the inner surface of which is coated with a polymeric material (e.g. dimethyl polysiloxan). With the help of the syringe, the liquid sample is repeatedly sucked through the needle and pushed out again, with the organic analytes enriching in the polymer film.
Finally, the needle is guided into the hot injector of a gas chromatograph and the thermally desorbing substances transferred to the gc column with the help of a scavenging gas.