AB SCIEX Expands TripleTOF Family with New System for Routine Analysis

AB SCIEX, today announced the introduction of the AB SCIEX TripleTOF 4600 System, a ‘workhorse’ system to bring the groundbreaking functionality of TripleTOF technology to routine analysis. TripleTOF technology is considered a leading platform for simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis, integrating the highest available sensitivity and speed with high resolution and accurate mass to generate better quality information from every sample. AB SCIEX unveiled this new system today at the AOHUPO conference in Beijing.

Increasing complexities of disease research, rising costs of drug discovery and development, and accelerating food contamination crises are among the factors driving the need for a wider range of laboratories worldwide to adopt high-speed, accurate mass-based technology. The TripleTOF 4600 system delivers unparalleled value for a variety of applications, including high-throughput discovery proteomics, food contaminant screening; and routine and comprehensive analysis of drug metabolites in early ADME. It complements the higher-end TripleTOF 5600 system, which was launched in 2010 and has been one of the most quickly and broadly adopted mass spectrometry systems across the world in recent years.

“TripleTOF technology is the LC/MS industry’s only platform with the speed and sensitivity to deliver comprehensive qualitative exploration, rapid profiling and high-resolution quantitation – all on a single platform,” said Dave Hicks, Vice President of the Pharma & Academic Business at AB SCIEX. “By bringing to market a workhorse version, we are broadening the availability of TripleTOF technology to a wider range of laboratories that would benefit from this unique and powerful technology. With the new 4600 system, scientists who used to think they couldn’t get a TripleTOF 5600 now have a brand new path to improve the way they obtain analytical results.”

The new TripleTOF 4600 system is designed as a highly reliable, workhorse instrument available at a value price, combining the world’s fastest acquisition rates with intelligent acquisition strategies to maximize the benefits of UHPLC separations for high resolution accurate mass MS and MS/MS data. By maintaining the core capabilities of the TripleTOF 5600 system – with no compromise in speed – and using sophisticated application-specific software, the TripleTOF 4600 system now makes routine accurate mass quantitative and qualitative analysis available to virtually any laboratory. The TripleTOF 4600 system is the newest member of the TripleTOF family, which continues to be anchored by the TripleTOF 5600 system, a premium platform ideally suited for the most challenging and comprehensive assays in proteomics and drug discovery.

“It is exciting to see AB SCIEX release a TripleTOF platform that should enable laboratories to rapidly develop biomarkers.” said Chris Colangelo, Ph.D, Director of Protein Profiling at the Yale Keck Biotechnology Resource Lab, Yale University. “The exciting part of this system is its ability to perform a comprehensive protein ID experiment in one run, translate these findings into a targeted proteomics assay, and re-run the same sample without switching platforms. With the 4600, I envision researchers will be able to greatly streamline their workflows since both comprehensive identification and quantitation of biologically relevant species is performed on the same system.”

A director at a European Union reference laboratory also validates the effectiveness of this AB SCIEX technology. “The TripleTOF technology has enabled rapid screening and confident identification of non-target or unknown contaminants in our water samples,” said Amadeo R. Fernández-Alba, Ph.D, European Union Reference Laboratory for Pesticide Residues in Fruit and Vegetables, University of Almeria. “By offering this technology at multiple price points, AB SCIEX is enabling more laboratories to help ensure a safer and cleaner environment.”

To support the expansion of the TripleTOF family of next-generation instruments, AB SCIEX is also making available today new AB SCIEX Accelerated Lab Integration packages, which conveniently combine the TripleTOF 4600 system with application-specific software, Eksigent ekspert™ UHPLC systems, reagents, training and service & support. The new ALI packages for drug metabolism studies, food safety testing, lipid profiling, discovery proteomics, protein quantitation and biologics are designed to simplify the adoption of TripleTOF technology for laboratories that have never used LC/MS/MS or want to quickly and easily upgrade from older-generation technology.