Quantitative Nirvana – Absolute performance through unification of ultimate sensitivity and robustness

The need to achieve increasingly lower limits of quantitation to meet regulatory requirements is driving a fundamental need to increase sensitivity in quantitative mass spectrometry. Example application areas include, quantifying the presence of anionic polar pesticides in foods, levels of genotoxic impurities in pharmaceuticals, or high sensitivity bioanalysis in drug discovery and development.

Most vendors are able to keep pace, periodically developing new ways to increase the sensitivity of their instruments, but not all efforts are considered equal. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to increase sensitivity is to simply introduce more ions by widening the entrance to the MS analyzer. However, this has the unfortunate consequence of also introducing more matrix into the system, resulting in more frequent cleaning due to increased contamination.

Reaching lower limits of quantitation isn’t the only challenge labs are facing, analysts are having to compromise between increased sensitivity and robustness, with both critical in enabling laboratories to meet their overall goals.

The Xevo TQ Absolute offers a zero-compromise solution as labs no longer have to choose between sensitivity and robustness. How? By bringing innovation through design.

Three new key technologies combine to create the perfect high-performance solution enabling increased sensitivity for the most challenging compounds, while maintaining remarkable stability over long periods of time.

1. New detector for new levels of sensitivity

The Xevo TQ Absolute’s new high voltage photomultiplier detector not only reaches even lower levels of quantitation for many negative ionizing compounds, it also lasts the lifetime of the instrument. This is unlike electron multiplier detectors used in all other TQ instruments on the market, which require gain adjustments over time and must be replaced.

2. Optimal probe positioning guidance for optimal performance

Achieve the best performance while minimizing contamination and reducing the need for inconvenient downtime to clean the instrument with the Xevo TQ Absolute’s optimal probe positioning guidance.

3. Source shield technology protecting your productivity

The innovative new source shield on the Xevo TQ Absolute allows your lab to maximize uptime by minimizing contamination of the source from sample matrix or mobile phase salts. Ensuring productivity is not slowed or halted by reduced performance and frequent instrument cleaning.

The proof is in the protein-precipitated plasma

This experiment shows the stability and robustness delivered by the perfect combination of an ACQUITY Premier with Xevo TQ Absolute system. Over 2000 consecutive injections acquired over a period of 76 hours. The compound analyzed was Sulphadimethoxine and it was extracted from plasma with a simple protein precipitation. The MS was in ESI pos mode with a 50 ms dwell time. The chromatographic run time was 2 min and the data shown clearly shows that the system was remarkably stable with an RSD of less than 1%.

Learn more about how you can achieve quantitative nirvana with the Xevo TQ Absolute.

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