Thermo Fisher Scientific Introduces ToxSpec Analyzer, a Complete LC-MS Solution for Toxicology Screening

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced the launch of the Thermo Scientific ToxSpec™ Analyzer, a complete, easy-to-use and cost-effective LC-MS solution for clinical and forensic toxicology-screening laboratories. Using an integrated system of hardware, software and methodologies, the ToxSpec Analyzer dramatically simplifies the toxicology workflow by automating the screening of drug analytes, increasing confidence of identification and enabling even a novice user to generate reliable results.

“The ToxSpec Analyzer is another example of Thermo Fisher taking high-performance technology that has been limited to the research lab and making it accessible to applied markets as a complete, turnkey solution,” said Jeff Zonderman, director, Thermo Fisher Scientific life science mass spectrometry clinical and toxicology markets. “Even if your lab has never used LC/MS/MS, this solution is designed to make it easy for you to get up and running. The ToxSpec Analyzer provides industry-leading instrumentation for higher sensitivity and specificity, ready-to-use software and methodologies and an extremely competitive price point. Bio-Rad’s REMEDi is a great example of a drug screening application that this solution very nicely replaces.”

The ToxSpec Analyzer includes a tested screening workflow methodology that covers every step of screening from sample preparation to analysis, data processing and reporting. The ToxSpec Analyzer CD includes:

o SPE sample preparation method
o LC-MS data acquisition method
o Compound library
o ToxID software configuration
o List of recommended consumables

Robert D. Johnson, Ph.D., a research chemist with the Federal Aviation Administration Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, has been successfully using the ToxID 1.0 software, which is part of the ToxSpec Analyzer product, for the past eight months for general unknown screening.

"ThermoFisher Scientific's ToxID software is well designed, user friendly, and has made our laboratories goal of performing general unknown screening by LC/MS obtainable," said Dr. Johnson.

Every aspect of the ToxSpec Analyzer has been designed to ensure maximum ease-of-use and flexibility. The ToxID software requires only an initial configuration; it then integrates behind the scenes and is automatically implemented by the data acquisition software for compound identification and report generation. The ToxID software can generate summary and data review reports in PDF format as well as Excel reports, depending on lab needs.

Although it is simple to operate, the ToxSpec Analyzer meets the most exacting lab performance standards. Thermo Fisher Scientific qualified the screening application in a urine matrix for all compounds in the spectra library and the list of analytes with confirmed detection limits is included.

Using the ToxSpec Analyzer LC-MS approach to toxicology screening also provides researchers with more flexibility than traditional approaches. With the ToxSpec Analyzer, researchers can add new compounds to the application as needed, a huge benefit as new drugs are discovered.

Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.