Next-Gen IVD LC-MS/MS System 5X More Sensitive for Quantifying Analytes in Saliva, Breath and Dried Blood Spots

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 06 Apr 2023

As energy expenses increase dramatically and laboratory spaces remain in high demand, the need for an analytical instrument that can perform complex trace analyte quantification and increase in-house testing while also reducing energy consumption and saving lab space has become critical. Now, an extremely compact and sustainable analytical instrument accurately quantifies trace analytes with outstanding precision. This powerful instrument can improve patient care, generate cost savings, and meet a laboratory's unique analytical workflow requirements with its vast array of customizable options.

Waters Corporation (Milford, MA, USA) has introduced its next-generation Xevo TQ Absolute IVD mass spectrometer, expanding its family of MassTrak IVD LC-MS/MS Systems for clinical diagnostic applications. The new MassTrak LC-MS/MS IVD system now comprises the ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS liquid chromatography instrument and the Xevo TQ Absolute IVD mass spectrometer. The ACQUITY UPLC I-Class PLUS System is designed to provide fast and precise sample analysis to improve mass spectrometer sensitivity and simplify complex sample characterization. The Xevo TQ Absolute IVD System is more consistent than other tandem quadrupole-mass spectrometry (TQ-MS) systems, with a user-friendly design that maximizes service uptime. Additionally, it is 45% smaller and uses 50% less nitrogen gas and electricity than comparable TQ-MS systems, making it ideal for hospital and commercial labs seeking to reduce energy consumption and save space.


Image: The new MassTrak IVD LC-MS/MS System featuring the Xevo TQ Absolute IVD tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer (Photo courtesy of Waters)

The Xevo TQ Absolute IVD mass spectrometer offers exceptional analytical performance, with up to five times greater sensitivity for quantifying clinical analytes compared to other commercial instruments available. This heightened sensitivity allows clinical laboratories to detect and measure trace-level analytes within a sample, reaching detection levels previously unattainable. This capability expands the testing capabilities of clinical laboratories, making it possible to work with lower volume samples obtained from less invasive assays such as saliva, breath, and dried blood spots. Additionally, the system empowers clinical laboratories to expand their test menu to include multiplex panels and large molecules.

“Waters’ MassTrak IVD systems gives clinical diagnostic laboratories highly precise and flexible options that ultimately enable clinicians to provide better patient care,” said Jianqing Bennett, Waters Corporation Senior Vice President of the Waters Clinical Business Unit. “Adding the Xevo TQ Absolute IVD to the MassTrak IVD family offers customers class-leading sensitivity and analytical performance. Waters is uniquely positioned to enable clinical laboratories to develop reliable test methods for difficult analytes, helping them expand their capabilities to manage emerging remote sampling techniques.”

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