Agilent Technologies introduces mass spectrometry systems at ASMS 2011

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today introduced mass spectrometry systems raising performance standards for biology and analytical chemistry analyses at the annual conference of the American Society of Mass Spectrometry.

"Our ultimate goal is to make all mass spec analysis routine, even as users look at increasingly complex samples," said Gustavo Salem, vice president and general manager, Agilent Biological Systems Division. "This demands a holistic approach to scientific workflows, involving instrument design, software, consumables, reagents and human factors. We're pleased to be announcing steps in this direction at this year's ASMS."

Highlights are the new Agilent 6550 iFunnel quadrupole time-of-flight liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (Q-TOF LC/MS) system and the 7200 Q-TOF gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) system. Time-of-flight instruments are used to analyze both target compounds and unknowns.

6550 iFunnel Q-TOF LC/MS

The Agilent 6550 iFunnel Q-TOF LC/MS system delivers low femtogram (quadrillionth of a gram) sensitivity, fast acquisition to 50 spectra/sec, up to five orders of intra-scan dynamic range and robust performance and operation. This high level of performance makes the instrument well-suited for challenging qualitative and quantitative applications such as metabolomics, food safety screening, early-stage drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, and protein identification.

Last year, Agilent debuted iFunnel technology to create the world's most sensitive triple quadrupole LC/MS, a widely used configuration. The company is now extending this breakthrough design to a Q-TOF instrument.

7200 Q-TOF GC/MS

Agilent also chose ASMS 2011 to debut its first GC time-of-flight instrument, the 7200 Q-TOF GC/MS. It delivers a new level of chromatographic and spectral resolution to a wide range of biological and chemical analyses to help researchers coax more qualitative and quantitative information out of increasingly complex samples. Applications include environmental analysis, sports-doping detection, energy research, natural products research, and energy research.

The new Agilent 7200 Q-TOF combines the proven, rugged performance of the Agilent 7890A GC, the latest generation of the world's best-selling GC, with the high spectral resolution of a Q-TOF analyzer that also features time-tested designs for high-confidence results.

6420 Triple Quad LC/MS

Agilent unveiled the 6420 triple quadrupole LC/MS, a new workhorse instrument that can be upgraded to readily accommodate customers' changing needs. It replaces Agilent's popular 6410 triple quad, and is designed to protect customers' instrument investments by being easily upgradable with twofold and eightfold sensitivity increases. Agilent also made the new instrument more productive with faster electronics and new software features. The dynamic MRM solution for grouping ion transitions by retention time has been enhanced with the addition of triggered MRM for simultaneous compound identification.

The Agilent 6420 is well-suited for both routine and complex analyses such as toxicology, environmental, food safety, pharmaceutical and drugs of abuse testing. It fully supports Agilent's latest UHPLC solutions so users benefit from a complete high-performance LC/MS system from a single vendor.

6100B Series Single Quad LC/MS

Agilent also introduced a number of performance enhancements to its 6100B Series single quadrupole systems, delivering added value as prices remain unchanged. The entry-level 6120B now has POS/NEG switching that is 10 times faster, providing more information from each injection, even with narrow LC peaks. Scan speed more than doubles for higher-confidence molecule identification and confirmation.

The mid-range Agilent 6130B is now compatible with Agilent Jet Stream technology. This unique sample inlet design focuses the ion stream entering the mass spec, improving sensitivity by producing a stronger signal with lower relative standard deviation at the limit of detection.

New MassHunter Software

The new release of Agilent MassHunter software is designed to facilitate LC/MS and GC/MS analyses from instrument setup to final report. Data analysis tools help users quickly find, compare and identify compounds. This includes compound-centric data mining and navigating to streamline and simplify MS data analysis. For profiling experiments, Mass Profiler Professional automatically identifies significant differences between sample sets, and confirms identification through library searches.

Dried Blood-Spotting Sample Prep Card

Agilent introduced a proprietary sample preparation card for dried blood-spotting bioanalysis, providing advantages over conventional cellulose-based cards.

The Agilent Bond Elut DMS (Dried Matrix Spotting) is not impregnated with reagents. This reduces non-specific binding of analytes, increasing mass spectrometry response and improving the signal-to-noise ratio. The new product is compatible with automation and standard punching tools. It requires one-fifth the punching force of cellulose-based cards. The benefits are faster workflow, less technician fatigue and smoother automation. Bond Elut DMS also delivers consistent spot shape, size and reproducibility regardless of ratio of red blood cells to blood sample volume.