Flush Solutions and Ultrapure Solvents: Maximum Sensitivity, Minimum Downtime
Finding a reliable way to maximize instrument sensitivity and uptime is a top priority for most laboratory managers. While the latest liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) systems can achieve highly sensitive analyses, regular use can take its toll. Without proper care and maintenance, LC/MS systems can drift from optimal performance, leading to inaccurate results and instrument downtime.
The Importance of High-Purity UHPLC/MS Reagents
Using the right consumables is one of the easiest ways to maintain LC/MS performance throughout an instrument’s lifetime. High-purity solvents and flush solutions can help minimize result interference and maximize uptime, which is especially important for highly sensitive techniques like ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS).
The development of UHPLC and other high-efficiency liquid chromatography techniques has set new standards for analytical sensitivity, efficiency, and throughput. Modern instruments can support high-throughput testing for trace analytes in complex sample matrices, but the sensitivity of UHPLC/MS systems can be dramatically reduced by the presence of even small amounts of impurities in solvents. For complex samples, regular cleaning helps reduce the buildup of matrix components and ensures consistent analyses.
Regularly using high-purity solvents and flush solutions can help you consistently achieve high performance, reliable data, and minimal downtime with your UHPLC/MS system. This practice can also maximize peak resolution and contributes to higher instrument efficiency.
UHPLC/MS Solvents Designed to Improve Instrument Performance
The Thermo Scientific™ family of products now includes new ChromaCare™ UHPLC/MS Solvents that help raise the bar in instrument performance and laboratory productivity. Designed for use with Thermo Scientific analytical instruments, new ChromaCare Flush Solutions help maximize system uptime and accelerate groundbreaking research.
Specially filtered acetonitrile, methanol, and water solvents for UHPLC/MS can be used to maximize sensitivity and productivity in pharmaceutical, biotech, clinical, and academic laboratories. These new ultrapure solvents, designed specifically for UHPLC/MS applications, reduce background noise and prevent protein precipitation for high-quality chromatograms.
Thermo Scientific UHPLC/MS solvents can help laboratories achieve high-quality separation results by enhancing mass sensitivity and resolution, reducing the formation of metal ion adducts, and improving peak profiles. They also support optimal signal-to-noise ratios while keeping UV-absorbing and MS-ionizing impurities to a minimum, resulting in baselines with an extremely low level of background interference regardless of the type of detector used.
ChromaCare Solvents are ultra-filtered to reduce downtime due to obstructed columns and check valves, helping you meet lab workflow demands. And because the chemicals are packaged in borosilicate glass bottles, fewer metal cations (Ca+ and K+) leach into the solvents, further minimizing sample contamination.
ChromaCare Flush Solutions for Increased Instrument Uptime
Robust flushing procedures can help optimize peak shapes, keep baselines smooth, prevent precipitation, and eliminate the need to use toxic chlorinated solvents that can degrade seals. Washing your LC/MS system with aqueous solutions before and after using organic solvents can also help prevent the precipitation of proteins that can clog your instrument, contaminate your samples, and potentially require premature column replacement. Without regular cleaning protocols, buffers can be retained in the column pores and cause retention time alterations, peak trailing, and baseline drift.
New ChromaCare Flush Solution products were developed for both start-up and maintenance of your LC/MS columns and instruments, and are designed to ensure the seamless function of Thermo Scientific LC/MS Systems. For example, the LC/MS Instrument Flush Solution reduces background noise and facilitates optimal instrument performance. If you’re working with biological reagents, the LC/MS Biologics Flush Solution prevents proteins from clogging probes to minimize instrument downtime and preserve the integrity of your samples.
Setting the Bar Ultra High
Thermo Scientific UHPLC/MS Solvents and ChromaCare Flush Solutions are designed to optimize analytical sensitivity and help preserve the integrity of every sample. Developed in conjunction with chromatography and mass spectrometry experts, our solvents and solutions work seamlessly with Thermo Scientific instruments to deliver ultra-high performance, reduce maintenance costs, and help your instruments run longer — all to keep your research on track.
