Shimadzu’s New Nexera Mikros, a Micro Flowrate Compatible Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer, Provides the Pharmaceutical Industry with High Sensitivity, Durability, and Ease of Use
Shimadzu Corporation has released the Nexera Mikros, a micro flowrate-compatible liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Nexera Mikros maintains the durability and operability of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) systems while providing at least ten times the sensitivity.
In recent years, in the field of pharmaceutical development, analysis has occasionally been performed on trace amounts of components in blood. Examples include studies of the pharmacokinetics of new administered drugs and on hormones within living organisms. In such cases, LC-MS systems compatible with nano flowrates have been utilized, in order to improve the efficiency of the intake of target components to the mass spectrometer. However, nano flowrate-compatible LC-MS systems often suffer from complications in terms of instrument operability and processing speed, such as a tendency for pipes to clog, difficulty discovering liquid leaks, and the hours required for the analysis of a single sample.
The Nexera Mikros can accommodate a wide range of flowrates, from semi-micro flowrates (100 µL/min to 500 µL/min), which are often used for analysis in existing systems, to micro flowrates (1 µL/min to 10 µL/min). This system achieves both durability and operability while enabling analysis with at least ten times the existing sensitivity. Through this product, Shimadzu is contributing to improving the productivity at pharmaceutical companies and clinical consignee research organizations, both in and outside Japan.
Features
1. Provides at Least Ten Times the Existing Sensitivity
This system provides at least ten times the sensitivity of existing LC-MS systems. This is due to the LC-Mikros, a solvent delivery pump with a new control system, which is capable of delivering solvent at stable micro flowrates. In addition, the position of ionization interface has been optimized for loading samples into the mass spectrometer.
2. UF-Link Achieves Both High-Sensitivity Analysis and Improved Operability
Microscopic gaps (dead volume) in the piping connectors cause a decrease in sensitivity by diffusing the components within samples. UF-Link, a connection mechanism between our newly developed analytical column and the mass spectrometer, ensures high sensitivity and, at the same time, enables one-touch connection between the analytical column and the ionization interface for the mass spectrometer. In addition, UF-Link is compatible with connections between generally used analytical columns and the ionization interface, so the analytical column can be selected to suit the sample targeted for measurement.
3. LC-MS System Heightens the Efficiency of Investments in Research and Development
The LC-Mikros solvent delivery pump can deliver solvents across a wide flowrate range, from micro flowrates of 1 µL/min to semi-micro flowrates of 500 µL/min. By enabling analysis comparable to existing LC-MS systems, and high-sensitivity analysis at micro flowrates, this single unit improves the operational efficiency of the LC-MS system and shortens research and development times.
