At the annual conference of the DGKL (Deutsche Vereinte Gesellschaft für
Klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin -see www.dgkl.de),
Bruker today announced the European launch of the novel, automated Toxtyper™
clinical mass spectrometry solution to meet the increasing
demands for LC-MS/MS throughput and data quality in routine toxicology
laboratories without the need for mass spectrometry expertise. The Toxtyper
solution provides faster and more reliable identification of
toxins and drugs of abuse within 10 minutes at therapeutic and toxic
levels. Bruker developed the Toxtyper solution with a
library of 850 compounds in close collaboration with Jürgen Kempf at the
Institute of Forensic Medicine in Freiburg, Germany, and with Professor
Denis Hochstrasser and Dr. Marc Fathi's team at the Geneva University
Hospital (HUG - Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève) in Switzerland.
The Toxtyper solution sets a new standard in LC-MS/MS
identification without requiring method development or mass spectrometry
expertise. Results and libraries are easily transferable from lab to lab
due to Bruker's patented SmartFrag™ technology, an
innovation that essentially removes variation and tuning from the MS/MS
process. SmartFrag uniquely positions Toxtyper
as a best-in-class, robust solution for rapid adoption in routine and
acute clinical toxicology.
Transferability and reproducibility of the novel Toxtyper
solution were validated by an inter-laboratory ring test using 4 spiked
test serum samples measured by 7 Toxtyper systems in 5
different laboratories. A positive, correct identification rate of well
over 90% was reported by all participants, confirming the easy adoption,
high performance and transferability of the Toxtyper
method.
The Toxtyper solution combines novel library
identification algorithms and a high quality library of toxicological
compounds with Bruker's high-performance amaZon speed ion
trap mass spectrometer coupled to an UHPLC system. This efficient and
robust system provides ultrafast identification of drugs and toxins,
with better throughput, compound coverage, selectivity and more reliable
identification than previous LC-only or LC-MS/MS based toxicology
systems. Key technologies to achieve such robust and reliable toxicology
identification performance include the use of continuous, zero-delay
positive/negative ion switching, high MS/MS specificity and -importantly
- novel, on-the-fly MS3 product ion confirmation.
Jürgen Kempf of the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Freiburg, Germany
commented: "The combination of a simple push-button
solution with the performance of the trap technology makes the Toxtyper
solution a valuable tool for routine and research forensics labs."
Dr. Marc Fathi from the Geneva University Hospital (HUG - Hôpitaux
Universitaires de Genève) commented: "We are using two Toxtyper
systems for the routine toxicological screening of patients admitted to
the emergency room and profit from the ease-of-use and fast result
generation of this solution."