A Major Advance In ICP-MS Technology
The exciting new OptiMass 9500 ICP Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ICP-TOFMS) further redefines the state-of-the-art in elemental analysis. This second generation bench top ICP-TOFMS overcomes the major limitations associated with quadrupole ICP-MS instrumentation. Detection limits equivalent to those achievable with a quadrupole instrument can be achieved for amu 1 to 260 within seconds. This inherent speed allows higher sample throughput with the use of conventional sample introduction systems.
In hardware terms these improvements have lead to reduced maintenance, more robust plasma performance, enhanced sample introduction capability and improved system sequencing.
In software terms many new features have been added.
The new auto optimization software function allows the software to optimize the instrument parameters automatically to give the best sensitivity. The OptiMass 9500 software contains a powerful semi-quantitative analysis mode. This mode uses factory defined relative sensitivity factors (RSF) to define the detector response to an unknown concentration of analyte. The simultaneous nature of the OptiMass 9500 allows not only semi-quantitative, but also retrospective semi-quantitative analysis.
When comparative studies are required, such as in Forensic Science, it can be very useful to use the new Fingerprinting software. This type of analysis makes the best use of the scans to be compared to determine how closely they match by giving a figure from 0 to 1. This type of analysis entails a statistical comparison of a test spectrum to a spectrum of a known material. This can be a comparison of an SRM to sample material or the comparison of scene-of-crime evidence to samples recovered from suspect’s residence, vehicle or personal belongings. Before implementation of this type of analysis the correct sampling protocols need to be established. The OptiMass 9500 then provides a rapid multi-element analysis providing complete spectral data collection. This coupled with the powerful statistical fingerprinting software of the 9500 provides the complete package for comparative analysis. The true simultaneous multi-element capability of the time-of-flight technology used in the OptiMass 9500 ensures that no information is lost from analysis of small volume samples often found in scene-of-crime scenarios.
The high speed data collection rate enables transient signals generated from, e.g., single shot laser ablation, electro-thermal vaporization or flow injection, to be sampled 30,000 times per second and 50 integrated full mass spectra to be displayed every second. This opens up a range of applications that previously have been hindered by the slow sequential nature of quadrupole or magnetic sector field mass spectrometers.
