Accurately quantifying large panels of drugs and metabolites in complex biological systems is critical for many drug confirmation workflows. Forensic toxicology laboratories require robust and sensitive instrumentation capable of achieving low levels of analyte detection with high selectivity and specificity. SCIEX Triple Quad systems provide the highest performance levels for quantitative workflows. Their quantitation performance enables accurate and sensitive detection of the most challenging analytes while maintaining reliable quantitation over a wide range of concentrations. SCIEX offers a broad portfolio of Triple Quad systems equipped to deliver the required levels of selectivity and sensitivity to meet your specific lab requirements and budget.
Targeted quantitative drug testing
Targeted quantitative drug screening solutions for your forensic toxicology laboratory
Solving targeted quantitative drug workflows
Unparalleled quantitation performance
Improve your forensic toxicology laboratory's throughput and overall operational efficiency with quantitative workflows designed to leverage the quantitation performance of our Triple Quad systems.
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Technical note
High-sensitivity drug analysis using dried blood spots
There is increasing interest in drug monitoring from dried blood spots (DBS) for toxicology applications. Here, the 7500 system was used to quantify a panel of 24 drugs and metabolites in dried blood spots. The extraction method was optimized to maximize the analyte extraction recovery across the broad panel. Lower limits of quantitation ranging from 5 to 250 pg/mL were obtained with the required levels of accuracy and performance. This work demonstrates the excellent sensitivity and robustness of the 7500 system for the suite of drugs targeted in this study.
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Technical note
High-sensitivity detection of forensic drug panel in human whole blood
The SCIEX Triple Quad 7500 system is a robust quantitative platform with exceptional performance in speed, linear dynamic range and sensitivity for the accurate quantitation of a panel of 49 drugs in human whole blood. The optimized method is shown to maximize sensitivity while retaining the required levels of accuracy and performance.
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Technical note
Modernizing the forensic lab with LC-MS/MS technology
Forensic laboratories currently use GC-MS as the analysis technique of choice for drug analysis. With the recent expansion of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) list of regulated forensic compounds for motorists abuse to include four “semi-synthetic” opioids -- hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone and oxymorphone -- an LC-MS/MS is required. Here, a rapid method for the analysis of the updated USDOT forensic compounds in urine samples using SCIEX Triple Quad LC-MS/MS systems is described.
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Technical note
Elevating the forensic laboratory performance
Forensic laboratories require powerful tools to quickly and comprehensively analyze their diverse samples. LC-MS/MS operated in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode enables the low level quantitation of multiple classes of drugs of abuse in biological matrices. Here, a fast, robust method has been developed for comprehensive analysis of forensic drugs in urine samples using the Triple Quad 3500 System. Fast polarity switching, time scheduling of MRM transitions enables fast run times (6.5 mins). A simple urine hydrolysis process was used.
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Technical note
Forensic analysis of THC-COOH in hair samples
The presence of the main marijuana metabolite (i.e. THC-COOH) in hair indicates active drug usage. However the level in hair is very low and therefore requires very sensitive and specific detection methods. Here a 6 step solid phase extraction procedure was developed using SAX SPE and optimized for selective analysis of THC-COOH. Combined with the Triple Quad 4500 LC-MS/MS system, sensitive detection of trace levels of THC-COOH (0.2 pg/mg) in hair samples was achieved.
Quantitative drug testing solutions from SCIEX
Discover the QTRAP advantage: simultaneous quantitation and confirmation
Forensic toxicology laboratories need the utmost level of confidence when reporting the results of their drug confirmation workflows. SCIEX QTRAP instruments are based on and can be operated as a triple quadrupole mass analyzer but provide additional qualitative scan functions that improve selectivity and specificity beyond triple quad technology. These unique linear ion trap (LIT) scan functions enable high-quality MRM quantitation with simultaneous identification and confirmation by acquiring an enhanced product ion (EPI) MS/MS confirmation scan in a single injection. The full scan MS/MS spectrum obtained can be subsequently matched using an MS/MS spectral library to improve identification confidence. These unique functionalities of the mass analyzer configuration significantly enhance drug confirmation results by minimizing the rate of false negatives and false positives. Additional QTRAP scanning functions such as MS3 (MS/MS/MS) and MRM3 can also be leveraged to significantly reduce matrix and background interferences while providing increased selectivity and sensitivity for challenging workflows. These additional powerful scanning functions give you ultimate confidence when reporting your drug confirmation results without compromising the quality of your quantitative data.
QTRAP LC-MS/MS systems
SCIEX triple quadrupole linear ion traps, these QTRAP mass spectrometers are based on the proven, accurate quantitation capabilities of Triple Quad systems, but with enhanced scan functions to enable simultaneous quantitation and confirmation. Additional MS scans, only attainable using the QTRAP system, can deliver new and exciting discoveries for identification, characterization and quantification of your samples. From high-throughput analysis to detailed analyte investigations, the QTRAP system gives you the ability to both quantify and find unknowns in your sample, without any sacrifice to sensitivity. SCIEX offers a wide portfolio of QTRAP systems to meet your specific lab requirements and budget, explore what QTRAP can do for you.
Enhancing drug confirmation using enhanced product ion (EPI) scan
QTRAP instruments are hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometers that enable the acquisition of EPI scans (full MS/MS scans) triggered when the signal is detected for each specific MRM transition. Acquisition of MS/MS spectra improves confidence in compound identification through spectral library matching.
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Technical note
Ultra-sensitive forensic analysis of cocaine and its metabolites in hair samples
Testing hair for the presence of recreational drug abuse is of interest to the forensic laboratory because of its use in testing for long term use. However the analytes are often in low abundance and sample preparation is critical for dealing with matrix interferences. In this note, solid phase extraction (SPE) and optimized chromatography is combined with the highly sensitive QTRAP 6500+ system to enable the efficient and sensitive detection of trace levels of cocaine and its metabolites (0.05 pg/mg) in hair, making the workflow easily adaptable into a forensic toxicology laboratory.
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Technical note
Single injection targeted screening for DUID testing
A robust targeted screening method which combines the QTRAP 5500 system with solid phase extraction (SPE) using the UTC QuEChERS extraction kit for sub-nanogram per mL detection of over 100 drugs in human whole blood, suitable for high-throughput screening.
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Technical note
Highly sensitive quantitation of 12 drugs of abuse in wastewater using a simple dilution approach
Measuring excreted drug residues in wastewater is a non-invasive approach to monitor drug consumption trends across a specific community or location. Here a combination of simplified sample preparation and high sensitivity mass spectrometry was applied to the study of drugs of abuse in wastewater surveillance. Quantitation of 12 common drugs of abuse from wastewater using the 7500 system was demonstrated, with good sensitivity (LLOQ of 1 pg/mL) and reproducibility. In addition, the MRM-triggered MS/MS capability of the QTRAP system enabled confident accurate identification of the analytes using spectral library searching.
Improving selectivity and sensitivity using MRM3
QTRAP technology improves data specificity beyond triple quadrupole technology using the integrated linear in trap’s (LIT) unique MRM3 scan functionality. This scanning function enables robust quantification from second generation fragment ions, decreasing matrix interferences while providing increased selectivity and sensitivity at the low end of the calibration curve.
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