MS User Pain Points Indicate a Greater Need for Instrument Efficiency and Workflow Optimization: Meet the Agilent Ultivo

Agilent described a user-centric approach towards instrument and laboratory solutions development this year at ASMS.

A Frost and Sullivan survey of lab managers showed that the traditional metric of instrument horsepower was no longer as important as practical considerations – namely efficiency in instrument operation, data management, and workflow complexity. In response, the company has focused on retooling instrument engineering while maintaining the performance attributes customers demand.

The InfinityLab Series LC/MSD single quadrupole LC-MS is a stackable space-saving solution with uncompromised performance characteristics. When outfitted with OpenLAb CDS, the instrument can achieve the rigorous compliance demands of QC laboratories. The new LC/MSD supports the MassWorks Cerno Bioscience software which facilitates increased mass accuracy and compound identification, ideal for discovery and synthesis laboratories.

The Agilent 6495B triple quad system brought state of the art technologies developed throughout the 6400 Series lifeline (iFunnel, Jet Stream) together in a powerful and more compact platform. This year the AdvanceBio 6545XT LC-Q-TOF added a new dimension. With the announcement of the BioConfirm B.09 software, AdvanceBio Peptide Plus LC, and AssayMAP, a complete and simplified workflow solution for biopharma is now available.

Casting significant light was the announcement of the Ultivo, the new LC-MS triple quad that is 70% smaller than that of equivalent instruments in terms of performance.

The new instrument and associated hardware and software innovations, are designed to provide robust performance, superior uptime, and easier serviceability. The Ultivo takes the advancements in ion transmission and sensitivity seen in larger Agilent machines and simply scales the device down to achieve a new level of size efficiency – although advancements like dual twisted hexapoles help considerably in this respect.

Despite it’s diminutive size, the Ultivo provides reproducible and reliable performance as well as exceptional tolerance to complex matrices. In short, all of the performance with 30% of the footprint. User efficiency is addressed through improved, intelligent diagnostics and intuitive readbacks that can quickly identify issues and maximize uptime. The new VacShield vacuum provides vent-less ion injector access and exchange, minimizing front end maintenance and wear.

In total, the new Agilent offerings appear to address users front and center, by providing practical solutions in instrument operation, data management, and workflow optimization. All of this while maintaining the performance excellence for which Agilent is known.