About ESI   |   Contact Us   |   Locations   |   Careers
Elemental Scientific - Innovative Leaders in Semiconductor Online Monitoring, Laboratory Automation, Laser Ablation, Glassware & Nebulization

Speciation/Chromatography Systems

Total Elemental Analysis & Speciation for Biological Samples

Biomonitoring and clinical testing are important for improving human health. These tests help public health officials or medical doctors monitor the levels of essential elements and assess exposure to toxic or potentially toxic elements within the human body. The prepFAST IC Clinical offers the ability to analyze biological samples with zero sample preparation. In addition, the system offers the ease of measuring for total metals and elemental speciation (e.g., As Speciation) with a single platform instrument with the ability to autocalibrate from a single stock standard(s) and autodilute biological samples.

prepFAST IC Clinical Features

  • Customizable configurations to meet clinical laboratory needs
  • FAST uptake, stabilization, & washout
  • High Performance P-series valve systems
  • Superior DX autosampler
  • Completely metal free system
  • Autocalibrate total metals & species with matrix matching
  • Autodilute total metals & species
  • Auto switching between total metal analysis and speciation
  • Micro-volume sampling (≥50 µL)
  • Analysis of whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, digested hair/nails
  • Automated tuning
prepFAST IC Clinical Video
Featured Diagram for prepFAST IC Clinical

Matrix Matching

Accurate ICPMS determination of trace elements in complex biological matrices, such as urine, whole blood, blood plasma, or serum, is hindered by matrix effects from high total dissolved solids (TDS) and other biological components present in the samples. Traditionally, the best accuracy for the analysis of these types of samples has been achieved by matrix matching calibrations with actual clinical samples (e.g., pooled urine or whole blood). Unfortunately, this technique requires collection, handling, and characterization of large volumes of potentially hazardous biological material and a separate calibration matrix for every type of clinical sample. Furthermore, the elements of interest likely are present in the calibration matrix, which makes it necessary to apply a blank correction to achieve accurate results.

Clinical Matrix is an ultrapure, proprietary synthetic mixture designed to mimic various biological matrices for easy and accurate matrix matching for the analysis of a wide variety of clinical and biological sample types, including urine, whole blood, blood plasma, serum, and digested hair and nails. Clinical Matrix is specially purified to remove metal contamination, making it ideal for any ICPMS applications requiring low trace metal detection limits in clinical and biological applications. Trace metal concentrations are in the low or sub-ppt range for most elements on the periodic table.

Urine

Urine

Blood

Blood

Serum

Serum

Hair/Nails

BloHair/Nails

Matrix = ESI Clinical Matrix (P/N CLIN-0500)

ESI Clinical Matrix (P/N CLIN-0500)

Matrix-Matching setup to match method dilution of biological sample

Matrix-Matching setup to match method dilution of biological sample

Blood/Serum

Validation of the inline sample preparation method utilizing the prepFAST IC with an ICPMS is shown below. Whole blood samples were stirred on the autosampler deck, then syringe loaded into a 50 µL sample loop. The whole blood samples were diluted 50x into a larger loop (ICPMS method timing dictates size used), using the built in prepFAST functions within the prepFAST IC system, then introduced to the ICPMS for analysis. New York Department of Heath PT samples were analyzed as part of the validation of this inline sample preparation blood method.

Blood/Serum

Urine

Validation of the inline sample preparation method utilizing the prepFAST IC with an ICPMS is shown below. Urine samples were stirred on the autosampler deck, then syringe loaded into a 200 µL sample loop. The urine samples were diluted 10x into a larger loop (ICPMS method timing dictates size used), using the built in prepFAST functions within the prepFAST IC system, then introduced to the ICPMS for analysis. New York Department of Heath PT samples were analyzed as part of the validation of this inline sample preparation urine method.

Urine

Urine As Speciation

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element in the earth’s crust and is found in soil around the world at varying amounts. Arsenic is or has been used in pesticides, herbicides, food additives, drugs, poisons, and chemical weapons. Arsenic can be found in many different chemical forms. The inorganic forms, As(III) or As(V), are more toxic due to their higher bioavailability within the human body. Some organic forms DMA and MMA are less toxic due to a lower bioavailability, while other organic forms such as AsB or AsC are considered non-toxic.

LOD Table

Typical Arsenic Speciation Chromatogram

Mercury Spike Recovery Study with Fish Tissue

As(III) Calibration Curve

As(III) Calibration Curve

AsB Calibration Curve

AsB Calibration Curve

UHT Addition

The prepFAST IC Clinical system can easily have the SampleSense UHT Clinical configuration added. In this configuration the prepFAST IC can operate in three different modes: total metals with inline dilution, speciation with inline dilution, and high-throughput analysis for manually prepared samples using the UHT addition. This is particularly useful for customers who have high-throughput demands for biological samples but also require the need for elemental speciation.

Superior sample-to-sample speed with SS FAST UHT Clinical (e.g. blood lead)

Superior sample-to-sample speed with SS FAST UHT Clinical (e.g. blood lead)

Ability to easily perform elemental speciation (e.g. arsenic species in urine)

Ability to easily perform elemental speciation (e.g. arsenic species in urine)

Contact us for information on Total Elemental Analysis & Speciation Systems!

Contact Us