Shimadzu Corporation has released the Nexera Mikros, a micro flowrate-compatible liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer. The Nexera Mikros maintains the durability and operability of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) systems while providing at least ten times the sensitivity.
In recent years, in the field of pharmaceutical development, analysis has occasionally been performed on trace amounts of components in blood. Examples include studies of the pharmacokinetics of new administered drugs and on hormones within living organisms. In such cases, LC-MS systems compatible with nano flowrates have been utilized, in order to improve the efficiency of the intake of target components to the mass spectrometer. However, nano flowrate-compatible LC-MS systems often suffer from complications in terms of instrument operability and processing speed, such as a tendency for pipes to clog, difficulty discovering liquid leaks, and the hours required for the analysis of a single sample.
The Nexera Mikros can accommodate a wide range of flowrates, from semi-micro flowrates (100 µL/min to 500 µL/min), which are often used for analysis in existing systems, to micro flowrates (1 µL/min to 10 µL/min). This system achieves both durability and operability while enabling analysis with at least ten times the existing sensitivity. Through this product, Shimadzu is contributing to improving the productivity at pharmaceutical companies and clinical consignee research organizations, both in and outside Japan.