Waters Xevo TQ Absolute system with DESI XS source

Waters Corporation has launched a targeted imaging mass spectrometer based on its Xevo TQ Absolute tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer.

The instrument combines the Waters enhanced desorption electrospray ionisation (DESI) XS source with the Xevo TQ Absolute system to enable targeted preclinical MS imaging experiments. It is claimed to be five times more sensitive and five times faster than discovery-based imaging systems at precisely determining whether a particular small molecule drug product — and how much of it — reaches its intended target, such as a brain, liver or lung, in a test subject.

Users have already applied the Xevo TQ Absolute system to solve a host of problems, including PFAS testing at parts-per-quadrillion levels. Now, combining it with the DESI XS source gives drug development scientists a powerful tool for efficiently evaluating the effects of drugs at the site of action with the statistical power of full studies. It thus enables scientists to decide which drug candidates to investigate further and develop into marketable drugs as quickly as possible.

Some applications for direct-from-sample DESI/tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry include: elucidating drug distribution in tissue sections; monitoring relevant biochemical pathways in toxicological studies; and classifying tissue and determining tumour margins.