Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, has announced the launch of its new triple quadrupole gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) system designed to offer best-in-class selectivity, analytical performance and productivity. The Thermo Scientific TSQ Quantum XLS Ultra delivers the increased matrix selectivity needed for challenging applications that require lower levels of quantitation in extremely complex matrix extracts. With its exceptional sensitivity, easy detection and reliable peak integration, the system provides superior performance for the most difficult of matrix challenges.

The TSQ Quantum XLS Ultra is designed to offer best-in-class selectivity and precision for a wide range of GC-MS applications, including environmental, food safety, forensics, metabolomics and pharmaceutical. The new DuraBrite^TM IRIS technology offers greater sensitivity, extended maintenance cycles and high routine matrix robustness so scientists can analyze more samples and increase productivity. The highly inert and exchangeable ion volumes reduce maintenance time to minutes without any venting of the vacuum system. In addition, the HyperQuad^TM technology used in the TSQ Quantum XLS Ultra delivers ultra selective reaction monitoring (U-SRM) for higher detection with notably more selective SRM.

The highly selective GC-MS/MS instrument is suited for demanding analytical tasks performed in industrial, governmental control, academic and contract laboratories. The system is especially beneficial for the low-level analysis of highly chlorinated compounds such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). A recent change in EU directives for dioxin/dl-PCB confirmation is expected to have a strong impact on the international food analysis market for POPs, creating a requirement for increased matrix selectivity for routine screening at the regulated low levels. The increased resolution offered by the new TSQ Quantum XLS Ultra is designed to enable users to conduct more precise and reliable POPs analyses to meet the latest EU criteria. 

The TSQ Quantum XLS Ultra features quantitation-enhanced data-dependent (QED) MS/MS, enabling simultaneous quantitation and structural confirmation. Due to its high-speed data acquisition, the instrument provides fast GC runs for multi-component analysis, allowing analysts to run more samples simultaneously. The instrument is equipped with user-friendly Thermo Scientific QuanLab workflow software with custom reporting tools that can be easily tailored to the requirements of a specific project. 

"The TSQ Quantum XLS Ultra is the gold standard in GC-MS/MS and is set to become the high-performance flagship of the Thermo Scientific GC-MS product line," said Paul Silcock, GC-MS/MS product manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "The instrument offers a step-up in SRM selectivity for GC-MS/MS users faced with the most challenging analytical tasks in the most difficult of sample matrices. We are confident that after this new launch at ASMS 2011 it will quickly become the leading GC triple quadrupole platform in routine and research applications." 

For more information about the TSQ Quantum XLS Ultra as well as other new Thermo Scientific products, please e-mail analyze@thermofisher.com or visit www.thermoscientific.com/xlsultra .