Automated nanospray using chip-based emitters for the quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical compounds

An automated nanospray system based on chip technology (the NanoMate) was successfully interfaced to a modified Particle Discriminator Interface on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. A number of the interface parameters were optimized to improve the sampling efficiency for ions from the chip-based system. Analytical performance was assessed using a number of biochemicals as well as via a methodology for a pharmaceutical that passed validation as required by Good Laboratory Practices. Infusion analyses in flow rates <1 muL/min provided advantages in terms of throughput and sample consumption when compared to other methodologies based on liquid chromatography. (J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2005, 16, 363-369) (C) 2004 American Society for Mass Spectrometry.