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New Products Spectrometric kits Thermo Scientific says its recently-launched ready-to-use InsuQuant Mass Spectrometric Immunoassay Kit will streamline insulin bioanalysis procedures for biopharmaceutical researchers, as well as for workers in the sports anti-doping industry. The kit incorporates all necessary reagents and consumables needed in the pre-analytical stage of the LC-MS workflow in a convenient, easyto-use platform. With the new product, researchers no longer need to make buffers and match reagents, thus saving resources and reducing the risk of human errors in complex protocols. “Current protein purification methodologies require researchers to source their own reagents and buffers, which can result in complex, lengthy procedures that leave more room for error and inconsistencies during downstream analysis,” said Sam Bonfig, product manager for affinity consumables products, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Our goal is to simplify our customers’ workflows, and our new kit does just that by providing an out-of-the-box solution containing insulin standards, elution solvents, an LC column, and all other components needed to run the pre-analytical affinity capture of insulin.” A proprietary microcolumn technology enables the InsuQuant Mass Spectrometric Kit to make advanced detection of endogenous insulin and its exogenous analogues in the tip of a pipette, while also reducing background and improving reproducibility. The kit is fully compatible with both the Thermo Scientific Versette automated liquid handler and the Finnpipette Novus i multichannel electronic pipette. Following sample preparation with the InsuQuant Mass Spectrometric Kit, users can achieve accurate, precise and sensitive separation on the Thermo Scientific Vanquish Flex Quaternary UHPLC system, and perform quantification of complex insulin analogues using the Thermo Scientific Q Exactive Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometric immunoassay (MSIA) methodology has demonstrated pg/mL levels of detection while yielding simultaneous qualitative and quantitative data from complex biological matrices, making it well suited for use with plasma. The kit will be on display at the annual American Society of Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) Conference from June 4-8 in the Thermo Fisher Hospitality Suite, White River Ballroom F, at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Web: www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/991INSK96
3D surgery simulator The efforts to get more physicians trained to perform a pulmonary endarterectomy got a boost through the work of National Research Council of Canada (NRC) researchers that developed a “first-of-itskind” pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) surgery simulator. The first simulator is now in operation at the Toronto Western Hospital. “The National Research Council developed one more tool to help Canadian doctors better serve their patients,” said Roman Szumski, vice president, life sciences, NRCC. “Our expertise makes us a unique collaborator for companies developing simulators for doctors and healthcare practitioners to perform complex and challenging medical techniques.” The simulator was built with the help of an innovation fund from Bayer Inc. The simulator may reduce the training time for residents by up to six months.
Web: http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/index.html
May/June 2017 Laboratory Focus www.laboratoryfocus.ca
Cell washers A new automated, high-performance cell washer is capable of reproducible and rapid blood cell washing of up to 24 tubes in a three-minute run. The Thermo Scientific CW3 Cell Washer was engineered to combine the benefits of efficient performance with user-friendly design and safe operation. Users can select one of the pre-set programs that have been designed to run in automatic mode, accelerate blood cell washing cycles and achieve significant time savings, according to laboratory equipment maker Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Effective blood cell washing is extremely important in the removal of plasma and unwanted antibodies to ensure that patients will not be affected by adverse health effects and that blood-transfused products will retain all of their beneficial attributes,” said Hugh Tansey, global product director, centrifugation, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “To address this issue, we’ve developed a novel cell washer to help clinical, hospital and serological laboratories, as well as the blood bank and transfusion centers, fulfill their fundamental mission to promote the well-being of patients.” The washer has been designed to achieve optimal corpuscle dryness by allowing users to pre-set the desired decanting speed. At the same time, corpuscle washing is improved via the optional overflow method. The tubes swing at a fixed positive angle to sediment cells rapidly at the bottom of the tube, whereas when decanting, the rotor holds tubes at a slightly negative angle and the saline is decanted centrifugally. Technicians also have a choice of using 12 or 24-place rotors. The CW3 Cell Washer features an automatic alert mechanism that informs users about low or disrupted saline levels and when a run is complete. A viewport on top of the unit facilitates quick calibration, while the saline distributor is mounted directly on top of the rotor to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. The new washer is also equipped with tube racks bearing red and blue number labeling for easy sample balancing. When closed-monitoring of the washing process is required, the system can be operated manually to allow for cells that need to be washed step-by-step. As a low maintenance instrument, the CW3 Cell Washer includes easy-to-change pump tubing and an easy-to-remove catch basin, rotor and rotating bowl.
Web: /www.thermofisher.com/ca/en/home.html
Ventilation control Air quality solutions company Aircuity has released a new tool designed to help laboratory operators better control their ventilation systems and significantly reduce their energy bills. The company’s Aircuity 2.0 system includes Aircuity’s new MyAircuity web and desktop application. The software provides building owners and facility managers relevant information and visibility into their facilities’ ventilation system. It delivers data and insights that can help them make smarter decisions regarding the management of ventilation systems. The MyAircuity app goes beyond providing simple data trends. It delivers “deeper analytics” of cost and energy savings, indoor environmental quality responses, and even occupant behavours, the company said. Aircuity 2.0 also includes physical system upgrades. Aircuity made a significant investment to enhance the intelligence of its devices so the system can better “watch itself” and has migrated its data centre to Microsoft Azure.
Web: http://www.aircuity.com/
