Improvement in Throughput for Clinical Samples using SC-FAST

A typical clinical laboratory can have over 10,000 samples to be analyzed on a monthly basis for a wide variety of diagnostic tests. In this example, a clinical laboratory has 9 panels each with a different ICPMS method. The switch was made to the SC-FAST from standard introduction techniques to improve the laboratories throughput, without compromising accuracy or data quality.

By reducing the uptake, stabilization and rinse times of an ICPMS method, the SC-FAST can be used to reduce analysis times. Table I shows that all of the methods used were dramatically reduced by the SC-FAST, on average by over 2 ½ times.

With a daily load of 472 samples, standards, quality control standards and repeats to be run, the ICPMS needs to be run for over 19 hours per day using standard introduction systems.

By utilizing the SC-FAST the same number of samples could be run in less than 8 hours, reducing running costs and creating the possibility to have same day turnaround in results.