Sensitivity and stability: Overcoming 3 common hurdles in HR-ICP-MS

jenny_roberts · ‎05-17-2022

Element Jet InterfaceWhether you work in geosciences research or high-purity chemical manufacturing, you always want the best sensitivity and instrument stability you can get. These help you get more out of your limited samples, achieve higher resolution, and ensure more consistency across all your elemental analysis samples.

But achieving this goal isn’t always easy — unless you’re using the right tools.

Here’s how the optional Jet Interface for the Thermo Scientific™ Element™ Series HR-ICP-MS helps you overcome some universal challenges:

Challenge #1: How to enhance detection sensitivity

The Jet Interface sets a new standard for sensitivity in elemental analysis in both dry and wet plasma conditions. The high capacity interface pump improves the vacuum between the Jet sample cone and the X skimmer cone, thus increasing the transmission of ions into the mass spectrometer and maximizing the sensitivity. In recent experiments, the upgrade from the standard interface to the Jet Interface resulted in an increase in sensitivity by a factor of 4 to 5 for lighter isotopes and 1 to 2 for heavier isotopes.

Delve into the details: Read our application note – The Jet Interface: improving sensitivity of trace element analysis
https://www.thermofisher.com/document-connect/document-connect.html?url=https://assets.thermofisher....

Challenge #2: How to improve abundance sensitivity

Abundance sensitivity is defined as the intensity of a given isotope at peak maximum, relative to the intensity of that isotope at 1 amu lower and at 1 amu higher than the mass position corresponding to peak maximum. In recent experiments, the Element XR HR-ICP-MS with Jet Interface in dry plasma not only achieved exceptional detection sensitivity (30 to 50 times higher than the specified sensitivity in wet plasma without the Jet Interface), but also greater abundance sensitivity (better than 7 ppm at both the low and the high mass side of the peak).

Delve into the details: Read our new application note – Element XR HR-ICP-MS with Jet Interface in dry plasma: exceptional detection sensitivity and improved abundance sensitivity
https://www.thermofisher.com/document-connect/document-connect.html?url=https://assets.thermofisher....

Challenge #3: How to increase instrument stability

If you’re measuring samples over a long period of time, you need a stable system with a low standard deviation. The Jet Interface allows you to have a very stable system with much lower standard deviation than the standard interface, which helps you minimize the number of calibrations you need and contrast changes that may vary from week to week or day to day.

Delve into the details: Read how the Jet Interface significantly improved long-term (2 hour) system stability in low, medium and high resolution to < 1.5 % RSD.

Application note: Long term multi-element signal stability in wet plasma
https://www.thermofisher.com/document-connect/document-connect.html?url=https://assets.thermofisher....