High-throughput online solid-phase extraction tandem mass spectrometry: Is it right for your clinical laboratory?

With increasing patient volumes and growing demands for rapid turnaround on many clinical tests, there is a demand for high-throughput technologies. High-Throughput Online Solid-Phase Extraction Tandem Mass Spectrometry is an example of one technology that can achieve these desired results and the RapidFire 365 Mass Spectrometry system from Agilent Technologies is one vendor's solution. The key advantage of the RapidFire system is its speed of analysis and throughput. While the Agilent RapidFire system cannot be utilized for every clinical analyte, it does work well for several classes of medications including immunosuppressants, anticonvulsants and antineoplastic agents where dosage adjustments are made to maximize efficacy and minimize toxicity once results are available. In the end, high throughput tandem mass spectrometry has numerous benefits and limitations which must be weighed for each clinical analyte to determine if it's the right solution for your lab. This article will specifically discuss the Agilent RapidFire system.