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3D Printed Coated Blade Spray-Mass Spectrometry Devices
Wei Zhou1, Qizhen Lan1, Malvika Dutt1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
Analytical Chemistry
|October 12, 2024
Summary
3D printing enables user-friendly solutions for coated blade spray-mass spectrometry (CBS-MS). New interfaces and extraction devices accelerate trace compound screening in biological samples like blood and urine.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Mass Spectrometry
- 3D Printing Applications
Background:
- Coated blade spray-mass spectrometry (CBS-MS) offers rapid trace compound screening in complex biological samples.
- Widespread adoption of CBS-MS is limited by the unavailability of user-friendly mass spectrometry (MS) interfaces and extraction devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate comprehensive 3D-printed solutions for CBS-MS, including a novel MS interface and two distinct extraction devices.
- To address the need for accessible and efficient sample preparation in trace analysis using CBS-MS.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a versatile MS interface with a separated immobilization station and blade holder using 3D printing.
- Development of two 3D-printed extraction devices: one for large-volume LC vial samples (48 samples/20s) and another for single-drop blood analysis (8 samples).
- Evaluation of the developed devices for rapid screening of seven drugs in urine and single-drop blood samples, including assessment of potential contamination from 3D-printed materials.
Main Results:
- The novel MS interface simplifies workflow and reduces contamination risks.
- High-throughput sample preparation achieved with extraction cartridges (average <20s per sample).
- Successful rapid screening of seven drugs in urine and blood samples demonstrated promising analytical performance.
Conclusions:
- 3D printing provides effective solutions for creating user-friendly and efficient CBS-MS interfaces and extraction devices.
- The developed 3D-printed tools enhance the accessibility and applicability of CBS-MS for trace compound analysis.
- Careful material selection and testing are crucial to prevent contamination issues with 3D-printed components in MS analysis.
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