Sample Pretreatment Washing Control for Lipid-Rich Serum
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated mass spectrometers face issues with ion suppression and contamination due to high lipid samples, leading to inaccurate measurements, equipment deterioration, and increased burdens in sample inspection automation systems, as existing pretreatment methods fail to effectively remove phospholipids and impurities without compromising measurement sensitivity or causing equipment failure.
Innovation Solution
A control method for a sample pretreatment apparatus that determines washing conditions based on serum information from connected analyzers, using a combination of cleaning fluids and magnetic particles to remove impurities, thereby preventing ion suppression and maintaining measurement precision without requiring new components or significant process changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated pretreatment is performed without visual inspection, then processing efficiency is improved, but high lipid containing samples may be overlooked causing ion suppression and measurement errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines washing conditions by having the pretreatment apparatus itself analyze serum information from connected analyzers and autonomously select appropriate washing protocols without requiring manual visual inspection, thereby maintaining high processing efficiency while ensuring measurement precision through automated quality control
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where measurement results and serum information from connected analyzers are fed back to the pretreatment apparatus, which then adjusts washing conditions accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that samples with high lipid content are automatically identified and processed with appropriate washing protocols to prevent ion suppression
2Object-affected harmful factors
If strong washing process is used to remove phospholipids, then ion suppression is reduced, but measurement target component may be removed together causing sensitivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different washing conditions tailored to specific sample types and impurity levels. By determining washing conditions based on serum information and measurement results, the system selectively applies strong washing only when phospholipid removal is needed, while using milder washing for samples where target components might be co-removed, thus maintaining measurement sensitivity while preventing ion suppression
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts washing parameters such as cleaning fluid composition, washing time, and temperature based on the determined serum information and measurement results. This parameter optimization allows effective phospholipid removal when necessary while preserving target components, resolving the contradiction between reducing ion suppression and maintaining measurement sensitivity
3Measurement precision
If multiple washing steps are added to remove impurities, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and process time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically determines the number and type of washing steps based on the actual sample characteristics and measurement requirements. Rather than always performing multiple washing steps, the system adapts the washing protocol to match the impurity level and sample type, achieving high measurement precision while minimizing unnecessary process complexity and time consumption
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach ensures accurate and quantitative measurements by effectively removing impurities, reducing the risk of equipment contamination, and extending the lifespan of analytical columns and detectors, while minimizing user intervention and apparatus size.
Implementation Method 1
determines conditions of a washing process of eliminating impurities contained in the sample at the time of the sample pretreatment based on the serum information
Implementation Method 2
As a washing method for removing lipids, there are known methods such as using a washing process using hydrophobic interaction
Implementation Method 3
in an analyzer using an electrospray ionization method (ESI method), since the ESI method is characterized by preferentially ionizing molecules that are likely to be ionized
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a control method of a sample pretreatment apparatus capable of maintaining measurement precision in a mass spectrometer without newly installing a component part and without largely changing a measurement process by an automatic analyzer. A control method of a sample pretreatment apparatus 1 of a sample inspection automation system to which a sample pretreatment apparatus applying pretreatment to a sample used in mass spectrometry, a mass spectrometer, and another automatic analyzer are connected, includes: determining serum information by referring to a measurement result of the sample by the other automatic analyzer or previous value information; determining conditions of a washing process of eliminating impurities contained in the sample at the time of the sample pretreatment based on the serum information; and dispensing a cleaning fluid into a reaction container for mixing the sample and a reagent based on the conditions.