Introducing the LC-MS/MS Portfolio – TSQ Quantis and Altis

Significance of the Topic

Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is pivotal for trace-level quantitation in pharmaceuticals, environmental monitoring, food safety and clinical research. Advances in triple quadrupole technology enhance sensitivity, selectivity and throughput, meeting the evolving demands of complex sample analysis.

Objectives and Study Overview

This white paper introduces two new Thermo Scientific triple quadrupole platforms and compares their performance:

• TSQ Altis (high-end) vs. TSQ Quantis (mid-tier) instrumentation
• Key metrics: sensitivity, selectivity (H-SRM), scan rate, mass range
• Robustness, reproducibility and ease-of-use assessments
• Demonstrations across food safety, clinical and environmental matrices

Methodology and Used Instrumentation

Both platforms employ Active Ion Management Plus (AIM+) architecture and share core elements:

• OptaMax™ NG source housing with redesigned H-ESI and APCI sprayers
• Segmented quadrupoles with hyperbolic surfaces enabling unit-resolution SRM (0.4 Da FWHM) and high-resolution H-SRM (0.2 Da FWHM on Altis)
• Electrodynamic ion funnel (EDIF) and stacked ring ion guide (SRIG) for increased ion flux
• High-capacity ion transfer tube and ion beam guide with neutral blocker to reduce background
• Enhanced dual-mode electron multiplier detector (21 dynodes) for extended lifetime and dynamic range
• Advanced RF/DC electronics supporting up to 600 SRM/sec

Main Results and Discussion

Robustness and Reproducibility:

• TSQ Altis and Quantis maintained consistent atrazine quantitation in leek over 400 injections (4.5 % RSD) and immunosuppressants in whole blood over 1,500 injections (< 5 % RSD)
• Stand-by stability confirmed after extended pause with minimal drift

Sensitivity Gains:

• TSQ Altis achieved up to 2.5-fold higher response versus predecessor (TSQ Quantiva) in metabolomics assays
• Limits of quantitation for therapeutic drugs improved ~2–4× on Altis (e.g. desmethyldoxepin LOQ 2.5 pg/mL)
• TSQ Quantis delivered ~3–4× sensitivity improvement over TSQ Endura for pesticide residues and regulatory toxins (EPA 544)

Speed and Throughput:

• Up to 600 SRM transitions per second enable short dwell times (0.4 ms) and monitoring of >150 compound transitions with excellent quantitative precision (2–3 % RSD)
• Active collision cell with axial DC field reduces noise and increases transition capacity

Selectivity Benefits:

• High-resolution SRM (0.2 Da FWHM) on Altis reduces chemical background and lowers detection limits, demonstrated for peptide GPSVFPLAPSSK with LOQ of 25 ng versus 100 ng in unit-resolution SRM

Benefits and Practical Applications

Key advantages include robustness under complex matrices, reproducible performance across instruments and users, rapid multi-analyte quantitation, and streamlined maintenance. Applicable fields encompass:

• Pharmaceutical and biopharma research and QC
• Environmental and food safety monitoring
• Clinical diagnostics and forensic toxicology
• Metabolomics and proteomics workflows

Future Trends and Opportunities for Use

Emerging directions will leverage high-throughput autosamplers, UHPLC and nano-LC integrations, deeper software automation (dynamic retention time, method conversion), and expansion into non-targeted workflows. Continued enhancements in ion optics, resolution and speed will further broaden applications in real-time monitoring, single-cell analysis and large-scale screening.

Conclusion

Thermo Scientific TSQ Altis and Quantis triple quadrupoles represent a significant step forward in LC-MS/MS, delivering unmatched sensitivity, selectivity, robustness and throughput. Their advanced ion management, high-resolution SRM and user-centric design promise to accelerate quantitative analyses across diverse scientific disciplines.

Reference Language

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