SCIEX Triple Quad™ 5500+ LC-MS/MS System - QTRAP® Ready

Significance of the Topic

The ability to perform highly sensitive, robust and reproducible quantitative analyses is critical across pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, environmental, food safety and clinical research laboratories. Advanced LC-MS/MS platforms enable trace-level detection, reliable quantitation and regulatory compliance in demanding workflows.

Objectives and Overview

This document presents the design and capabilities of the SCIEX Triple Quad 5500+ LC-MS/MS System – QTRAP® Ready. It aims to demonstrate how patented hardware innovations and integrated software deliver enhanced sensitivity, dynamic range, throughput and selectivity for modern quantitative assays.

Methodology and Instrumental Setup

The system architecture combines multiple patented components to optimize ion transmission, fragmentation and detection:

• SCIEX Triple Quad 5500+ LC-MS/MS System with optional QTRAP functionality
• Curtain Gas™ interface for contamination protection and stable ion sampling
• Dual QJet® ion guide and Q0 high-pressure cell for superior collisional focusing
• Qurved LINAC® collision cell delivering fast, true CID and information-rich MS/MS spectra
• High Energy Dynode (HED) detector with up to six orders of dynamic range and 5 ms polarity switching
• Turbo V™ ion source for robust ESI workflows and OptiFlow® Turbo V for microflow applications
• SelexION® differential mobility separator for isobaric interference removal
• Software control and data processing via Analyst® and SCIEX OS-MQ platforms

Main Results and Discussion

Testing with model compounds such as chloramphenicol demonstrated linear quantitation from 0.02 to 20,000 ng/mL over six orders of magnitude. The system maintains sensitivity and retention time precision during extended runs. QTRAP Ready activation adds MS3 scan capabilities (MRM3, EPI, EMS, ER, EMC) for greater structural confirmation and improved signal-to-noise in complex matrices. SelexION separation reduces background noise and enhances limit of quantitation by resolving co-eluting interferences.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Laboratories can expect:

• Enhanced low-level detection in environmental, pharma, food and clinical samples
• High sample throughput enabled by fast polarity switching and robust hardware
• Flexible workflow options with interchangeable ion sources and mobility separation
• Comprehensive data confidence through integrated QTRAP qualitative scans
• Reduced downtime via integrated gas and electrical connections and automated source recognition

Future Trends and Applications

Emerging directions include coupling advanced ion mobility to deepen separation of isobaric species, leveraging AI-driven data analysis for automated peak identification, expanding metabolomics and lipidomics quantitation, and integrating cloud-based support networks for predictive maintenance and digital learning.

Conclusion

The SCIEX Triple Quad 5500+ LC-MS/MS System – QTRAP Ready sets a new benchmark in quantitative mass spectrometry by combining patented hardware, flexible ion sources, mobility separation and powerful software to deliver unmatched sensitivity, dynamic range and data confidence for diverse analytical challenges.

References

• SCIEX Triple Quad 5500+ LC-MS/MS System QTRAP Ready Brochure, AB Sciex, 2019.