Chromatography Forum

Hello,

We are planning to buy a LC/MS/MS system for confirmation of drugs of abuse in urine, plasma, hair etc.

Our budget is limited and API 2000 seems the most convenient system for us. Since we may be regarded as beginners in this subject, I would like to hear your opinions.

Is API 2000 is enough for us to start to confirm DAU? Is there a big difference between API 2000 and API 3200?

Thanks in advance,

Yusuf Cem Kaplan, MD
Medical Pharmacology Specialist

If your sample preparation involves preconcentration steps such as SPE, API 2000 may not be a bad option since you have budget limitation. However, if you could, go for a 3200. The major difference between those two are the ion source and ion optics, which make 3200 10 times more sensitive than 2000.

I wouldn't want to use a 2000 for low concentrations in a sample of limited size such as drugs of abuse in hair. The ABI 2000 isn't a bad instrument, but the 3200 is a significant step up in terms of sensitivity.

Don't buy anything without trying it! Prepare some samples with known content, and get the manufacturers to run them in their demo lab (all good manufacturers can arrange this), preferably with you watching, and see what they can do. ABI should be able to arrange for samples to be run on both instruments so you can compare. Also try some other companies. Go with the company who convince you that their instrument is best for your job, both from the point of view of ease of use, and the point of view of generating good results.

At least, if you've trialled, you will have real data to show that the instrument you are buying is up to the job.

Oh, an after-thought. If any company tells you that their demo instrument normally does better but "the method isn't optimised" or "we ran some really messy samples for another customer last week, and it's still a bit dirty", don't believe them.