Waters Corporation (Milford, MA, USA) and Tecan Group (Männedorf, Switzerland) entered into an agreement to combine Tecan’s Freedom EVO liquid handling platform with Waters Acquity TQD liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer (LC/MS/MS) to automate sample preparation. This will enable better, more efficient, and higher throughput clinical LC/MS assays.

Waters will combine the technologies from both companies into a single, fully supported analytical system solution that helps laboratories increase assay throughput and efficiency, improve profitability, and reduce overall assay costs.

The firms announced the agreement at the annual meeting of the Association for Mass Spectrometry Applications to the Clinical Lab (MSACL) held on January 14-18, 2012, in San Diego (CA, USA).

"The multistep process of preparing samples for LC/MS/MS analyses remains a significant bottleneck and an opportunity for improvement in many laboratories. If there is one thing laboratory managers consistently ask for, it’s better, more automated sample preparation and analysis,” said Pat Martell, clinical marketing director, Waters Division. “Combining sample preparation and analysis in a single unified platform facilitates the entire assay process and streamlines analyses significantly. By lowering assay costs and bringing a greater consistency to test results, laboratories can offer clients a higher level of service and responsiveness."

Tecan is a global provider of laboratory instruments and solutions in biopharmaceuticals, forensics, and clinical diagnostics. The company specializes in the development, production, and distribution of automated workflow solutions for laboratories in the life sciences sector. Its clients include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, university research departments, forensic and diagnostic laboratories.

Waters innovations and laboratory solutions deliver better accuracy and precision for assays. The company is committed to helping laboratories deliver quality results with new levels of sample throughput, shortened turnaround times, and increases in sensitivity, specificity, and flexibility.

Related Links:
Waters Corporation
Tecan Group
The Association for Mass Spectrometry Applications to the Clinical Lab