Abstract: The present invention relates to reagents which are suitable to be used in mass spectrometry as well as methods of mass spectrometric determination of analyte molecules using said reagents.

Abstract: A clinical diagnostic system is presented and comprises a sample preparation station for automatically preparing samples comprising analytes of interest, a liquid chromatography (LC) separation station comprising a plurality of LC channels and a sample preparation/LC interface for inputting prepared samples into the LC channels. The system further comprises a controller to assign samples to pre-defined sample preparation workflows each comprising a pre-defined sequence of sample preparation steps and requiring a pre-defined time for completion depending on the analytes. The controller further assigns an LC channel for each prepared sample depending on the analytes and plans an LC channel input sequence for inputting the prepared samples that allows analytes from different LC channels to elute in a non-overlapping LC eluate output sequence based on expected elution times.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed at an antibody conjugate having an antibody and a tag, wherein one or more element(s) present in the antibody exhibit an isotope ratio which differs from the naturally occurring isotope ratio of the one or more element(s), wherein the amount of the isotope which is less-common in nature, is increased to at least 4% of the atoms of the respective element in the antibody, as well as uses thereof.

Abstract: A diagnostic system and method and an interconnected laboratory system comprising clinical diagnostic systems are presented. The diagnostic system comprises a sample preparation module, a liquid chromatography (LC) separation module coupled to the sample preparation module via a sample preparation/LC interface, a mass spectrometer (MS) module coupled to the LC separation module via an LC/MS interface, and a result calculation module for identifying and/or quantifying analytes or substances of interest contained in the samples and passed through the LC separation and MS modules.

Abstract: The present invention relates to reagents suitable in the mass spectrometric determination of analyte molecules such as carbohydrates as well as adducts of such reagents and analyte molecules and applications of said reagents and adducts. Further, the present invention relates to methods for the mass spectrometric determination of analyte molecules.

Abstract: A method for identifying a reagent during a process in an analysis system is disclosed. The analysis system comprises a liquid chromatograph and a mass spectrometer. The method comprises providing a reagent, adding at least one chemical substance to the reagent with a concentration being above a detection level of the mass spectrometer, processing the reagent together with the chemical substance with the analysis system, and identifying the reagent based on a detection of a substance detection signal of the mass spectrometer representing the chemical substance.

Abstract: A method for tracking a sample identity during a process in an analysis system is disclosed. The analysis system comprises a liquid chromatograph and a mass spectrometer. The method comprises providing a sample, adding a composition of different chemical substances to the sample with a concentration being above a detection level of the mass spectrometer, processing the sample together with the composition with the analysis system, detecting and measuring a component and/or components of the sample with the mass spectrometer, detecting and measuring the composition or parts of the composition of different chemical substances with the mass spectrometer, and identifying the sample based on a detection of a substance detection signal pattern of the mass spectrometer including substance detection signals representing the composition of chemical substances.

Abstract: A method for identifying a reagent during a process in an analysis system is disclosed. The analysis system comprises a liquid chromatograph and a mass spectrometer. The method comprises providing a reagent, adding at least one chemical substance to the reagent with a concentration being below a detection level of the mass spectrometer, enriching the chemical substance within the liquid chromatograph to a concentration above the detection level of the mass spectrometer, processing the reagent together with the enriched chemical substance by means of the analysis system, and identifying the reagent based on a detection of a substance detection signal of the mass spectrometer representing the chemical substance.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for detecting an analyte involving a) contacting the analyte, a capture agent and a solid surface to form a capture complex attached to a solid surface, b) cleaving at least one covalent bond within the analyte and/or within said capture agent in the capture complex and, thereby, releasing the analyte or a fragment thereof from the capture complex, and c) detecting at least one fragment of the analyte and, thereby, detecting the analyte. The present disclosure further relates to a kit having i) a capture agent binding to an analyte; and ii) an agent cleaving at least one covalent bond within the analyte and/or within the capture agent; and to the use of a protease for releasing fragments of an analyte for detecting the analyte, wherein the analyte is bound to a solid surface via a capture agent.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining a concentration of a target analyte in a sample of bodily fluid are disclosed. The method involves providing a sample of bodily fluid including the target analyte, providing an internal standard solution including a mixture of components having a plurality of isotopes of the target analyte, wherein a concentration of each isotope is unknown, adding the internal standard solution to the sample, analyzing the sample including the internal standard solution using a mass spectrometer, creating a sample function curve based on signal intensities, wherein the signal intensities define arbitrary units, transferring an analyte signal into a corresponding arbitrary analyte unit by means of the sample function curve, and transferring the arbitrary analyte unit into the concentration of a target analyte by means of a standardization function representing a curve of concentrations depending on the arbitrary units.

Abstract: A clinical diagnostic system is presented and comprises a sample preparation station for automatically preparing samples comprising analytes of interest, a liquid chromatography (LC) separation station comprising a plurality of LC channels and a sample preparation/LC interface for inputting prepared samples into the LC channels. The system further comprises a controller to assign samples to pre-defined sample preparation workflows each comprising a pre-defined sequence of sample preparation steps and requiring a pre-defined time for completion depending on the analytes. The controller further assigns an LC channel for each prepared sample depending on the analytes and plans an LC channel input sequence for inputting the prepared samples that allows analytes from different LC channels to elute in a non-overlapping LC eluate output sequence based on expected elution times.

Abstract: A method of quantifying the amount of at least two analytes A1 and A2 involving (a) adding at least one salt (S) to at least a portion (P1) of the sample comprising the at least two analytes A1 and A2, (b) ionizing at least a portion of the sample according to (a) thereby forming an analyte flow comprising the analytes A1 and A2 in ionized form, (c) separating the ionized analytes A1 and A2 from each other by using at least one ion mobility separator (124), wherein the analyte flow according to (b) at least partially passes through the ion mobility separator (124), and (d) quantifying the amount of the separated ionized analytes obtained according to (c), wherein A1 is a pharmaceutically active compound C or derivative thereof and A2 is a metabolite or stereoisomer of C.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a reagent composition for releasing vitamin D compounds bound to vitamin D-binding protein, a method for the detection of a 25-hydroxyvitamin D compound in which the 25-hydroxyvitamin D compound is released from vitamin D-binding protein using this reagent and the mixture obtained in this manner is analyzed, the use of the reagent to release vitamin D compounds as well as a kit for detecting 25-hydroxyvitamin D which contains the reagent for releasing vitamin D compounds in addition to the usual immunological reagents.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a reagent composition for releasing vitamin D compounds bound to vitamin D-binding protein, a method for the detection of a 25-hydroxyvitamin D compound in which the 25-hydroxyvitamin D compound is released from vitamin D-binding protein using this reagent and the mixture obtained in this manner is analyzed, the use of the reagent to release vitamin D compounds as well as a kit for detecting 25-hydroxyvitamin D which contains the reagent for releasing vitamin D compounds in addition to the usual immunological reagents.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of measuring a vitamin D metabolite in a sample, the method comprising the steps of (a) treating said sample with a vitamin D metabolite releasing reagent under conditions appropriate to release a vitamin D metabolite from vitamin D-binding protein and not to cause protein precipitation, (b) subjecting the treated sample obtained in step (a) to a chromatographic separation, and (c) measuring a vitamin D metabolite during or after said chromatographic separation. The present invention also relates to methods for determining the vitamin D status of a subject, for use in the diagnosis of disease, and to agents and kits for use in performing the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for differentially hemolyzing whole blood. It discloses methods for detecting an analyte in a liquid sample known or suspected to contain red blood cells and suspected or known to contain eukaryotic cells, the method including the steps of processing the liquid sample with a membrane solubilizing agent under conditions appropriate to lyse cell membranes of red blood cells and at the same time not to cause precipitation of sample constituents, subjecting the processed sample to a chromatographic separation, and detecting the analyte. The differential hemolysis of red blood cells is of advantage in a method of detecting an analyte in a liquid sample that may contain both erythrocytes and nucleated cells. The differential solubilization of red blood cells can be easily combined with an online detection methodology, like LC-MS, and is advantageous in the detection of many analytes, e.g. in the detection of folate or of immunosuppressive drugs, like tacrolimus or sirolimus.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved analysis procedure for the comparative sequencing of nucleic acids using multistage mass spectrometry. More precisely, the invention is directed to a method enabling the de-novo sequencing of nucleic acid molecules using multistage mass spectrometry.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sampling tube for collecting and processing a whole blood sample. The sampling tube contains a reagent for differential hemolysis of whole blood, wherein said reagent for differential hemolysis comprises a chemical for differential hemolysis and an anti-coagulant, and wherein said sampling tube is a ready-to-use and single-use sampling tube. It also relates to the use of said sampling tube in the processing of a whole blood sample for liquid chromatography and also to the use of a blood sample processed in such sampling tube in a liquid chromatography-based analysis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of measuring a vitamin D metabolite in a sample, the method comprising the steps of (a) treating said sample with a vitamin D metabolite releasing reagent under conditions appropriate to release a vitamin D metabolite from vitamin D-binding protein and not to cause protein precipitation, (b) subjecting the treated sample obtained in step (a) to a chromatographic separation, and (c) measuring a vitamin D metabolite during or after said chromatographic separation. The present invention also relates to methods for determining the vitamin D status of a subject, for use in the diagnosis of disease, and to agents and kits for use in performing the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel procedure of preparing samples for analysis by way of mass spectrometry, preferably LC-MS/MS. Accordingly, functionalized magnetic particles with a hydrophobic surface were used for extracting low molecular weight compounds from complex liquid biological samples such as plasma, serum, whole blood or hemolyzed blood. The method of the invention includes (a) contacting the sample with an amount of functionalized magnetic particles with a hydrophobic surface, (b) incubating the sample and the particles, thereby adsorbing the compound to the hydrophobic surface, (c) separating the particles by applying a magnetic field and removing the liquid, (d) optionally washing the particles, (e) eluting the compound from the particles.