In October, Bruker will begin shipping its first LC/MS product line, the EVOQ triple quadrupole LC/MS systems. The line consists of the EVOQ Elite and the EVOQ Qube, both of which feature Bruker’s new Advance UHPLC systems (see IBO 5/31/12). Bruker obtained the Advance technology, which provides separations from 100–50,000 nL/min with no hardware changes required, with its purchase of Michrom (see IBO 2/28/11). The introduction comes on the heels of last year’s SCION, which was Bruker’s first GC/MS product line (see IBO 7/31/11). The EVOQ utilizes the SCION MS’s lens-free design, 14,000 amu scanning speed and Compound Based Scanning technology, while adding new elements, such as an active exhaust atmospheric pressure ionization source, vacuum-insulated probe electrospray technology to protect molecules, a dual ion funnel for enhanced sensitivity and PACER software for quantitative analysis.

The EVOQ is designed to target labs focused on quantitation, according to Meredith Conoley, director of Product Marketing, Gas Chromatography Products, at Bruker Daltonics. “For these labs, speed from sample to data, with sustained sample throughput and solid data quality, is the driving force to success,” he explained. Leading end-markets for the EVOQ will include food testing, environmental analysis, toxicology and clinical analysis. Depending on configuration, the systems are priced between $200,000 and $250,000 for the EVOQ Qube and $250,000 to $300,000 for the EVOQ Elite. According to Mr. Conoley, the Elite has 10 times better sensitivity than the Qube due to a difference in vacuum configuration.