Lung cancer breath screening innovator Breath Diagnostics has successfully installed a state-of-the art machine in its laboratory. The Xevo TQ Absolute XR Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer, developed by analytical instruments expert Waters Corp (NYSE: WAT) (FRA: WAZ), is a powerful device that can be used for detecting biomarkers associated with lung diseases.
Breath Diagnostics announced the milestone on Wednesday. The medical technology creator is now an early adopter of the machine following its June release. It offers up to a six-fold boost in performance in comparison to the previous model while requiring up to 50 per cent less energy.
“After weeks of preparation, calibration, and method optimization, our new mass spectrometry system from Waters Corporation is now fully operational,” said Breath Diagnostics. “We’re already running breath samples and the data quality is exceptional.”
Tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry is a highly accurate technique used to identify and quantify trace-level volatile organic compounds (VOC) associated with diseases like lung cancer and pneumonia. The latest and most advanced technology from Waters will provide Breath Diagnostics with higher signal clarity across VOCs present in low concentrations.
“For a field like breath diagnostics, where molecules exist in trace concentrations, sensitivity and stability are everything,” the company added. “The XR system delivers both.”
In addition to this advantage, Breath Diagnostics has highlighted that the device will provide improved reproducibility for longitudinal breath studies, faster method development enabling exploration of more hypotheses, and more robust machine learning inputs thanks to cleaner chemical fingerprints.
“This installation is more than a technical upgrade, it’s a step toward making non-invasive, early detection a scalable reality,” Breath Diagnostics concluded.
Waters Corp is one of the world’s top names when it comes to mass spectrometry (MS). Since its pivotal acquisition of Britain’s Micromass in 1997, the company has been able to fine-tune technology that enables the analysis method to be faster and more accurate. This deal, valued at US$176 million, immediately boosted Waters’ revenue by 33 per cent because of high demand for MS in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors.
Mass spectrometry originated in the United Kingdom in the early 1900s. The man credited with being its pioneer, Sir Joseph John Thomson, is also esteemed for being instrumental in discovering the electron years prior.
Since its early days, mass spectrometry has evolved from a physics curiosity used to measure atomic mass to an indispensable tool within the scientific and medical community.
Read more: Breath Diagnostics leaders promote their mission at Miami investment conference
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