Laboratories are facing increasing pressure to improve productivity. In a survey with 700
lab managers from Europe, Asia, and the USA, 45% stated that they are under significant pressure to process more
samples to improve their efficiency and throughput. With a large number of these lab managers reporting that
productivity is impacted by both scheduled maintenance and unplanned downtime, there is a clear need for
innovations that can support laboratories through a reduction in downtime and improvements in workflow
efficiencies. Developments in instrument intelligence can be utilized to streamline equipment function and improve
laboratories’ experiences.
As well as focusing on efficiencies in workflows, laboratories are also paying
increasing attention to the sustainability of labs, their equipment and their processes – 85% of laboratories
surveyed in a global lab managers’ survey have sustainability goals in place.
With laboratories focused
on these problems simultaneously, instrument manufacturers need to do the same. Agilent is working with
laboratories to provide instruments and application solutions that support them to improve their workflow
efficiency while reducing downtime and also reducing their impact on the environment.
Instrument intelligence is a growing function of laboratory equipment, with
manufacturers utilizing advances in technology to improve instrumentation, workflows, and equipment
maintenance protocols. These advances have come a long way in recent years. Dr. Shane Tichy, Associate Vice
President of R&D MS Quadrupole Instrumentation at Agilent Technologies discussed the trends and
challenges in instrument intelligence in a recent interview with
SelectScience®.
Improved instrument intelligence should focus on supporting
efficiencies in laboratory workflows. For example, in a pesticides analysis workflow, the intelligence in
the Agilent 6475 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS supported an
automated workflow and increased quantitation abilities. Transfer from a legacy system was also easy with no
need for re-optimization, making the system simple and efficient for users to establish, as well as bringing
benefits to their workflow.
The Agilent 6475 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS was designed with instrument
intelligence to support and improve workflow efficiency and reduce downtime and ensure any lab can stay
ahead of increasing sample throughput and productivity demands. Its on-board intelligence supports with
workflow optimization, data analysis support to provide assurance that results are valid, and provides
maintenance feedback so that unplanned disruptions don’t slow labs down. Some of the efficiencies that can
be realized through instrument intelligence can also lead to improved sustainability, helping laboratories
to realize additional goals.
Improved sustainability of laboratories is important for many reasons and goes
beyond energy use – there are many factors within workflows, and equipment use and production that contribute to
the environmental impacts of laboratories, including water consumption, waste production, and
recycling.
Agilent has committed to improved sustainability across their instruments and workflows, and
their entire organization. This includes a commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, improving
recycling, reducing both hazardous and non-hazardous waste, and reducing water consumption. These efficiencies
are passed to customers with more sustainable laboratory equipment, including improved workflows as a result of
instrument intelligence.
A key aspect of Agilent’s commitment to sustainability is their sponsorship of My
Green Lab® – they were the first institution to undertake a ‘Transformation Level’ sponsorship.
My Green
Lab
My Green Lab is a non-profit organization that supports
scientific researchers in laboratories to improve their sustainability, by developing standards and inspiring
behavioral change. The organization is “fundamentally and permanently improving the sustainability of scientific
research” by “help[ing] people rethink the 'way things have always been done' to identify new
approaches that also reduce the environmental impact of their work.”
One piece of guidance My Green
Lab provides to support researchers are Accountability, Consistency, and Transparency (ACT®)
Environmental Impact Factor Labels. These are “designed to address the need of both scientists and procurement
specialists for clear, third-party verified information about the environmental impact of laboratory products.”
They can support purchasers to make informed decisions about the sustainability of their equipment, helping them
to meet their own sustainability targets and goals.
Manufacturing impact reduction
Improving sustainability relates to the product
manufacture too, and is reflected in Agilent’s commitment to sustainability, which in turn supports
laboratories in their sustainability goals
Product lifetime
It is easy to think of sustainability in terms of a snapshot of
usage. The Agilent 6475 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS has a low environmental impact over its entire lifetime,
supporting laboratories in their sustainability goals way beyond initial purchase and set-up
Responsible chemical management
Chemical waste is a problem for many labs. The
Agilent 6475 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS receives a score of 1.0 – indicating the lowest environmental impact
for chemical management with this system.
Environmental impact factor
The lower the number, the lower the overall environmental
impact of the equipment
Meeting your laboratory goals with
Agilent triple quadrupole LC/MS
The 6475 triple quadrupole LC/MS employs several technological advances to improve
both instrument intelligence and sustainability. As well as still being the reliable workhorse that customers
trust, it can also support laboratories to perform analysis more efficiently and sustainably – helping them to
meet their goals and expectations.
Sophisticated, yet easy-to-use onboard intelligence supports immediate
validation, speeds up analysis to improve throughput, reduces unplanned downtime through its prediction of
maintenance needs, and improves automation to increase efficiency. Instrument intelligence has been used to
improve what matters to laboratories – increased throughput and higher efficiency, with minimized downtime.
The 6475 triple quadrupole LC/MS also helps laboratories to meet sustainability goals, providing
transparent data on sustainability and improving efficiency, supported by Agilent’s commitments to sustainability
for all their equipment.
Find out more about the Agilent 6475 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS and request a price today.
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