RESUMEN
A strategy for rapid optimization of liquid chromatography column temperature and gradient shape is presented. The optimization as such is based on the well established retention and peak width models implemented in software like e.g. DryLab and LC simulator. The novel part of the strategy is a highly automated processing algorithm for detection and tracking of chromatographic peaks in noisy liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) data. The strategy is presented and visualized by the optimization of the separation of two degradants present in ultraviolet (UV) exposed fluocinolone acetonide. It should be stressed, however, that it can be utilized for LC-MS analysis of any sample and application where several runs are conducted on the same sample. In the application presented, 30 components that were difficult or impossible to detect in the UV data could be automatically detected and tracked in the MS data by using the proposed strategy. The number of correctly tracked components was above 95%. Using the parameters from the reconstructed data sets to the model gave good agreement between predicted and observed retention times at optimal conditions. The area of the smallest tracked component was estimated to 0.08% compared to the main component, a level relevant for the characterization of impurities in the pharmaceutical industry.
Asunto(s)
Algoritmos , Técnicas de Química Analítica , Cromatografía Líquida de Alta Presión/métodos , Fluocinolona Acetonida , Espectrometría de Masas/métodos , Automatización de Laboratorios , Estabilidad de Medicamentos , Fluocinolona Acetonida/análogos & derivados , Fluocinolona Acetonida/análisis , Luz , Programas Informáticos , SolucionesRESUMEN
A method for tracking of sample components during liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method development has been proposed. The method manages to, fully automatically and without user intervention, find the chromatographic peaks in the data sets, discriminate them to sample components and track them when the separation conditions have been changed. The algorithm utilises the resolution obtained from all considered data sets and has the ability to discriminate the non informative parts. The technique has a great sensitivity even in cases where a majority of the tracked components cannot easily be spotted by means of traditional total ion chromatogram (TIC) or base peak chromatogram (BPC) representations. The method was tested on an experimental sample using six different columns and an average of 79% of the suggested sample components could be successfully tracked at a minimum area of 0.05% of the main component in the sample. 66 components with 79-92% of the total suggested component area were able to be tracked between all data sets. The method could be used to rapidly investigate selectivity during different types of separation conditions.
Asunto(s)
Algoritmos , Cromatografía Líquida de Alta Presión/instrumentación , Espectrometría de Masas/instrumentación , Cromatografía Líquida de Alta Presión/métodos , Espectrometría de Masas/métodosRESUMEN
A highly automated procedure for localising and characterising peaks in the chromatographic time domain of LC-MS data has been developed. The work was initiated by an identified need to facilitate the detection and tracking of chromatographic peaks during method development for the analysis of impurities in pharmaceutical products. The algorithm is mainly based on a digital filter for which the settings are automatically adapted to the data set under study. The procedure was evaluated for synthetic data sets with various S/N levels, peak widths and baseline properties. It was found that even for the worst case tested with S/N=10 and a high variability in the baseline, 94% of the simulated analytical peaks could be detected without producing any false-positive identifications. Furthermore, the number of correctly estimated peak heights and peak widths falling within a 10% error of the true values were 94 and 91%, respectively. For experimental data sets, peak height, and width estimations were more difficult, but the processed reconstructions showed an excellent agreement with the analytical signals of the raw data, and also a clearly improved visualisation in total ion- and base-peak chromatograms.