After reading numerous books contrasting inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry to other atomic spectroscopy techniques, you’ve persuaded your boss that it’s the best approach for your lab. Comprehending how the device works, on the other hand, does not necessarily provide insight into how to compare different models, hardware components, and intangible elements like ease of using it, dependability, and tech assistance. These factors are vital when deciding which equipment to buy or which supplier to go with. Read the guide about Selecting an ICP-MS Instrument below.
There are many outstanding commercial instruments in the industry that all appear to be the same and have comparable specs, but how do you know which equipment is appropriate for your specifications or which firm will provide the best customer service? This article offers some criteria for assessing the instrumentation’s capacity and the experience and dedication of the ICP-MS vendor.
Assessment Goals
It is critical to determine your assessment goals before beginning the selection process. This is especially true if you are a member of a review panel. It is acceptable to have many objectives, but all group members must begin the assessment process with predetermined objectives. Is it more vital to have a piece of equipment that is simple to use, for example, or is detection limit performance an important goal for your application? Because each laboratory’s situation is different, it’s critical to set priorities before starting the review.
Technical Assistance
Technical and functional support is critical, particularly if you have no prior expertise with ICP-MS Instruments or similar instrumentation. In addition, you want to understand that if you buy a product, you will not be left on your own. As a result, it’s critical to understand the level of experience of the person assisting you and if they’re local or based in the manufacturer’s corporate headquarters. To put it another way, can the vendor assist you with technical issues anytime you need it? The availability of application literature is another critical part of application support. Also, see whether there are active users or online forums since they will be sound technical and application assistance sources.
Training
Find out precisely what sort of instruction is included with the equipment and how often it is offered. Most equipment’s come with a two- to a three-day training program for one user; although most suppliers will be flexible about how many people can participate. Some vendors also provide application education, in which they show you how to improve methodologies for typical applications like environmental, clinical, and semiconductor analysis. Finally, inquire of other users about the quality of the training they received when they bought their instruments and their opinions on the operator’s instructions.
This article intends to provide you with some general suggestions on the most significant elements to consider when choosing ICP-MS Instruments, among other things. First, however, be ready to spend several months assessing the industry to locate the best equipment for your application requirements. Then, remember to prioritize your goals and provide a weighting factor to each one based on how important they are for the types of data you’ll be analyzing.
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