Context
The analysis of nail clippings is a great alternative to hair analysis, in the case where hair is not available. They provide up to 6 months of drug usage history and are easily collected for testing.
Our goal for this application note is to develop a sample preparation method for a drug panel in nails using a single operation in LUXON-MS/MS and the Precellys ® 24 Touch (Bertin Technologies, Montigny-les-Bretonneux, France).
A proper sample preparation protocol is critical for MS-based analysis workflows. Indeed, the quality and reproducibility of the drug extraction can strongly influence MS results. This requires choosing an optimal protocol for the sample preparation step. The 3D-beating technology is considered the gold standard for sample pulverization. For this reason, Bertin Technologies has chosen 3-dimensional bead-beating technology to power the Precellys ® 24 Touch homogenizer (Bertin Technologies, Montigny-les-Bretonneux, France).
LUXON-MS/MS offers specificity combined with an ultra-fast analysis for an unrivaled screening method. To develop this application, we focused on performing a quick and simple sample preparation. Fifteen drugs (different drug classes) are analyzed simultaneously with quantitative screening results obtained in less than 8 seconds per sample. Each drug has been screened based on the industry cut-offs required.
