LC-MS Practical Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Published:
Issued by: American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS)
Instructors: Susan Abbatiello (Waters Corporation), William Thompson (908 Devices)
Completed on: June 4th, 2023
Course Overview:
With the expanding use of LC-MS in laboratories not specifically focused on analytical chemistry, the skills needed to maintain high instrument performance and data quality are more critical than ever. This course addresses this gap by providing a foundational skill set for the practical maintenance and troubleshooting of LC-MS systems. It is designed for operators in pharmaceutical, biochemical, biological, and environmental labs who rely on these robust technologies. The curriculum focuses on vendor-neutral principles to empower practitioners to limit instrument downtime, reduce costs, and ensure high-quality data.
Key Topics & Skills Acquired:
- Best Practices & System Suitability: Implementing routine checks and qualification procedures to ensure consistent performance.
- Tuning & Calibration: Understanding the principles and procedures for optimizing and calibrating mass spectrometers.
- Practical Troubleshooting & Maintenance: Learning systematic approaches to identify and resolve common issues with both LC and MS components.
- Vendor-Neutral Knowledge: Gaining insights applicable across different instrument platforms, including ion trap, quadrupole, FT-ICR/Orbitrap, and TOF mass analyzers.
- Chromatography Methods: Covering maintenance and troubleshooting for nano-, micro-, and analytical-scale chromatographic systems.
This course provided the essential knowledge to confidently manage and maintain LC-MS instrumentation, moving beyond “black box” operation to achieve more reliable and robust analytical results.
You can view the certificate here.