Equipment
The contracting authority intends to procure 3 tandem mass spectrometers with high mass resolution and the accompanying fluid chromatograph (UHPLC), hereafter called HRMS. Relevant technologies are quadrupole-airborne time analyser (QTOF) or quadrupole-orbitrap.
2 HRMS instruments shall be the same, whilst the 3rd HRMS instrument shall be offered as an option. It can be the same or have higher performance. Higher performance can be in the form of higher sensitivity, higher mass resolution or higher specificity with techniques such as ion mobility separation (IMS).
Furthermore, the contracting authority would like tenders for 1 tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer and the accompanying fluid chromatograph (UHPLC), hereafter called LRMS.
The equipment is to be delivered in the last half of 2016.
The offered equipment shall be delivered as requested with all the necessary accessories and the software so that the analysis equipment is operative, it is to be assembled, installed in accordance with the tenderer's specifications and ready for use by the Contracting Authority.
Intended use.
The drug and alcohol pattern is continually changing with new drugs and established drugs being misused. So that an analysis offer can be provided of the current drug and alcohol misuse situation in the Western Health Region, a quicker adjustment of the analysis offer is required than what we are capable of providing with the current technology. In total there is a need for:
— Increased analytical flexibility;
— Increased specificity and sensitivity;
— Increased capacity and speed;
both for the diagnostics and follow-up of each patient and to uncover risk behaviour for the prevention of drug and alcohol dependency in other groups in society. It will also be of social interest and will contribute to following drug and alcohol trends over time.
The equipment shall replace 6 tandem quadrupole mass spectrometers with the accompanying fluid chromatographs that are used for specific drug and alcohol analyses in human urine at the Section for Doctor and Drug and Alcohol Analyses, Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory, Haukeland University Hospital in Helse Bergen HF.
The laboratory currently analyses 46 substances routinely within the substance groups opioids, amphetamines, cocaine and benzodiazepines. The number of annual samples for these analyses is a total of 15 000 — 20 000 patient samples, plus standards and checks. The urine samples are developed by dilution or enzymatic hydrolysis and subsequent dilution (hydrolyse-dilute-and-shoot-method). We would like to continue this practice if it is practically possible due to cost and quality considerations.
The HRMS equipment shall be used for the above mentioned analyses. The HRMS equipment shall detect many more substances that the current targeted analysis methods by using information independent data recordings. With this we will open up possibilities for later data analysis of the sample material without having access to the physical sample material. We would still like to carry out target orientated analyses, but, at the same time, get an overview of other relevant substances that could be present in the samples, with a large degree of certainty. It is also important to have good available tools for further examinations of unknown substances in the samples to aid identification and structure clarification. This is where an option for a HRMS instrument with higher performance comes in. Higher specificity with techniques such as ion mobility separation (IMS) is particularly relevant, but also equipment with higher mass resolution or sensitivity are of interest. The primary aim is to reduce the number of false positive sample results.
The LRMS equipment shall be used in drug and alcohol testing of cannabis, synthetic cannabinoids, EtG/EtS, GHB/GBL, barbiturates and for confirming analyses of normal drugs in urine. In addition the LRMS equipment shall be used as additional capacity in analyses of benzodiazepines, antiepileptics, antidepressants, antipsychotics and substitution therapeutics in human serum. The annual number of serum analyses are a total of 21 000 (year 2015) patient samples, plus standards and checks. The laboratory currently analyses 77 substances within these substance groups. The methods for determining antiepileptics are accredited in NS-EN ISO 15189.
An option is also of interest and wanted for the LRMS equipment that can contribute to increased efficiency in the form of several samples being analysed per time unit.
It is very important that the equipment, in particular the software, is simple and intuitive to use for the laboratory's personnel. We would like very efficient and robust work flow, which does not require significantly more time than the existing methods in the laboratory.
Both the HRMS and LRMS equipment will, in addition, be used in research orientated analyses and for sanctioning samples within drug and alcohol testing.