The GUARDION®-7 gas chromatograph/toroidal iontrap mass spectrometer (GC-TMS) instrument is theworld’s fastest and most portable GC-TMS available.

The GUARDION-7 combines a high speed lowthermal mass (LTM) GC with a miniaturized TMS to provide a fast, reliable, and easy to operateGC-TMS.

The small diameter capillary GC providesrapid, high resolution separation of chemicalanalytes, while the TMS provides sensitive andselective mass-based detection of a wide array ofchemicals, all in a lightweight, self-contained handportableanalytical instrument.

The GUARDION-7 GC-TMS can be used for numerous applications

including:

• Environmental and HazMat
• Foods and Fragrances
• Forensics and Pharmaceuticals
• Chemical and Petroleum
• Military and Security

Toroidal ion trap mass spectrometry (TMS) is an innovative ion trap confguration that is ideal for miniaturization compared to other types of mass spectrometers, including conventional cycliadrical ion traps or linear quadrupole traps. Combined with gas chromatography (GC), the TMS can be used to identify volatile and semivolatile organic compounds present in gas, headspace, liquid, dissolved solid and solid samples. After injecting a sample into the GUARDION-7 GC-TMS, it is separated into its chemical components. Components are identified using retention time from the GC and key ions of the mass spectral fingerprint from the TMS.

The GUARDION-7 is an easy to use, hand-portable GC-TMS system designed for rapid chemical analysis and on-site detection so that informed decisions can be made as quickly as possible. The combination of low thermal mass GC and TMS allows rapid separation of chemicals in the sample and generation of a mass spectral fingerprint for each chemical. The on-board central processing unit (CPU) compares the retention time and mass spectrum of each chemical to a target library of known chemicals, and informs the user of the presence of any of the target chemicals in the library. Data may also be evaluated post-run using CHROMION™ or third-party analytical software for identification and confirmation of detected compounds.

Low thermal mass (LTM) GC replaces the conventional convectively heated column oven with direct electrical resistive heating. LTM GC uses a conventional GC column that is bundled with resistive heating and temperature-sensing wires and wrapped with a conductive insulator for greater heating and cooling efficiency. In this configuration, the GUARDION-7 GC temperature can be programmed at a ramp rate of up to 2.5°C/s. The low thermal mass of this column heating configuration requires considerably less operating power than conventional GCs, which extends the GUARDION-7 GC-TMS battery run time.

The ability to perform on-site and real-time chemical analysis is important for accurate and positive detection of analytes. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) sampling with GC-TMS analysis is a useful method for screening samples prior to analysis on fixed laboratory-based GC-MS instruments. Using the GUARDION-7 GC-TMS, samples can be screened to establish relative concentration levels. Samples at high concentrations can then be diluted to prevent carryover contamination during analysis on laboratory instruments. This minimizes re-analysis of samples and reduces down time due to GC-MS system overloading or contamination.