When You Set Reference Standards, You Need a Gold-standard Measuring Tool

How WEQAS is expanding their capabilities with a Waters
Xevo TQ-XS

Many laboratories participate in external quality assurance proficiency programs, which enable them to compare their results to those of other laboratories. This is essential for standardization and harmonization of results. Certified reference standards play a key role in the success of EQA schemes. It is critical that the supplier of these reference standards is able to produce and consistently ensure the reference material is at the certified concentration (with an indication of the measurement uncertainty).

WEQAS is one of the largest EQA providers in the UK, with over 45 years of experience in delivering global Quality Assurance Programs in Laboratory Medicine. They supply more than 35,000 sites per month and provide over 40 EQA Programs, including external audit, performance analysis, and educational advisory services.  Their success depends on being able to accurately and reproducibly measure their reference standards.

So what do you use to measure the measuring stick?

WEQAS recently purchased a Xevo TQ-XS tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer and are working closely with Waters to expand their capabilities.

David Ducroq, Deputy Director at WEQAS explains:

“We have just taken delivery of a new Waters TQ-XS Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer, coupled to an ACQUITY UPLC System with 2D LC Technology. This exciting acquisition will enable the Reference Laboratory to offer additional Reference Measurement Services in our bid to support global initiative for metrological traceability.

“Initial work will focus on transferring our steroid methods from the current ID-GC/MS method onto this platform. With the increased instrument sensitivity, we are hoping to be in a position to offer Reference Measurement values for all our endocrine samples for cortisol, testosterone, progesterone, and oestradiol. Future work will focus on developing a Reference Method for vitamin D, utilising the 2D capabilities of the LC system.”

“This exciting acquisition will enable the [WEQAS] Reference Laboratory to offer additional Reference Measurement Services in our bid to support global initiative for metrological traceability.” David Ducroq, Deputy Director, WEQAS.

For WEQAS, the Xevo TQ-XS System for 2D LC-MS/MS is helping them to create new business opportunities, and is being used to measure the very standards by which many laboratories are measuring themselves against.