Waters Corporation is now offering a new analytical tool that could up-end the food safety industry by coming as close as ever to the elusive “real-time result.” In 2014, Waters acquired Rapid Evaporative Ionization Mass Spectrometry (REIMS) technology from MediMass Ltd.—the developer of the iKnife, a direct-from-sample ion source technology with potential for real-time diagnostics in surgery.

At the time Waters also began to explore REIMS’ potential to bring ambient ionization sampling into other applications—chief among them, food safety. Less than a year later, Waters is announcing the availability of the REIMS Research System for nonclinical applications. Using the iKnife, the system gives its users direct ionization capabilities, eliminating the need for sample preparation. It also significantly reduces time-to-result, and provides added flexibility by allowing lab managers to bring the device to the sample rather than the sample to the device.

Using REIMS, a lab technician seeking to identify four types of fish can collect samples onsite, input them into an MS and determine the differences between all four species within minutes.

Waters Corporation | 508-482-2623 | Waters.com