A method for extracting an analyte from a solid sample is described. The sample is sealed in a porous membrane bag, which is sonicated in an organic solvent. An extract of the analyte forms in the bag and diffuses into the organic solvent. The organic solvent containing the extract may then be concentrated and analyzed for an analyte with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method does not the use of a solid sorbent material, and does not require a step of centrifuging or filtering.

A process for decreasing contamination of a commercial refining process by vanadyl porphyrins and/or nickel porphyrins by allowing rapid screening of porphyrins directly from asphaltenes isolated from crude oil without enrichment by use of positive-ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS). Sodium formate is utilized as a ESI spray modifier. The vanadyl porphyrins are detected predominantly as sodiated species, while nickel porphyrins are observed as both sodiated species and molecular ions. Crude oil feedstocks exceeding a defined threshold concentration of vanadyl porphyrins and/or nickel porphyrins are rejected or diluted prior to utilization as refinery feedstock. Certain embodiments additionally quantitate both deoxophylloerythroetioporphyrins and etioporphyrin content (and their ratio) to predict crude oil thermal maturity.

Disclosed is a device for a solid phase extraction comprising two or more of the sorbents to remove phospholipids and salts from a sample, to thereby eliminate matrix effects during mass spectrometry analysis. In particular, the sorbents includes at least one sorbent which is water-wettable and contains at least one hydrophobic component and at least one hydrophilic component and at least one of sorbent having a specific affinity for a matrix interference like phospholipids. Further disclosed is a method using the device of the present invention.

A precipitate and/or an inclusion in a metal material is extracted by electrolysis using an electrolyte solution. The electrolyte solution contains an adsorbent that is adsorbed to a surface of the precipitate and/or a surface of the inclusion. The extracted precipitate and/or the inclusion can be quantitatively analyzed with high accuracy.

Devices and methods for performing pre-analysis sample processing of biological and chemical samples using robotic liquid handlers are disclosed. Methods for solid phase extraction, protein precipitation and filtration of biological and chemical samples using automation and the devices in a rapid and convenient way are described.

A component extraction apparatus includes a rack placement part, a heater, an extraction medium supply part, a needle assembly, and a temperature sensor. When the container rack is mounted on the rack placement part, a heater is configured to heat the sample containers in direct or indirect contact with sample containers held by the container rack. The needle assembly holds a needle with a tip thereof pointing downward, and the needle being configured to connect a flow channel by inserting the tip thereof into a needle port provided on an upper surface of each of the sample containers. The temperature sensor is included in the needle assembly and is configured to detect a temperature of the upper surface of any one of the sample containers when the tip of the needle is inserted into the needle port of the one of the sample containers.

The present invention provides a cassette for determining optimised solid phase extraction (SPE) purification conditions, wherein said cassette comprises: (i) a flowpath comprising a first end and a second end; and (ii) a plurality of valves oriented along said flowpath, wherein each of said plurality of valves is selectively fluidly connected to one of a number of components, wherein said components comprise: (a) 1-5 composition vials; (b) 1-3 SPE cartridges; (c) 4-10 solvent vials; (d) a water vial; and (e) a transfer line.

The present invention also provides a method for determining optimised SPE purification conditions for a compound from a composition, the method comprising: (i) provision of a cassette as defined in any of claims 1 to 7; (ii) the cassette comprising a composition of the compound in said composition vial(s) or addition of such a composition to said crude reaction vial(s); (iii) passing an aliquot of said composition into each of said 1-3 SPE cartridges; (iv) passing a particular combination of aliquots of solvent from at least 4 of said 4-10 solvent vials into one or more of the SPE cartridges, wherein the solvent in each of said 4-10 solvent vials is either a different solvent or the same solvent at different concentration; (v) eluting the compound to be purified from the or each SPE cartridge; (vi) evaluating the eluted products of step (v); and (vii) determining the optimised purification conditions by comparing the eluted products of step (v) from each cartridge and each solvent.

In a pretreatment method, in first step, a sample is dissolved in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol to prepare a first solution. In second step, an organic base is added to the first solution to prepare a second solution. In third step, the second solution is heated to obtain a substance in which an anhydrous oxide structure in the sample has been decomposed. In a fourth step, an organic solvent that has a higher boiling point than that of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol and is compatible (miscible) with 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol is added to the second solution to prepare a third solution.

An embodiment provides a method for deriving an amount of PFAS substances from a total organic fluoride measurement in a sample, including: removing inorganic fluoride from the sample using one or more of an ion exchange cartridge and an exclusion apparatus; preconcentrating, using a solid phase extraction, at least one PFAS substance in the sample; digesting, using a working electrode and a counter electrode, the at least one PFAS substance to an amount of total organic fluoride; and determining, using an analyzer, the amount of total organic fluoride in the sample. Other aspects are described and claimed.

The present disclosure provides methods to quantify tau phosphorylation at specific amino acid residues, using blood samples, to predict time to onset of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease, stage Alzheimer's disease, guide treatment decisions, select subjects for clinical trials, and evaluate the clinical efficacy of certain therapeutic interventions.