황찬혁 (시마즈사이언티픽코리아)

황찬혁 (시마즈사이언티픽코리아)

In forensic toxicology analysis, rapid and accurate screening followed by confirmation of diverse drugs of abuse and novel psychoactive substances in biological specimens is essential. However, conventional workflows often rely on disparate data processing software depending on the ionization techniques and analytical instrumentation used (e.g., LC-QTOF, LC-MS/MS, GC-MS). This fragmentation increases analysis time, adds to operator training burdens, and undermines data consistency.

The objective of this study was to validate an integrated environment that seamlessly spans from non-targeted screening via LC-QTOF to targeted quantitation and confirmatory analysis using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS.

Biological matrices (such as urine and whole blood) were prepared and subjected to non-targeted drug screening via LC-QTOF operating in fast full-scan ESI+ and Data-Independent Acquisition (DIA) modes. High-speed quantitative confirmation of key analytes was performed within 3 minutes on an LC-MS/MS (Triple Quadrupole) using fast polarity switching and MRM mode. Furthermore, GC-MS (Single Quadrupole) in Scan/SIM modes was utilized for spectral library matching and confirmation across over 50 toxicological compounds, including barbiturates, benzodiazepines, amines, cocaine, and opioids. All data acquisition, cross-platform processing, and library searching were managed within the single software platform.

By employing a single software platform, cross-validation of multi-modal data (Scan, DIA, SIM, MRM) and high-confidence library matching were achieved in a significantly reduced timeframe. Eliminating cumbersome data conversion steps allowed streamlined result reviewing and reporting within a unified environment, thereby minimizing analytical error risks while substantially enhancing laboratory efficiency and result reliability.