Capabilities and Limitations of High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS): Time-of-flight and Orbitrap™

Until relatively recently, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was synonymous with Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FTICR) or sector instruments. FTICR shows the highest resolving power and the best mass accuracies of all types of mass spectrometry (MS) instruments. Currently, FTICR and sector instrument applications seem to be limited to high-sensitivity dioxin analysis, structural elucidation, and proteomics. Time-of-flight (TOF) and the more recently introduced OrbitrapTM mass analyzer have clearly overtaken FTICR and sector instruments, and virtually all scientific papers reporting the use of HRMS in the field of veterinary drug, mycotoxin, or pesticide multi-residue analysis rely on the use of these technologies. The use of accurate mass techniques for the detection of drugs in human and animal doping is an active area of interest and much work has been carried out in this field. This is especially true in the area of growth promoters, particularly androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) and ß2-agonists.