Category Archives: Tutorial
TF 3.0 – The Daily Technician Workflow – Point, Shoot and Read the report
Part of what makes TraceFinder a tool for the average chemist, is that complex experiments and processing can be setup once.
But then it can be used a thousand times, by technicians that just need to make samples and put them on the instruments to run.
Though there are many other things that can be done. Although, this isn’t an open access software, we have made it easy to just run your samples and get a report out on the fly that can go to a printer or to a pdf after each injection.
Please view the video below.
If the video is blurry please click the cog wheel at the bottom of the panel and increase the video display resolution.
TF 3.0 – How to add Adducts for use in the Compound Database
The video below shows how to edit the positive and negative adducts that can be used in the CDB.
The use of adducts becomes very useful in calcualtions of the exact masses for screening and high resolution quantitation.
This also helps in the screening qualitiy measurement of isotope confirmation and identification.
If the video is blurry please click the cog wheel at the bottom of the panel and increase the video display resolution.
How to do Background Subtraction w/ Qualbrowser
A couple of questions have come in, on how to best perform background or blank subtraction.
QualBrowser has a native tool to perform this task.
Please see the video below, on how to perform the operation on a single sample or a batch of samples using a .sld file.
If the video is blurry please click the cog wheel at the bottom of the panel and increase the video display resolution.
TF3.0 – Using Estimated/Semi-Quan Amounts
In certain parts of TraceFinder and LabForms, we had exposed the ability to use estimated amounts of substances that did not have their own calibration curve. This feature goes back to the days of the Incos data systems, circa 1980.
In TF 3.0 we have exposed this capability, to be a bit more friendly to use and to be interactive in the user interface, versus just report generated.
In the following video, you will see where to set a compound to use the estimated feature and how it is displayed throughout the applications with visual clues to help you determine that the results you are observing is a semi-quantitative amount.
If the video is blurry please click the cog wheel at the bottom of the panel and increase the video display resolution.
TF 3.0 uhhhh… Where did Configuration go?
TraceFinder has a few options that can be configured for use in the applications. These includes Power Modules which add significant functionality to default settings that a user has determined work best for them. Such as the use of PPM versus MMU for extracted mass range determination behind the scenes.
In previous versions the configuration mode was accessible in the main navigation panel, typically displayed on the left hand side of the screen.
It is now an always present COG wheel, in the upper right hand corner of the application screen.
So watch the video below to see how to access Configuration and what each section and specifically what some of the options do in and for the applications.
If the video is blurry please click the cog wheel at the bottom of the panel and increase the video display resolution.
New Look and Feel for the Compound Database in TF 3.0
When TraceFinder originally launched we introduced the concept of using a compound data base for storing compound information for use later in method development.
Over the last couple of years we’ve found that more information was needed for use in some complex experiments that were becoming more common.
So we had several discussions with customers, on how to make this an easier process to get data in and alter it once it was in.
In TraceFinder 3.0 you will find a completely new user interface for the CDB. It allows for a detailed view and editing of data needed for Quantitative and Targeted Screening experiments. More ease of use features are yet to come but if you were a user in the past, you should find this interface quite a bit simpler to use.
We have also incorporated the ability to export all the data to Excel for grid type editing and then reimport the changes.
If you have compound data stores from legacy versions of TraceFinder or compound data bases from ExactFinder, simply choose the file and import it. TraceFinder converts and validates the data into the TF 3.0 format.
You can get an overview of the CDB in the video below.
If the video is blurry please click the cog wheel at the bottom of the panel and increase the video display resolution.
Intelligent Sequencing – Step One – Setting up the method
Intelligent Sequencing is not a new concept. In the late 90’s Thermo had an application called ToxLab which used the concept of flagging data and altering the sequence of the set of samples based on failure criteria.
This allows for insertion of blanks, reinjection of sample or a combination according to criteria that a chemist would normal use to look at his data the next day to determine, which if any samples had to be rerun.
Intel Seq just does this on the fly.
It allows the user to have confidence that the data will be handled in the prescribed manner using the existing on the fly criteria that has existed in TraceFinder for a number of years.
By using this feature the chemist can cut back time on reinjections and sometimes on sample prep since the sample wouldn’t have evaporated. Also it will not have gone beyond the sample stability time threshold before reinjection occurs.
The first part of the operation is setting flagging criteria as you have done previously.
The next is setting of the method criteria for Intel Sequencing.
If the video is blurry please click the cog wheel at the bottom of the panel and increase the video display resolution.
TF 3.0 Export Results Grid to Excel and Copy Images to Clip Board
Sticking to new features in data review, we’ll continue with a simple workflow.
One of the many request that TraceFinder has received over the last year has been to have the ability to export the results grid directly to Excel instead of having a Custom Report generated.
In TF 3.0 all data grid results whether in the quantitative views or targeted screening section, export all data to Excel or CSV files directly.
No need to produce a custom report and navigate through the files menus to go get it.
Simply export and place the file where you want it.
Also a feature that has been requested is the ability to copy high definition images of chromatograms and such to the clipboard for use in papers, lab notebooks and presentations/posters.
We also did this in TF 3.0
If the video is blurry please click the cog wheel at the bottom of the panel and increase the video display resolution.
New TF 3.0 Targeted Screening Workflow in Data Review (or the marriage of TF and ExactFinder)
A new feature to TraceFinder 3.0 is targeted screening. The workflow and method setup that were included in ExactFinder has been included in TraceFinder 3.0. Though it has been expanded to support Nominal Mass as well as HRAM.
That means this feature will work for all mass spectrometers from the GC single quads to the Q-Exactive.
Though some sections are more geared for HRAM, they can just not be used when using nominal mass data.
The other aspect is that TF gives you the ability to acquire, process and report on the fly during acquisition. Therefore, if you so choose you don’t have to wait to review your data. So this expands the capabilities that was introduced in ExactFinder.
This is our first step with this functionality and more is to come in following releases, but there are some interesting things that can be done by having these two workflows combined.
Again the video is a little longer that my 2 minute rule but there is a lot to look forward to.
If the video is blurry please click the cog wheel at the bottom of the panel and increase the video display resolution.
