The Evaluation Process A Summary

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, it is not my intention to compare instrument designs and features, but to give you some general guidelines as to what are the most important evaluation criteria. Besides being a framework for your evaluation process, these guidelines should also be used in conjunction with the other chapters in this book and the cited referenced information. 

Talk to as many users in your field as you possible can— not only ones given to you as references by the vendor, but ones chosen by yourself also. This will give you a very good indication of the real-world capabilities of the instrument, which can often be overlooked at a demonstration. You might find from talking to typical  

Never forget that it is a very competitive marketplace, and your business is extremely important to each of the ICP-MS manufacturers. Hopefully, this book has not only helped you understand the fundamentals of the technique a little better but has also given you some thoughts and ideas on how to find the best instrument for your needs. Refer to Chapter 23 for details on how to contact all the instrument vendors and consumables and accessories companies. Good luck with your evaluation. 

Nottingham, ICP-MS It s Elemental, Analytical Chemistry, 35-38A, 2004, http // pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journaIs/ancham-a/76/i01/toc/toc i0I.htmI. 

Royal Society of Chemistry, Report by the Analytical Methods Committee Evaluation of Analytical Instrumentation—Part X Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometers, The Analyst, 122, 393-408,1997. 

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