Teledyne CETAC Technologies has introduced the latest version of its HDIP laser ablation software, HDIP 1.6, which includes the new LaOptimize module for laser ablation ICP-MS imaging and bulk analysis applications. HDIP is a fully customizable data reduction software package that has evolved to address a wider range of applications. The latest update and new module aim to further simplify the analytical process with new tools and automation.
“Significant work has been focused on simplifying and automating the optimization of both the laser and ICP-MS as a complete analytical system. This new module, LaOptimize, incorporates all of the peer reviewed and published algorithms developed over several years by Dr. Van Elteren and his colleagues at the Slovenian National Institute of Chemistry,” said Damon Green, CETAC vice president of technology and product line manager for laser ablation.
The LaOptimize module includes a wizard guide tool that can suggest the best laser and ICP conditions for bulk analysis or imaging, based on a small test scan of the sample of interest. The module can accommodate many different sample types and allows the user to select the most important parameters for optimization, such as sensitivity, speed or precision.
“With recent developments in laser ablation ICP-MS, optimization is becoming more and more critical. When we are dealing with pulses of ablated material that can be transported to the ICP in single milliseconds, it is imperative that all the laser parameters such as rep rate, speed of scans, gas flows, fluence, and ICP settings like dwell times, are correctly set to generate accurate and precise data,” said Green.
HDIP 1.6 also includes several other improvements for bulk analysis applications, including automatic noise and inclusion filtering, QC tools that report anomalies and a configurable export tool for custom spreadsheets. The software also enables isotope-specific calibration and generates signal distribution and elemental fingerprint graphs when a new zone of an elemental image is selected, allowing geological researchers to see REE patterns and inspect inclusions in the image.
Photo: Teledyne CETAC's new HDIP laser ablation software includes the LaOptimize module to optimize system settings for both imaging and bulk analysis applications. Credit: Teledyne CETAC