MASS SPECTROMETRY
their capabilities without creating silos or complexity, supporting a future-focused, flexible approach to diagnostics.
By bringing over 60 analytes into scope – including steroids, vitamin D, therapeutic drug monitoring, and toxicology panels – the cobas Mass Spec solution expands diagnostic capabilities.
diagnostics more accessible, scalable and efficient. The same approach is now being applied to mass spectrometry. By automating traditionally manual
processes – sample preparation, separation, detection, data analysis and result validation – cobas Mass Spec enables mass spectrometry to operate with a similar ease and efficiency to immunoassay platforms.
This shift is not just about technology for technology’s sake. It is about addressing the day-to-day challenges laboratories face: workforce shortages, increasing demand for high-value tests, and the need to deliver fast, reliable results to support patient care.
What could this mean for UK laboratories?
An automated mass spectrometry solution can transform how laboratories operate, allowing them to deliver first- time-right results that reduce the need for repeat testing and confirmatory referrals. By providing precise and reliable data from the outset, clinicians can make faster, more confident decisions for patient care without the delays and uncertainties that often accompany traditional workflows.6 This approach could also significantly
improve turnaround times. Unlike restrictive batch-based processes, automated mass spectrometry solutions have random-access operation and are high throughput, allowing urgent and routine samples to be analysed promptly without sacrificing quality.7
Laboratories
can process samples as they arrive rather than waiting for full batches, ensuring that critical results are delivered quickly when they are needed most.8
By bringing over 60 analytes into scope – including steroids, vitamin D, therapeutic drug monitoring, and toxicology panels - the cobas Mass Spec solution
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expands diagnostic capabilities, allowing laboratories to internalise advanced testing that once required external referral. This broad menu helps laboratories play a more active role in precision diagnostics, supporting the shift toward personalised treatment decisions in oncology, chronic disease management, and other areas where molecular insights directly guide patient care. Moreover, automation in mass
spectrometry optimises laboratory resources by reducing manual handling and the dependence on highly specialised staff to run and interpret tests. This allows laboratory teams to focus on value-adding activities, research, and collaboration with clinical teams rather than routine manual processes. Automated sample preparation, seamless integration with laboratory information systems, and ready-to-use reagents reduce complexity and potential for human error, contributing to a more efficient, predictable workflow. Ultimately, the integration of automated mass spectrometry supports the promise of precision medicine. By delivering detailed, high-quality mass spectrometry results with the reliability needed for routine use, laboratories can confidently support personalised treatment pathways, potentially driving improved patient outcomes while efficiently managing resources in an evolving healthcare landscape. A key consideration for laboratories is how new technologies fit within existing operations. The cobas Mass Spec solution is designed to integrate seamlessly with Roche’s cobas pro integrated solutions, allowing full integration to automation allowing seamless connection to pre- and post-analytical solutions as well as other disciplines within the core laboratory. This means laboratories can expand
Why now matters for patients Behind every test result is a patient waiting for answers that will guide treatment decisions. Faster, accurate testing helps avoid unnecessary delays, repeat visits, or additional procedures. For example, timely and precise therapeutic drug monitoring can support the safe and effective use of medication in patients with complex conditions, while accurate hormone testing can enable faster diagnosis and treatment planning in endocrinology. In antimicrobial stewardship, access to in-house mass spectrometry testing can support targeted prescribing decisions, reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance while ensuring patients receive the right treatment.
Supporting healthcare sustainability As healthcare systems continue to face budget pressures alongside rising demand, laboratory leaders are tasked with delivering high-quality diagnostics in a financially sustainable way. Automated mass spectrometry can play a valuable role in this landscape.
By bringing advanced testing in- house, laboratories can reduce reliance on external send-away tests, helping to keep both diagnostic capabilities and associated funding within the local system. The precision and reliability of automated mass spectrometry also help to minimise waste and inefficiencies by reducing the need for repeat testing, while streamlined workflows ensure laboratories can make the best use of their resources. Importantly, by enabling earlier detection and intervention, automated mass spectrometry can support a shift towards preventative care, aligning with the NHS Long Term Plan’s ambitions to improve patient outcomes while easing the burden on wider healthcare services. As we look to the future, investment in technologies that deliver high-value care while using resources wisely will be essential for the sustainability of healthcare systems across the UK. Pathology has already seen the benefits of automation in areas such as immunoassay testing, molecular diagnostics and digital pathology. These advancements have made once complex testing scalable, standardised, and accessible, improving patient care and supporting laboratory teams. Mass spectrometry can follow this path. By moving from a manual, specialist
AUGUST 2025
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