Global perspectives on automated mass spectrometry

• Mass spectrometry is evolving from a specialised technique to a core strategic capability in routine diagnostics
• Adoption is accelerating as laboratories prioritise clinical confidence and operational resilience
• Sustainable success depends on integration through automation, workflow optimisation, and structured partnership support

Clinical laboratories face immense pressure to deliver an increasing numbers of rapid and accurate test results.¹ Within this environment, mass spectrometry technology promises superior analytical power and sensitivity, and is therefore gaining ground as a central part of routine diagnostics.² Combined with lab automation, mass spectrometry is poised to move beyond a specialised technology to become a core lab solution, evidenced by global market projections of up to $USD 9.3 billion by 2030.^3,4

Automated mass spectrometry solutions are increasingly being used by clinical lab operators around the globe.⁵ Real-world perspectives on the practicalities of use offer insights into what is driving adoption, the benefits to labs, and best practices to support sustained growth.

Despite differences in healthcare systems, common challenges emerge across countries: increasing diagnostic complexity, demand for reliability, and pressure for operational efficiency.⁶ 

When considering the adoption of mass spectrometry, Dr. Terumichi Nakagawa, Clinical Chemistry Lead at Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, advises, “It is important to propose the use of mass spectrometry in appropriate situations and to recognise its unique value.”⁷ This unique value comes when clinical decisions require precision and reliability. Mass spectrometry is widely applied in therapeutic drug monitoring, endocrine testing, and complex biomarker analysis, all settings where accurate quantification directly influences patient care.⁸ In these complex testing environments, clarity on when and how to deploy mass spectrometry strengthens both clinical trust and laboratory performance.

As adoption grows, laboratories evaluate mass spectrometry not only on analytical performance but on its ability to integrate and drive operational efficiency by looking at areas such as system functionality, workflow efficiency, and overall practicality and usability.⁹ 

Automation plays a central role in the ease of transition to mass spectrometry. By simplifying maintenance and reagent handling, laboratories reduce operational burden and make the technology accessible beyond highly specialised teams.⁹ This streamlined design simplifies routine maintenance and daily operation. Arber Rexhaj, MSc, Doctoral Candidate at LMU Hospital in Munich, notes that routine processes with fully automated mass spectrometry are “very intuitive… very easy, and of course, time-saving.”⁹

By addressing operational and clinical needs together, automation enables laboratories to incorporate mass spectrometry into routine use with greater consistency and efficiency, transforming it into a scalable and sustainable core laboratory capability.

Improvements in laboratory processes also create a better working environment. As Sherrie Warren, Operations Manager at Lower Mainland Labs, Surrey Hospital in Canada, observed regarding the shift to automated workflows: “Before, everyone in the chemistry department was running around looking for specimens and reagents. Now, people are calm, sitting at their instruments, doing their work.”¹⁰ The same critical operational shift occurs with fully automated mass spectrometry, allowing staff to focus on high-value analytical work, rather than manual logistics. As Mads Nybo of Odense University Hospital asserts, “it's crucial that we have 24/7 automated [mass spectrometry] instruments… that's the future for all of us.”¹¹

Dr. Lisa van der Vorm of Amsterdam UMC highlighted another impact of automation through expanded accessibility: “You don’t need highly trained expert staff… Every routine lab technician can operate the system.”⁹ Dr. Nakagawa similarly emphasised the importance of accessibility and shifting perception of the technology: “Mass spectrometry needs to shed its image as something that is only for experts.”⁷ 

Overcoming these shared challenges explains why fully automated mass spectrometry is increasingly viewed as a strategic capability within the core laboratory. It delivers reliable performance and sustainable integration across both high-volume clinical laboratories and specialised diagnostic centers.^12,13 

Mass spectrometry technology alone does not create lasting value. Laboratories that successfully expand and sustain their mass spectrometry capabilities combine analytical performance with automation, structured service support, and collaborative partnerships that evolve with laboratory needs.¹³

Ana Brinkerhoff, Clinical Laboratory Manager, at the University of California, USA, emphasised the value of structured external input: “We need an objective eye to come in and tell us what we can do better.”¹⁰ In other words, building sustainable capability requires looking beyond hardware specifications to vendor relationships that support long-term success. As Robert Fitzgerald, Professor of Pathology at UC San Diego, summarises: “When you’re looking at a vendor, you really want to select a partner. There are several platforms that can do the job, but who’s going to be a partner?”¹⁰ Ronald McLawhon, Director of Clinical Laboratories at UC San Diego Health System, agrees, noting: “We needed a full-fledged partnership that included working together collaboratively to meet current and future business needs.”¹⁰ The integrated approach to fully automated mass spectrometry enables continuous optimisation and long-term capability growth.¹⁴

Fully automated mass spectrometry is being integrated progressively to address growing diagnostic complexity while maintaining confidence in results. The challenge now is how to implement it in a way that delivers both clinical and operational value.

While financial considerations remain important, laboratories increasingly evaluate fully automated mass spectrometry through a long-term return-on-investment lens. Upfront costs can be high, and capital recovery can take time, particularly in resource-constrained environments.⁷ However, advances in automation, accessibility, and workflow integration are lowering adoption barriers and shifting the conversation from upfront cost to total value.¹² As Jayme Wong of Singapore General Hospital observes, “The future of mass spectrometry and lab medicine depends on the collective and collaborative efforts of the scientific and clinical community and the industry partners to advocate its importance in patient-centered diagnosis.”¹³

As availability expands and implementation models evolve, fully automated mass spectrometry is an increasingly viable component of routine medical environments. It offers sustainable value, clinical confidence, operational efficiency, and long-term capability.⁷