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The long-term stability of drugs under normal laboratory storage conditions (−20°C) for years is important for research purposes, clinical re-evaluation, and also for forensic toxicology. To evaluate the stability of the analgesic opioid hydromorphone, 44 human frozen plasma samples of a former clinical trial were reanalyzed after at least three years. Blood samples were disposed using solid-phase extraction with an additional substitution of stable isotope labelled hydromorphone as an internal standard. Hydromorphone concentrations were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with gradient elution, followed by tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization. Calibration curves demonstrated linearity of the assay in the concentration range of 0.3–20 ng/mL hydromorphone. The limit of detection of the hydromorphone plasma concentration was 0.001 ng/mL, and the lower limit of quantification was 0.3 ng/mL. Intra- and interassay errors did not exceed 16%. The percentage deviation of the measured hydromorphone plasma concentrations between the reanalysis and the first analysis was −1.07% ± 14.8% (mean ± SD). These results demonstrate that hydromorphone concentration in human plasma was stable when the samples were frozen at −20°C over three years. This finding is of value for re-evaluations or delayed analyses for research purposes and in pharmacokinetic studies, such as in forensic medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spontaneous Raman scattering technique is an excellent tool for a quantitative analysis of multi-species gas mixtures. It is a noninvasive optical method for species identification and gas phase concentration measurement of Raman active molecules, since the intensity of the molecule specific Raman signal is linearly dependent on the concentration. Applying a continuous wave (cw) laser it typically takes a few seconds to capture a gas phase Raman spectrum at room temperature. Nevertheless in contrast to these advantages the weak Raman signal intensity is a major drawback. Thus, it is still challenging to detect gas phase Raman spectra in a low-pressure regime with a temporal resolution of only a few 100 ms. In the presented study a fully functional gas phase Raman system for measurements in the low-pressure regime ( p ≥ 980 hPa (absolute)) is presented; it overcomes the drawback of the weak Raman effect by using a multipass cavity to enhance the Raman signal. The signal amplification of a retro-reflecting cavity is experimentally compared to a near-confocal cavity. A description of this sensor setup as well as of the calibration procedure, which also allows the quantification of condensable gases, is presented. Moreover the functionality of the sensor system is demonstrated in a measurement campaign at an anesthesia simulator under clinical relevant conditions and in comparison to a conventional gas monitor. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]