HIGHLIGHT

Looking back over the last decades, it can be stated that a large fraction of our technological progress and prosperity was achieved through a digital evolution, empowered by the software and algorithms behind it. In our daily life, we often take this for granted and use the tools provided without worrying about the software behind it, which breathes life into the whole thing. It is the software that makes a smartphone smart and easy-to-use. It is also the software, and the algorithms we use to control complex processes, that determine efficiency and robustness of the entire process.

For example, cars are becoming more and more luxurious and powerful and although their curb weight increased, their fuel consumption has been lowered even more. The solution to this apparent contradiction lies in the engine control software, which also makes it possible to integrate highly efficient exhaust gas cleaning systems. The software for controlling active chassis components is also what allows a large SUV with a curb weight of over two metric tons to whiz through curves as if physics does not apply to it. Without Bioinformatics and the software behind it, our knowledge about genomics, proteomics, . . . multi-omics and biological processes would be very limited, and something like Industry 4.0 would not be thinkable without appropriate software developments.

What is true for almost all areas of daily life and science also applies to the analytical instrumentation. Quite often the instrument software becomes more important in terms of precision, accuracy, ease-of-use, and user efficiency than the underlying hardware. We at Bruker know how important software is and therefore continuously develop our software products with new releases.

ELEMENTAL.SUITE, our software to operate our OES-based metal analyzer family, recently introduced many advanced features to make metal analysis easier but more powerful:

• Integrated, powerful Analysis Viewer with data mining, reporting and universal exporting capabilities
• Full integration of today’s most comprehensive materials database, Total Materia, makes alloy identification easy
• The analysis of non-metallic inclusions in steel by OES (via metal cleanliness inspection or MCI) with the Q8 MAGELLAN provides more accurate oxygen values, and delivers further information like homogeneity, cleanliness, and grain size distribution of different oxides and sulfides

SPECTRA.ELEMENTS is Bruker’s unified X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) platform for the S2 PUMA Series 2, S2 POLAR, and S6 JAGUAR.

SPECTRA.ELEMENTS combines state-of-the-art functionality and performance with ease-of-use. All features are organized on tabs in one main window, which can be accessed from anywhere in the software. Contemporary programming results in rapid data processing and an overall smooth user experience. Getting started with SPECTRA.ELEMENTS requires only minimal training and running routine analysis is as easy as 1-2-3.  

Most recently we added Detector Profiling to SPECTRA.ELEMENTS for the S2 PUMA Series 2. By choosing from three dedicated detector profiles, the user can either boost to highest count rate or further enhance the energy resolution. Hence, Detector Profiling allows users to optimize the performance based on the requirements: increase throughput, improve precision, or decrease detection limit!

3D.SUITE, the software for our X-ray Microscopy (XRM) solutions, recently had an exciting release. NRECON V2 includes a new reconstruction method that unlocks the potential of high-powered graphics cards to significantly reduce analysis time.

Our X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) software platform, DIFFRAC.SUITE, is under constant development. Currently we have many innovations in the works . . .  Stay tuned for some exciting news in the near future!

Micro X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) is the ideal technique for art and conservation research. Bruker Micro-XRF spectrometers allow fast elemental analysis without any sample preparation, but to get your best material composition and spatial distribution results, you need to process the data. ESPRIT Reveal is a software solution designed to provide the analytical features from the ESPRIT family in a user-friendly environment, specifically for the Art and Conservation community.

Typical XRD analysis involves the assumption that long range order is present in the structure of the specimen being analyzed. This results in an XRD spectrum with sharp peaks at distinct positions. Some of the most interesting materials being investigated today are however highly disordered with little to no long-range order, resulting in a spectrum with broad peaks and subtle background variations. This requires a new method for analysis: Pair Distribution Function (PDF) analysis. To learn more, please watch our introductory video and webinar.

The purity of materials used to formulate pharmaceutical products is of utmost importance. Pharmaceutical production needs to be fast and efficient to identify materials and possible contaminations. These are two areas where the S2 PUMA Series 2 XRF analyzer excels. Not only is it possible to rapidly analyze substances (often in less than 2 minutes), but also main contaminants can be determined easily. High sensitivity, excellent repeatability and intuitive, CFR 21 Part 11 compliant software make the S2 PUMA LE a valuable addition to any pharmaceutical lab, be it for quality control, initial screening, or drug development.

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