Methods and systems for delivering a liquid sample to an ion source for the generation of ions and subsequent analysis by mass spectrometry are provided herein. In accordance with various aspects of the present teachings, MS-based systems and methods are provided in which the flow of desorption solvent within a sampling probe fluidly coupled to an ion source can be selectively controlled such that one or more analyte species can be desorbed from a sample substrate inserted within the sampling probe within a decreased volume of desorption solvent for subsequently delivery to the ion source. In various aspects, sensitivity can be increased due to higher desorption efficiency (e.g., due to increased desorption time) and/or decreased dilution of the desorbed analytes. The methods and systems described herein can additionally or alternatively provide for the selective control of the flow rate of the desorption solvent within the sampling interface so as to enable additional processing steps to occur within the sampling probe (e.g., multiple samplings, reactions).

The invention relates to the detection of non-metabolized vitamin D. In a particular aspect, the invention relates to methods for detecting underivatized non-metabolized vitamin D by mass spectrometry.

The present invention is directed to a method and device to generate a chemical signature for a mixture of analytes. The present invention involves using a SPME surface to one or both absorb and adsorb the mixture of analytes. In an embodiment of the invention, the surface is then exposed to different temperature ionizing species chosen with appropriate spatial resolution to desorb

Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are directed to methods and apparatuses used for extracting heavy rare gas. An example method includes passing inlet air through an airflow path of an apparatus, removing carbon dioxide and gaseous water from the inlet air, and cooling the inlet air to a threshold temperature while passing along the airflow path. The method further includes passing the cooled inlet air through an adsorption chamber of the apparatus to adsorb heavy rare gas from the cooled inlet air while the cooled inlet air is in a gaseous state, and extracting the heavy rare gas from the adsorption chamber.

An automated positive pressure solid phase extraction apparatus and method comprising two tiered lifts devices each individually controllable to individually vertically translate within an elevator framework between a base on which the elevator framework is mounted and a manifold plate supported by the framework in a substantially horizontal plane parallel with and vertically above the two tiered lifts devices; a rectilinearly translating shuttle assembly comprising a shuttle supporting labware for rectilinear travel into and out of the elevator framework to handoff the labware to one of the two tiered elevator lifts or both; and a reagent dispensing system comprising a reagent dispensing manifold for dispensing liquids into wells of each column of wells of a labware filter plate carried by the shuttle.

The invention relates to the detection of non-metabolized vitamin D. In a particular aspect, the invention relates to methods for detecting underivatized non-metabolized vitamin D by mass spectrometry.

Disclosed herein is a preprocessing apparatus that makes it possible to highly efficiently analyze specimens held by solid media, such as dried blood spots to be used for newborn mass screening or the like. The preprocessing apparatus includes: a preprocessing container setting part in which a preprocessing container containing a solid sample including a specimen to be analyzed and a solid medium holding the specimen is to be set; a carrying mechanism that carries the preprocessing container set in the preprocessing container setting part; and a preprocessing part that has a port for setting the preprocessing container carried by the carrying mechanism and that is configured to perform preprocessing including extraction processing for extracting the specimen from the solid sample contained in the preprocessing container set in the port.

A nucleic acid separating apparatus includes: a stirring mechanism that stirs and resolving-processes a specimen and a reagent injected into a process tube; a pressurized gas supply mechanism that supplies a pressurized gas to a filter cartridge having a specimen liquid including nucleic acid, the specimen liquid being injected in the filter cartridge after the resolving-process, to separate and collect nucleic acid from the specimen liquid; a dispensing mechanism that injects the specimen, a reagent, or the specimen liquid after the resolving-process into the process tube and the filter cartridge; and a move mechanism that moves the pressurized gas supply mechanism and the dispensing mechanism, wherein the dispensing mechanism includes: a suction and discharge mechanism that is capable of attaching a dispensing chip to the suction and discharge mechanism and detaching the dispensing chip from the suction and discharge mechanism, the suction and discharge mechanism being capable of suctioning and discharging a liquid through the dispensing chip; and a liquid supply mechanism that discharges a liquid from a nozzle.

A collector device of environmental exposure is provided. This device may be used to collect and, after technical upgrade, monitor environmental exposure in personal and stationary settings. By coupling with advanced genomic analysis and chemical analysis technologies, the device and its accompanying methodology are capable of detecting environmental agents of diverse nature, many of which could pose health risks if going unaware of or uncontrolled. This type of information provides much needed clues to reconstruct and pinpoint the course of disease etiology at both personal and epidemic scales. By combining personal exposome and personal omics analyses, we can recapitulate with the intention to then prescribe treatment plans with unprecedented precision.

While sample extraction device including a sorbent is coupled to a sample vial containing a sample, a vacuum is drawn through the sample extraction device to evaporate the volatile matrix of the sample and carry volatilized target compounds of the sample to the sorbent. Optionally, once the volatile matrix is evaporated, the sample vial is heated and/or the vacuum level is increased to transfer heavier target compounds to the sorbent. Multiple sampling devices can be extracted in parallel. The sample extraction device can be inserted into a thermal desorption device that directly couples the sample extraction device to a gas chromatograph. In some embodiments, the sample is desorbed and analyzed using gas chromatography or another suitable technique. The techniques disclosed herein are used for analysis of volatile organic compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds in water, food, beverages, soils, and other matrices.