The present invention is a method for detecting a specific disease based on the result of a measurement in which the amount of a peptide serving as a biomarker contained in a biological sample is determined by using an LC-MS. A pretreatment process performed before the measurement using the LC-MS includes the steps of preparing a mixed sample solution by adding a stable isotope reagent and a trifluoroacetic acid to the biological sample, where the stable isotope reagent is prepared beforehand by labeling the peptide with a stable isotope; boiling the mixed sample solution; injecting the mixed sample solution after boiled into a solid-phase extraction column to make the peptide be retained in the solid-phase extraction column; and passing a water-soluble organic solvent through the solid-phase extraction column to elute the peptide retained in the solid-phase extraction column and collect the eluate.

An ion mobility analyser comprising an ion guide is provided. The ion guide defines an ion drift channel extending in an axial direction an includes first and second electrode assemblies provided on opposing sides of the ion drift channel. Each of the first and second electrode assemblies extend in the axial direction and in a transverse direction which is transverse to the axial direction. The first and second electrode assemblies are spaced apart on opposing sides of the ion drift channel by a first distance at a narrowest point along the axial direction. Each of the first and second electrode assemblies comprises a set of first electrodes, and a set of second electrodes. The electrodes in the first and second sets are arranged in an alternating pattern in the transverse direction. The alternating pattern extends in the transverse direction a second distance that is greater than the first distance.

An ion mobility analyser comprising an ion guide is provided. The ion guide defines an ion drift channel extending in an axial direction an includes first and second electrode assemblies provided on opposing sides of the ion drift channel. Each of the first and second electrode assemblies extend in the axial direction and in a transverse direction which is transverse to the axial direction. The first and second electrode assemblies are spaced apart on opposing sides of the ion drift channel by a first distance at a narrowest point along the axial direction. Each of the first and second electrode assemblies comprises a set of first electrodes, and a set of second electrodes. The electrodes in the first and second sets are arranged in an alternating pattern in the transverse direction. The alternating pattern extends in the transverse direction a second distance that is greater than the first distance.

An ion mobility analyser is disclosed having a gas flow directed along the ion travel axis and a set of electrodes to which DC voltages are applied to establish a DC field. The opposing forces of the gas flow and DC field cause ions to be trapped within a separation region in axial regions determined by their ion mobilities. A gas recirculator, having inlet and outlet ends respectively located downstream and upstream of the separation region, supplies at least fifty percent of the gas flow within the separation region, thereby reducing vacuum pumping requirements.

The present invention provides methods and systems using gas-phase separation with mass spectrometry analysis instead of liquid chromatography, thereby enabling faster peptide, proteome, and multi-omic analysis. Also provided are improved methods and software for data independent acquisition. One embodiment referred to as Direct Infusion—Shotgun Proteome Analysis (DI-SPA) used with data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS), resulted in targeted quantification of over 500 proteins within minutes of MS data collection (˜3.5 proteins/second). Enabling fast, unbiased protein and proteome quantification without liquid chromatography, DI-SPA offers a new approach to boosting throughput critical to drug and biomarker discovery studies that require analysis of thousands of proteomes. This invention is also able to perform complex multi-omic analysis of proteomes, lipidomes, and metabolomes on a single platform.

The present invention provides methods and systems using gas-phase separation with mass spectrometry analysis instead of liquid chromatography, thereby enabling faster peptide, proteome, and multi-omic analysis. Also provided are improved methods and software for data independent acquisition. One embodiment referred to as Direct Infusion—Shotgun Proteome Analysis (DI-SPA) used with data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS), resulted in targeted quantification of over 500 proteins within minutes of MS data collection (˜3.5 proteins/second). Enabling fast, unbiased protein and proteome quantification without liquid chromatography, DI-SPA offers a new approach to boosting throughput critical to drug and biomarker discovery studies that require analysis of thousands of proteomes. This invention is also able to perform complex multi-omic analysis of proteomes, lipidomes, and metabolomes on a single platform.

The present disclosure discloses a silicon nanowire chip and silicon nanowire chip-based mass spectrometry detection method. The detection method includes the following steps: step 1 of manufacturing a silicon nanowire chip, comprising: subjecting a monocrystalline silicon wafer to a surface washing pretreatment, a metal-assisted etching and a post-alkali etching to obtain a silicon nanowire chip with a tip, and performing a surface chemical modification or a nanomaterial modification on the silicon nanowire chip; step 2 of evaluating mass spectrometry performance of the silicon nanowire chip; and step 3 of performing a tip-contact sampling and in-situ ionization mass spectrometry detection.

The present disclosure discloses a silicon nanowire chip and silicon nanowire chip-based mass spectrometry detection method. The detection method includes the following steps: step 1 of manufacturing a silicon nanowire chip, comprising: subjecting a monocrystalline silicon wafer to a surface washing pretreatment, a metal-assisted etching and a post-alkali etching to obtain a silicon nanowire chip with a tip, and performing a surface chemical modification or a nanomaterial modification on the silicon nanowire chip; step 2 of evaluating mass spectrometry performance of the silicon nanowire chip; and step 3 of performing a tip-contact sampling and in-situ ionization mass spectrometry detection.

A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. The method comprises: using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target comprising or consisting of a microbial population; mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and analysing said spectrometric data in order to analyse said microbial population.

A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. The method comprises: using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target comprising or consisting of a microbial population; mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and analysing said spectrometric data in order to analyse said microbial population.