A secondary ultrasonic nebulisation device is disclosed comprising: a liquid sample delivery capillary; a sample receiving surface arranged for receiving a liquid sample from the capillary; and an ultrasonic transducer configured for oscillating the surface so as to nebulise the liquid sample received thereon, wherein the device is configured such that the oscillations of the surface by the ultrasonic transducer cause charged droplets and/or gas phase ions to be generated from the sample.

A liquid sample introduction system for an ion source which ionizes a liquid sample by supplying the liquid sample to an ionization probe 30 in an ion source and making an atomization-promoting gas blow at the liquid sample exiting from the tip of the ionization probe 30, the liquid sample introduction system including: a liquid sample container 70a-70f which is a hermetically closable container for holding a liquid sample; a liquid-supply-gas passage 50 having one end connected to a point in a passage 41 for supplying an atomization-promoting gas to the ion source, and the other end connected to a space above a liquid level in the liquid sample container 70a-70f; and a sample supply passage 60 having one end connected to a space below the liquid level in the liquid sample container 70a-70f and the other end connected to the ionization probe 30.

A method is disclosed comprising providing a biological sample on a swab, directing a spray of charged droplets onto a surface of the swab in order to generate a plurality of analyte ions, and analysing the analyte ions.

In a method and apparatus for electron ionization liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (EI-LC-MS) analysis liquid chromatograph output solvent flow is directed together with spray formation gas into a spray formation and vaporization chamber for forming spray droplets which are vaporized to form vaporized sample compounds at a pressure equal to or greater than ambient pressure. A minor portion is conveyed into a heated flow restriction capillary that directly connects the spray formation and vaporization chamber and a non-fly-through electron ionization ion source of a mass spectrometer located inside a vacuum chamber. A major portion is released to atmosphere so that it does not enter the flow restriction capillary and therefore does not reach the non-fly-through electron ionization ion source. Also disclosed is an interface for a unified dual-mode mass spectrometer system for performing gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or electron ionization liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (EI-LC-MS) analyses.

An apparatus is disclosed comprising a first device for generating aerosol, smoke or vapour from one or more regions of a target, an inlet conduit to an ion analyser or mass spectrometer, the inlet conduit having an inlet through which the aerosol, smoke or vapour passes, and a Venturi pump arrangement arranged and adapted to direct the aerosol, smoke or vapour towards the inlet.

A secondary ultrasonic nebulization device is disclosed comprising: a liquid sample delivery capillary; a sample receiving surface arranged for receiving a liquid sample from the capillary; and an ultrasonic transducer configured for oscillating the surface so as to nebulize the liquid sample received thereon, wherein the device is configured such that the oscillations of the surface by the ultrasonic transducer cause charged droplets and/or gas phase ions to be generated from the sample.

In order to implement a high-sensitivity mass spectrometry through an improvement in solvent removal efficiency during electrospray ionization and the like, an ionization device is provided with a light guide path 28 which guides light from a light source to sample microparticles generated by a micronization device to irradiate the microparticles. A closest distance d2 between a spatial area 34 in which the sample microparticles are present and a distal end 29 of the light guide path is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 20 mm. A closest distance d1 between an area of light irradiation 35 by the light guide path and any of a sample surface, a micronization device, and a sample holding unit that is the closest is greater than or equal to 0.01 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm.

Systems and methods for inline and automatic dilution of chemicals of interest for speciation and subsequent analysis by ICP spectrometry are described. A system embodiment includes a first valve to receive a sample into a holding loop; a plurality of syringe pumps coupled to the first valve to deliver an inline diluted sample from the first valve; and a second valve coupled to the first valve to receive the inline diluted sample from the first valve into a sample holding loop coupled to the second valve, the second valve configured to couple to at least one of an eluent source or a carrier fluid source to receive at least one of an eluent fluid or a carrier fluid to transfer the inline diluted sample from the sample holding loop to a speciation column to separate one or more species from the inline diluted sample.

A method of ionizing a sample is disclosed comprising performing an initial experiment comprising: (i) adding one or more reagents to an analyte sample; (ii) varying the composition and/or concentration of the one or more reagents; (iii) ionizing the analyte sample including the one or more reagents; (iv) determining the composition and/or concentration of the one or more reagents which results in a desired, improved or optimized ionization or other condition or parameter for one or more analytes of interest; and (v) determining one or more first retention times or one or more first retention time windows for the one or more analytes of interest. The method then further comprises separating an analyte sample using a first separation device and during the course of a single experimental run or acquisition varying the composition and/or concentration of one or more reagents which are added to an eluent which emerges from the first separation device. The composition and/or concentration of the one or more reagents which are added to the eluent is varied at the one or more the first retention times or during the one or more the first retention time windows so that an ionization or other condition or parameter for the one or more analytes of interest is as desired or is improved or optimized.

Methods and kits for preparing liquid samples are presently claimed and described. The method may include treating liquid sample with a hydrolysis enzyme, hydrolyzing the liquid sample to prepare a hydrolysate, and purifying the hydrolysate with magnetic based purification. In certain aspects, the hydrolysis enzyme is bound to a magnetic bead or a magnetic particle. Kits for preparing a liquid sample can include a hydrolysis enzyme, magnetic beads or magnetic particles, one or more internal standards, a liquid chromatography column and one or more solvents to be used as mobile phases, one or more calibrant solutions and instructions for use.