A mass spectrometer system can include an ion source, a vacuum chamber; a mass analyzer within the vacuum chamber, a transfer tube between the ion source and the vacuum chamber, a transfer tube heater, and a vacuum pump. The mass spectrometer system can be configured to reduce the pump speed of the vacuum pump in response to receiving a transfer tube swap instruction; lower the temperature of the transfer tube to below a first threshold; operating the vacuum pump at the reduced pump speed while the transfer tube is replaced with a second transfer tube; heating the second transfer tube to a temperature above a pump down temperature; and increasing the pump speed of the vacuum pump after the temperature of the second transfer tube exceeds a second threshold.

A gas sensor includes a first chamber containing a plurality of evenly spaced rods having voltages applied thereto to cause gas ions in the first chamber to move in a direction from a first end of the first chamber to a second end of the first chamber and a second chamber coupled to the second end of the first chamber and having at least one ion detector, where ions pass from the first chamber to the second chamber through a plurality of channels between the first chamber and the second chamber and are detected by the at least one ion detector. The voltages applied to the rods may include a first voltage applied to a first subset of the rods and a second voltage applied to a second subset of the rods, each of first and second voltages containing a DC component and an AC component.

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for conducting reactions and screening for reaction products.

A miniature mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an atmospheric pressure ionization source and a first vacuum chamber having an atmospheric pressure sampling orifice or capillary, a second vacuum chamber located downstream of the first vacuum chamber and a third vacuum chamber located downstream of the second vacuum chamber. An ion detector is located in the third vacuum chamber. A first RF ion guide is located within the first vacuum chamber and a second RF ion guide is located within the second vacuum chamber. The ion path length from the atmospheric pressure sampling orifice or capillary to an ion detecting surface of the ion detector is 400 mm. The mass spectrometer further comprises a tandem quadrupole mass analyzer, a 3D ion trap mass analyzer, a 2D or linear ion trap mass analyzer, a Time of Flight mass analyzer, a quadrupole-Time of Flight mass analyzer or an electrostatic mass analyzer arranged in the third vacuum chamber. The product of the pressure P.sub.1 in the vicinity of the first RF ion guide and the length L.sub.1 of the first RF ion guide is in the range 10-100 mbar-cm and the product of the pressure P.sub.2 in the vicinity of the second RF ion guide and the length L.sub.2 of the second RF ion guide is in the range 0.05-0.3 mbar-cm.

A miniature time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS) was developed for a NASA/ASTID program beginning 2008. The primary targeted application for this technology is the detection of non-volatile (refractory) and biological materials on landed planetary missions. Both atmospheric and airless bodies are potential candidate destinations for the purpose of characterizing mineralogy, and searching for evidence of existing or extant biological activity.

A miniature, low cost mass spectrometer capable of unit resolution over a mass range of 10 to 50 AMU. The mass spectrometer incorporates several features that enhance the performance of the design over comparable instruments. An efficient ion source enables relatively low power consumption without sacrificing measurement resolution. Variable geometry mechanical filters allow for variable resolution. An onboard ion pump removes the need for an external pumping source. A magnet and magnetic yoke produce magnetic field regions with different flux densities to run the ion pump and a magnetic sector mass analyzer. An onboard digital controller and power conversion circuit inside the vacuum chamber allows a large degree of flexibility over the operation of the mass spectrometer while eliminating the need for high-voltage electrical feedthroughs. The miniature mass spectrometer senses fractions of a percentage of inlet gas and returns mass spectra data to a computer.

A mass spectrometer system can include an ion source, a vacuum chamber; a mass analyzer within the vacuum chamber, a transfer tube between the ion source and the vacuum chamber, a transfer tube heater, and a vacuum pump. The mass spectrometer system can be configured to reduce the pump speed of the vacuum pump in response to receiving a transfer tube swap instruction; lower the temperature of the transfer tube to below a first threshold; operating the vacuum pump at the reduced pump speed while the transfer tube is replaced with a second transfer tube; heating the second transfer tube to a temperature above a pump down temperature; and increasing the pump speed of the vacuum pump after the temperature of the second transfer tube exceeds a second threshold.

A mass spectrometer system can include an ion source, a vacuum chamber; a mass analyzer within the vacuum chamber, a transfer tube between the ion source and the vacuum chamber, a transfer tube heater, and a vacuum pump. The mass spectrometer system can be configured to reduce the pump speed of the vacuum pump in response to receiving a transfer tube swap instruction; lower the temperature of the transfer tube to below a first threshold; operating the vacuum pump at the reduced pump speed while the transfer tube is replaced with a second transfer tube; heating the second transfer tube to a temperature above a pump down temperature; and increasing the pump speed of the vacuum pump after the temperature of the second transfer tube exceeds a second threshold.

The invention generally relates to sample analysis systems and methods of use thereof. In certain aspects, the invention provides a system for analyzing a sample that includes an ion generator configured to generate ions from a sample. The system additionally includes an ion separator configured to separate at or above atmospheric pressure the ions received from the ion generator without use of laminar flowing gas, and a detector that receives and detects the separated ions.

Methods and devices for ion separations or manipulations in gas phase are disclosed. The device includes a single non-planar surface. Arrays of electrodes are coupled to the surface. A combination of RF and DC voltages are applied to the arrays of electrodes to create confining and driving fields that move ions through the device. The DC voltages are static DC voltages or time-dependent DC potentials or waveforms.