The invention generally relates to systems and methods for ejection of ions from an ion trap. In certain embodiments, systems and methods of the invention sum two different frequency signals into a single summed signal that is applied to an ion trap. In other embodiments, an amplitude of a single frequency signal is modulated as the single frequency signal is being applied to the ion trap. In other embodiments, a first alternating current (AC) signal is applied to an ion trap that varies as a function of time, while a constant radio frequency (RF) signal is applied to the ion trap.

A mass spectrometer or ion mobility spectrometer is disclosed comprising: an ion block for receiving ions; a heater for heating the ion block; a vacuum housing; and an interface block arranged between the ion block and the vacuum housing; wherein the interface block is formed from a polymer. The polymer interface block inhibits the heat transfer from the ion block to the vacuum housing and also electrically isolates the ion block and vacuum housing. The interface block further comprises at least one conduit through the body of the interface block. This enables gas to be transmitted through the interface block to the ion block, and also enables the interface block to be cooled.

A miniature electrode apparatus is disclosed for trapping charged particles, the apparatus including, along a longitudinal direction: a first end cap electrode; a central electrode having an aperture; and a second end cap electrode. The aperture is elongated in the lateral plane and extends through the central electrode along the longitudinal direction and the central electrode surrounds the aperture in a lateral plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction to define a transverse cavity for trapping charged particles.

A mass spectrometer includes a first vacuum chamber, which is provided with an atmospheric pressure interface communicating with an external atmospheric pressure environment and to a first vacuum pump, the range of working pressure P1 of the first vacuum chamber being P1>30 mbar; a second vacuum chamber, which is connected to the first vacuum chamber by means of a vacuum interface to receive the analyte from the first vacuum chamber and to a second vacuum pump, the range of working pressure P2 of the second vacuum chamber being 0.5 mbar≤P2≤30 mbar; and a third vacuum chamber, which is connected to the second vacuum chamber by means of a vacuum interface to receive the analyte from the second vacuum chamber and to a third vacuum pump, the first vacuum pump or the second vacuum pump being used as a forepump of the third vacuum pump.

An ambient ionisation source unit (10) is provided comprising: a housing (12) containing a first device (14) for generating analyte material from a surface of a sample to be analysed and a sampling inlet (16) for receiving analyte material liberated from the surface of the sample. The position(s) of the first device and/or sampling inlet is (are) fixed relative to the housing. Thus, the first device and the sampling inlet are integrated into a single unit that can be installed onto the front-end of an ion analysis instrument with minimal or reduced user interaction.

A mass spectrometry imaging system includes an ionization source located at a first location configured to produce ions from a surface of a sample at the first location; a mass spectrometer located at a second location configured to perform mass spectrometry analysis by analyzing the produced ions based on mass to charge ratio of the ions; and an ion transfer device configured to transfer the ions from the first location to the second location such that the ion transfer device includes a plurality of electrodes, the plurality of electrodes configured to be flexible or flexibly connected to each other, and the ion transfer device is configured to be flexible or re-configurable while transferring the ions.

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

A system and method for sample analysis using a portable gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) is provided. The GC-MS system includes an injector configured to accept a sample containing a mixture of chemicals and release at least part of the sample for a separation by GC, a MEMS GC column with an integrated heater configured to accept and at least partly separate the mixture of chemicals, and a mass analyzer in a vacuum chamber configured to accept and mass-analyze the released separated chemicals. The MEMS GC column with the integrated heater is located mostly inside the MS vacuum chamber.

A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a system control module (1715) for controlling the operation of the mass spectrometer. The system control module (1715) comprises one or more functional modules, each functional module being operable to perform a predetermined function of the mass spectrometer. The system control module (1715) and/or one or more functional modules are operable to communicate non-time information with each other using a time code of a communications protocol.

An exemplary breath analysis system may include a sampling chamber having a molecule collector disposed therein. The molecule collector may be configured such that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in a breath sample introduced to the sampling chamber adhere to the molecule collector. A heating element may ramp heat within the sampling chamber, causing release of at least a portion of the VOCs adhered to the molecule collector, lighter and/or less bound VOCs first, heavier and/or more strongly bound VOCs later. An analysis device (e.g., a mass spectrometer or a Terahertz (THz) spectrometer) may identify one or more target VOCs from among at least the portion of the VOCs released from the molecule collector and generate an output representative of the identified target VOC(s). The output may include information that quantitates a concentration of the target VOC(s) with respect to a source of the breath sample.