The invention generally relates to mass spectrometry probes and systems for ionizing a sample. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a mass spectrometry probe including a substrate in which a portion of the substrate is coated with a material, a portion of which protrudes from the substrate.

An ion resonance excitation operation method and device by applying a quadrupolar electric field combined with a dipolar electric field. The method includes applying a main RF to any pair of plates of the ion trap mass analyzer, and applying a quadrupolar excitation signal to any pair of plates, and applying a reverse phase dipolar excitation signal to any pair of plates. Also provided is an ion resonance excitation operation method and device by using a quadrupolar electric field combined with a dipolar electric field, which includes applying a positive main RF to a pair of electrode rods of the quadrupole, and applying a negative main RF to the other pair of electrode rods; applying a quadrupolar excitation signal to any pair of electrode rods, applying a reverse phase dipolar excitation signal to any pair of electrode rods.

A device of detecting a current from a sensor is disclosed. The device includes an integrating circuit including a network of capacitors for providing a gain setting and configured to convert the current to a voltage ramp over a length of integration time, the integrating circuit further including a reset switch configured to connect an input and an output of the network of capacitors; an ADC configured to digitize the voltage ramp into a plurality of voltage samples; and a set of modules including an analyzing module configured to analyze the plurality of voltage samples to determine a slope of the voltage ramp; an outputting module configured to determine a magnitude of the current based on the slope of the voltage ramp and the gain setting; and a reconfiguring module that is configured to reconfigure the network of capacitors and reset the voltage ramp via the reset switch.

The invention generally relates to sample analysis with a miniature mass spectrometer. In certain embodiments, the invention provides methods that involve generating ions of a first analyte and ions of a second analyte. Those ions are transferred through a discontinuous sample introduction interface into a first ion trap of a mass spectrometer in a manner in which the discontinuous sample introduction interface remains open during the transferring. The discontinuous sample introduction interface is closed and the ions are sequentially transferred to a second ion trap of the mass spectrometer where they are sequentially analyzed.

A mass analyzer for scanning sample gases is disclosed. The mass analyzer comprises an ionizer for generating ions from a sample; a mass filter with an accumulator section integrated in the mass filter and accumulates filtered ions prior to ejecting from the mass filter; and an ion detector that is configured to detecting ejected ions from the mass filter. The mass filter may include a quadrupole array and the accumulator section includes an ion trap array.

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for performing multiple precursor, neutral loss and product ion scans in a single ion trap. In certain aspects, the invention provides systems including a mass spectrometer having a single ion trap, and a central processing unit (CPU), and storage coupled to the CPU for storing instructions that when executed by the CPU cause the system to apply at least one of the following ion scans to a single ion population in the single ion trap: multiple precursor ion scans, a plurality of segmented neutral loss scans, or multiple simultaneous neutral loss scans.

An assembly for a mass spectrometer, comprising a housing (106) and a Time of Flight analyser (110), wherein the housing (106) is configured to enclose at least the Time of Flight analyser (110), and the Time of Flight analyser comprises a pusher assembly (120) and a flight tube (160), wherein the Time of Flight mass analyser (110) is cantilevered from the housing.

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 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 miniature mass spectrometer includes an atmospheric pressure ionisation source and a first vacuum chamber having an atmospheric pressure sampling orifice or capillary, a second vacuum chamber downstream of the first vacuum chamber, and a third vacuum chamber 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 also includes a tandem quadrupole mass analyser, 3D ion trap mass analyser, 2D or linear ion trap mass analyser, Time of Flight mass analyser, quadrupole-Time of Flight mass analyser, or electrostatic mass analyser arranged in the third vacuum chamber.