The invention provides methods for rapid and quantitative extraction and detection of coenzyme Q10 in a sample readily adaptable to high throughput screening methods. The invention further provides reagents and kits for practicing the methods of the invention.

Methods and apparatuses for ion manipulations, including ion trapping, transfer, and mobility separations, using traveling waves (TW) formed by continuous alternating current (AC) are disclosed. An apparatus for ion manipulation includes a surface to which are coupled a first plurality of continuous electrodes and a second plurality of segmented electrodes. The second plurality of segmented electrodes is arranged in longitudinal sets between or adjacent to the first plurality of electrodes. An RF voltage applied to adjacent electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes is phase shifted by approximately 180° to confine ions within the apparatus. An AC voltage waveform applied to adjacent electrodes within a longitudinal set of the second plurality of segmented electrodes is phase shifted on the adjacent electrodes by 1°-359° to move ions longitudinally through the apparatus for separation.

An item setter sets a plurality of first analysis parameters included in first analysis condition data acquired by an analysis condition data acquirer in a first item that is dependent on characteristics of a first analysis device and a second analysis device, and a second item that is not dependent on the characteristics of the first and second analysis devices. A parameter value converter converts a value of a first analysis parameter of the first item that is set by the item setter into a value of a second analysis parameter corresponding to a second data processing device for the second analysis device, and takes a value of a first analysis parameter of the second item that is set by the item setter as a value of a second analysis parameter as it is.

The invention generally relates to methods for analyzing stability of an active pharmaceutical agent. In certain aspects, the methods involve obtaining an active pharmaceutical agent, and distributing the active pharmaceutical agent into one or more microdroplets. The one or more microdroplets including the active pharmaceutical agent are then subjected to one or more conditions that force degradation of the active pharmaceutical agent in each of the one or more microdroplets. The one or more microdroplets are then analyzed to determine a ratio of the active pharmaceutical agent to that of a degradation product of the active pharmaceutical agent, thereby analyzing stability of an active pharmaceutical agent.

A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising: a) providing temporally separated precursor ions; b) mass analyzing separated precursor ions, and/or product ions derived therefrom, during a plurality of sequential acquisition periods, wherein the value of an operational parameter of the spectrometer is varied during the different acquisition periods; c) storing the spectral data obtained in each acquisition period along with its respective value of the operational parameter; d) interrogating the stored spectral data and determining which of the spectral data for a precursor ion or product ions meets a predetermined criterion, and determining the value of the operational parameter that provides this mass spectral data as a target operational parameter value; and e) mass analyzing again the precursor or product ions whilst the operational parameter is set to the target operational parameter value.

Certain configurations of an ionization source comprising a multipolar rod assembly are described. In some examples, the multipolar rod assembly can be configured to provide a magnetic field and a radio frequency field into an ion volume formed by a substantially parallel arrangement of rods of the multipolar rod assembly. The ionization source may also comprise an electron source configured to provide electrons into the ion volume of the multipolar rod assembly to ionize analyte introduced into the ion volume. Systems and methods using the ionization source are also described.

An aperture plate assembly for an analytical instrument comprises a first sub-assembly comprising an aperture plate and a second sub-assembly comprising a guide. The first sub-assembly is configured to be attached to the second sub-assembly such that the aperture plate is positioned in a first position relative to the second sub-assembly. The first sub-assembly and the second sub-assembly are configured such that when the first sub-assembly is engaged by the guide, the aperture plate can be moved into the first position and the first sub-assembly can be attached to the second sub-assembly.

The technology described herein is directed to the diagnosis and treatment of sex hormone disorders and/or deficiencies, such as estrogen and/or testosterone disorders and/or deficiencies.

In mass spectrometry significant error is introduced during sample preparation (sample-to-sample error), during ion generation (ion suppression), and during ion transmission (ion transmission losses). We demonstrate the ability to correct for ion suppression and ion transmission losses, and that once corrected for ion losses, a sample-to-sample normalization of the analytical sample to the internal standard is possible. By normalizing to a standard sample the analytical sample becomes completely comparable to any similarly treated sample.

A mass spectrometer according to an aspect of the present invention includes, to optimize N (where N is an integer of 2 or more) parameters that affect ionization efficiency in an ion source (31), a measurement controller (41) that causes respective units to repeatedly execute measurement on a sample containing a target component while changing values of the N parameters or a value set of M (where M is an integer smaller than N) parameters, in a plurality of stages, and a parameter determiner (53) that sequentially finds an optimum value for each parameter based on a result of the measurement executed under control of the measurement controller (41). At least one parameter whose physical quantity is temperature is optimized prior to all of the parameters whose physical quantities are other than temperature.