An ion mobility separator includes an ion path with a central axis along which ions travel, the ion path containing a gas. A first force is applied to the ions in a first axial direction, and a second force that varies spatially along the ion path is applied to the ions in second axial direction opposite the first axial direction. A rotating confinement field has a radially-inhomogeneous electric potential with relative maxima and minima that rotate about the central axis as a function of time, the confinement field exerting a radial confinement force on the ions in a radial direction toward the central axis. The ion mobility separator may be operated at elevated pressures including ambient pressure and higher. The first and/or second axial forces may be a constant or gradient gas flow, a constant or gradient electric field or an axial component of the rotating confinement field.

An analytical device for analysing ions is provided comprising a separator 2 for separating ions according to a physico-chemical property and an interface 3 comprising one or more ion guides. A quadrupole rod set mass filter 4 is arranged downstream of the interface 3. A control system is arranged and adapted: (i) to transmit a first group of ions which emerges from the separator 2 through the interface 3 with a first transit time t1; and (ii) to transmit a second group of ions which subsequently emerges from the separator 2 through the interface 3 with a second different transit time t2.

The operation efficiency and accuracy of the simultaneous analysis of phospholipids, including fatty acid compositions are increased. After a first-time LC/MS/MS analysis for determining the phospholipid classes of the phospholipid contained in a sample is performed (S2-S3), a second-time LC/MS/MS analysis for determining fatty acid compositions is performed only for the detected phospholipids (S4-S8). By associating a method list in which an MRM transition for phospholipid class determination is recorded for each compound of phospholipid classes with a method list in which an MRM transition for fatty acid composition determination is recorded for each phospholipid compound, it is possible to promptly select MRM transitions for fatty acid composition determination that correspond to compounds of the detected phospholipid classes, and to easily create an analysis method for the second-time analysis.

In an ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) system, an ion mass-isolated data set is acquired by operating a mass filter to apply a mass isolation window having an m/z width such that the mass isolation window moves through a sequence of window positions, each window position being defined by an IM drift time value and an m/z ratio value. The m/z width of the mass isolation window and the sequence of window positions are determined such that the mass isolation window captures ions in a region of interest of a larger all-ions data set. The isolation window may be a wideband isolation window. In comparison to the all-ions data set, the mass-isolated data set may yield reduced ion signal interference and increased selectivity for analytes of interest.

A extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imaging spectrometer includes: a radiation source to: produce EUV radiation; subject a sample to the EUV radiation; photoionize a plurality of atoms of the sample; and form photoions from the atoms subject to photoionization by the EUV radiation, the photoions being field evaporated from the sample in response to the sample being subjected to the EUV radiation; and an ion detector to detect the photoions: as a function of a time-of-arrival of the photoions at the ion detector after the sample is subjected to the EUV radiation; or as a function of a position of the photoions at the ion detector.

A scan of a separating sample is received by a mass spectrometer at each interval of a plurality of intervals. The spectrometer performs at each interval one or more mass spectrometry scans. The scans have one or more sequential mass window widths in order to span an entire mass range at each interval and produce a collection of spectra for the entire mass range for the plurality of intervals. One or more peaks at one or more different intervals in the collection of spectra are identified for a fragment ion. A mass spectrum of the entire mass range is retrieved for each interval of each peak. Values for one or more ion characteristics of a mass-to-charge ratio peak in the mass spectrum corresponding to each peak are compared to one or more known values for the fragment ion. Each peak is scored based on the comparison.

A method is disclosed for analyzing ions by mass spectrometry by repeatedly executing a data acquisition cycle to acquire product ion data across a precursor mass range of interest. The data acquisition cycle comprises performing, for each of a plurality of isolation windows having different mass ranges, steps of (i) isolating precursor ions within the mass range of the isolation window, (ii) fragmenting the isolated precursor ions to generate product ions, and (iii) mass analyzing the product ions. The step of mass analyzing the product ions includes concurrently mass analyzing product ions corresponding to N isolation windows, N being an integer greater than or equal to one, wherein N is changed at least once across the data acquisition cycle.

A method for evaluating a mass spectrometry device includes: by a mass spectrometry device, performing mass spectrometry of an ester of phthalic acid and detecting a plurality of types of ions produced by dissociation of the ester of phthalic acid; and obtaining information concerning whether the mass spectrometry device is in a state suitable for analysis, based on a ratio of intensities of the plurality of types of ions detected.

A method of screening a sample for the presence of one or more known compounds of interest is disclosed. A fragmentation device is repeatedly switched between a fragmentation mode of operation and a non-fragmentation mode of operation. A determination is made whether a candidate parent ion of interest is present in a non-fragmentation data set and whether one or more corresponding fragment ions of interest are present in a fragmentation data set. A further determination is made to check if the candidate parent ion of interest and the one or more corresponding fragment ions of interest have substantially similar elution or retention times and/or ion mobility drift times.

Techniques disclosed herein can improve the extraction of chemicals prior to analysis by GC or GCMS. A liquid or solid sample can be placed in a sample container of a closed system under vacuum that further includes a sample extraction device. The assembly can be placed in a 3-zone heater that can separately control the temperature of the bottom of the sample container, the top of the sample container, and the sample extraction device. Vapor flux from the bottom of the sample container into the headspace of the sample container can deliver compounds of interest to the sample extraction device, whereas matrix compounds can re-condense in the headspace of the sample container to avoid delivery to the sample extraction device. Extraction can continue until substantial transfer of compounds of interest to the sorbent occurs, followed by thermal desorption of the extract into a GCMS for analysis.