A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. The method comprises: using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target comprising or consisting of a microbial population; mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and analysing said spectrometric data in order to analyse said microbial population.

A mass spectrometer comprises an interface for receiving an ion beam from an ion source, a mass analyzer unit for selecting from the received ion beam, in two or more time periods, ions having different ranges of mass-to-charge ratios, a first detection unit for detecting, in each of said time period, ions within a selected range and producing first detection signals representative of quantities of detected ions having respective mass-to-charge ratios, and a second detection unit arranged between the interface and the mass analyzer unit for producing a second detection signal representative of a total intensity of the ion beam received from the ion source as a function of time. The mass spectrometer further comprises a processing unit for normalizing the first detection signals by using the second detection signal, which processing unit may output a ratio of normalized first detection signals.

Provided are a method for inspecting a chemical solution, the method being able to analyze minute foreign matter in the chemical solution, a method for producing a chemical solution, a method for controlling a chemical solution, a method for producing a semiconductor device, a method for inspecting a resist composition, the method being able to analyze minute foreign matter in the resist composition, a method for producing a resist composition, a method for controlling a resist composition, and a method for checking a contamination status of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the method being able to control minute foreign matter in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

The method for inspecting a chemical solution includes a step 1X of preparing a chemical solution; a step 2X of applying the chemical solution onto a semiconductor substrate; and a step 3X of measuring whether there is a defect on a surface of the semiconductor substrate to obtain positional information of the defect on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, irradiating, based on the positional information, the defect on the surface of the semiconductor substrate with a laser beam, collecting an analytical sample obtained by the irradiation by using a carrier gas, and subjecting the analytical sample to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

A method of mass and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed that comprises accumulating ions for a first period of time (T1) one or more times so as to form one or more first groups of ions, accumulating ions for a second period of time (T2) one or more times so as to form one or more second groups of ions, wherein the second period of time (T2) is less that the first period of time (T1), analysing the one or more first groups of ions to generate one or more first data sets, analysing the one or more second groups of ions to generate one or more second data sets, and determining whether the one or more first data sets comprise saturated and/or distorted data. If it is determined that the one or more first data sets comprise saturated and/or distorted data, then the method further comprises replacing the saturated and/or distorted data from the one or more first data sets with corresponding data from the one or more second data sets.

A method of mass spectrometry comprising the steps of: providing a library of background ion data including m/z data for multiple background ions in respect of different chromatographic conditions including a change of solvent composition from aqueous (1) to organic (3), chromatographically separating a sample containing analyte components, wherein the chromatographic separation is performed under a chromatographic condition in respect of which background ion data is provided in the library, analysing the sample to obtain sample data comprising m/z values for the sample components as a function of retention time (RT), and calculating one or more error values including ppm error as a function of retention time based on a comparison between background ions identified in the sample data and the library of background ion data. Outliers (4), corrupted measurements and inconsistent measurements at specific retention times are rejected.

An apparatus for analyzing peak data generated from mass signals acquired by a mass spectrometric system comprises: a streaming device that comprises a first network interface and is configured to generate peak data from the mass signals or receive peak data generated externally from the mass signals, group the peak data into independently-processable data packets related to a processing task, and distribute the data packets in a task-specific stream via the first network interface onto a network; and at least one analyzing device that comprises a second network interface and is configured to retrieve a data packet of the task-specific stream via the second network interface from the network, perform the processing task on the retrieved data packet to produce result data, package the result data in a result data packet, and distribute the result data packet via the first network interface onto the network.

The present invention generally pertains to methods of characterizing at least one protein of interest in a biological sample. In particular, the present invention pertains to the use of automated iterative tandem mass spectrometry (AIMS) to identify, quantify and characterize at least one protein of interest and/or biomarker from a biological sample such as plasma.

Techniques and apparatus for determining atomic-level configurations of product ions are described. In some embodiments, product ion CCS information may be used to determine substructural configurations of product ions, such as isomers. For example, in one embodiment, an apparatus may include at least one memory and logic coupled to the at least one memory to: receive analytical information for a plurality of product ions, the analytical information comprising product ion collision cross-section (CCS) information, for at least one product ion of the plurality of product ions, determine a variance value of the product ion CCS information. Other embodiments are described.

Examples are directed toward collecting, by a LC-MS device, a full scan of ion chromatograms of a sample. The LC-MS device determines observed ions contained in the full scan, based on mass-to-charge ratios (m/z), and determines, for a formation curve of an observed ion, a formation point at which fifty percent of the observed ion has formed. The LC-MS device determines a fragmentation curve of a precursor ion, based on a fragmentation point of the fragmentation curve equivalent to the formation point at which fifty percent of the precursor ion has fragmented, and identifies the precursor ion by referencing the LC-MS library to confirm that the observed ion is a product of the fragmentation of the precursor ion. The LC-MS device indicates a goodness of fit between the fragmentation curve, as observed, and a model fragmentation curve, as stored in the LC-MS library.

A method for correcting mass spectral data obtained for a sample is described, where the mass spectral data is a time-of-flight mass spectral data. The method includes receiving mass spectral data obtained from a sample, the mass spectral data being indicative of an ion abundance. The method further includes applying a correction function to the mass spectral data based on the ion abundance indicated by the mass spectral data and on one or more trapping parameters associated with the mass spectral data. The correction function defines correction values for the mass spectral data for a range of ion abundances and for a range of trapping parameters.