An optical emission spectrometry instrument may comprise an inductively coupled plasma generator (ICP) with an electromagnetic coil having input and ground connectors. The electromagnetic coil may be mounted to a mounting disk, and the input connector may be coupled to a power output of a radio frequency power source, and the ground connector may be connected to the mounting disk. A spectro-chemical source may be used for sample excitation. The spectro-chemical source and the ICP may have a longitudinal axis. An optical system may be included for viewing the spectro-chemical source with a fixed view axis. The electromagnetic coil may be mounted pivotably around one of its connectors so that the orientation of the ICP can be altered from a first orientation of its longitudinal axis to a second orientation of its longitudinal axis, and vice versa.

An optical emission spectrometry instrument may comprise an inductively coupled plasma generator (ICP) with an electromagnetic coil having input and ground connectors. The electromagnetic coil may be mounted to a mounting disk, and the input connector may be coupled to a power output of a radio frequency power source, and the ground connector may be connected to the mounting disk. A spectro-chemical source may be used for sample excitation. The spectro-chemical source and the ICP may have a longitudinal axis. An optical system may be included for viewing the spectro-chemical source with a fixed view axis. The electromagnetic coil may be mounted pivotably around one of its connectors so that the orientation of the ICP can be altered from a first orientation of its longitudinal axis to a second orientation of its longitudinal axis, and vice versa.

Systems and methods for filtering a continuous beam of ions are provided. An acceleration electric field is applied to a continuous beam of ions using an accelerator to produce an accelerated beam of ions. A field is applied to the accelerated beam to separate ions in time and space using a deflector producing a separated beam of ions. The field applied by the deflector is a rotating field or a circulant rastering field. The rotating field can be a rotating magnetic or electric field. Only accept those ions from the separated beam whose m/z values lie within a range centered around a target m/z value using an aperture. The aperture can include a pinhole aperture in a rotating disk or an annular aperture in a first stationary disk, a second deflector, and a pinhole aperture in the center of a second stationary disk.

The invention generally relates to enclosed desorption electrospray ionization probes, systems, and methods. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a source of DESI-active spray, in which a distal portion of the source is enclosed within a transfer member such that the DESI-active spray is produced within the transfer member.

A method for analyzing a mixture of components includes forming precursor ions from the components, alternately causing the precursor ions to pass to and to by-pass a fragmentation device, to form product ions from the precursor ions that pass to the device and to form substantially fewer product ions from precursor ions that by-pass the device, and obtaining mass spectra from product ions received from the device and from precursor ions that by-passed the device. An apparatus for analyzing a sample includes an ion source for forming precursor ions from the components of the sample, a fragmentation device for forming product ions from the precursor ions, a by-pass device disposed upstream of the fragmentation device for switchable by-pass of the fragmentation device, and a mass analyzer.

A method for analyzing a mixture of components includes forming precursor ions from the components, alternately causing the precursor ions to pass to and to by-pass a fragmentation device, to form product ions from the precursor ions that pass to the device and to form substantially fewer product ions from precursor ions that by-pass the device, and obtaining mass spectra from product ions received from the device and from precursor ions that by-passed the device. An apparatus for analyzing a sample includes an ion source for forming precursor ions from the components of the sample, a fragmentation device for forming product ions from the precursor ions, a by-pass device disposed upstream of the fragmentation device for switchable by-pass of the fragmentation device, and a mass analyzer.

Methods of identification of at least one most likely elemental composition of at least one species of molecules contained in a sample and/or originated from a sample by at least one ionisation process are provided. The method includes measuring a mass spectrum of the sample and may include reducing the measured mass spectrum to a neutral mass spectrum. The method further includes determining for a peak of interest a set of candidate species of molecules which have an expected peak with a peak position within a peak position tolerance range in the corresponding measured mass spectrum or neutral mass spectrum. An identification mass spectrum is identified for each candidate species and a range of peak positions is determined of all peaks of the identification mass spectrum. Two subscores of candidate species are determined by comparing the identification spectra with the measured or neutral mass spectrum and final scores are calculated from the subscores. An elemental composition of the candidate species is determined having calculated final scores of the highest values.

Methods of identification of at least one most likely elemental composition of at least one species of molecules contained in a sample and/or originated from a sample by at least one ionisation process are provided. The method includes measuring a mass spectrum of the sample and may include reducing the measured mass spectrum to a neutral mass spectrum. The method further includes determining for a peak of interest a set of candidate species of molecules which have an expected peak with a peak position within a peak position tolerance range in the corresponding measured mass spectrum or neutral mass spectrum. An identification mass spectrum is identified for each candidate species and a range of peak positions is determined of all peaks of the identification mass spectrum. Two subscores of candidate species are determined by comparing the identification spectra with the measured or neutral mass spectrum and final scores are calculated from the subscores. An elemental composition of the candidate species is determined having calculated final scores of the highest values.

An ion guiding device (3) and method, the ion guiding device (3) having: a group of electrode arrays distributed along an axis in space, and a power supply providing an asymmetric alternating current (AC) electric field substantially along the axis; the AC field asymmetrically alternates between positive and negative along the axis to drive the ions move in the direction corresponding to said AC electric field such that ions are guided into said ion guiding device (3) in a continuous or quasi-continuous flow manner while being guided out in a pulsed manner along the axis.

An ion guiding device (3) and method, the ion guiding device (3) having: a group of electrode arrays distributed along an axis in space, and a power supply providing an asymmetric alternating current (AC) electric field substantially along the axis; the AC field asymmetrically alternates between positive and negative along the axis to drive the ions move in the direction corresponding to said AC electric field such that ions are guided into said ion guiding device (3) in a continuous or quasi-continuous flow manner while being guided out in a pulsed manner along the axis.