A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising: a first vacuum chamber having an inlet aperture; a second vacuum chamber; a differential pumping aperture separating the vacuum chambers; and an ion guide arranged in the first vacuum chamber for guiding ions from the inlet aperture to and through the differential pumping aperture. The ion guide has a construction for handling high gas loads such that the spectrometer is able to maintain the gas pressure in the first vacuum chamber such that when ions are accelerated therethrough the ions collide with gas and fragment.

A component of an ion optical device is manufactured. The component comprises aligned first and second electrode sets. A first material is machined to provide a part-machined first electrode set that comprises the first electrode set attached to a frame part of the first material. A second material is machined to provide a part-machined second electrode set that comprises the second electrode set attached to a frame part of the second material. The component of the ion optical device is assembled by aligning the part-machined first and second electrode sets. Subsequent to aligning the part-machined first and second electrode sets, the part-machined first electrode set is further machined to separate the first electrode set from the frame part of the first material and the part-machined second electrode set is further machined to separate the second electrode set from the frame part of the second material.

An ion source assembly for use in a mass spectrometer comprises a first anode defining a first ionization volume and a first electron source positioned proximate the first anode and configured to generate electrons that pass through the first anode and into the first ionization volume. The ions source assembly further includes a second anode defining a second ionization volume and a second electron source positioned proximate to the second anode and configured to generate to generate electrons that pass through the second anode and into the second ionization volume. At least one optical element is positioned proximate the first ionization volume and defines an aperture. The first and second anodes and the first and second ionization volumes are positioned along an ion optical axis of the mass spectrometer, and the first anode is positioned between the second anode and the aperture.

A device includes a first surface, a second surface and a controller. The second surface is adjacent to the first surface. The first and the second surfaces define a first ion channel therebetween. The first ion channel extends along a first direction. The second surface includes a first plurality of electrodes including a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode along a second direction lateral to the first direction. The first plurality of electrodes extends along the first direction. The first electrode is configured to receive a first voltage signal and generate at least a portion of a pseudopotential that inhibits ions in the first ion channel from approaching the second surface. The second plurality of electrodes is located between the first electrode and the second electrode and arranged along the first direction. The second plurality of electrodes are configured to receive a second voltage signal to generate a first traveling drive potential that travels along the first direction. The first traveling drive potential is configured to guide ions along the first ion channel. The device further includes a controller electrically coupled to the first and the second surface. The controller is configured to generate the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal.

A method of ionising a sample is disclosed comprising nebulising a sample which includes first biomolecules such as bovine insulin comprising one or more disulphide (S—S) bonds. A stream of droplet or charged droplets comprising one or more disulphide (S—S) bonds is directed so as to impact upon a target (106) or electrode so as to cause the breaking of a portion of the disulphide bonds. Alternatively, charged droplets may pass through an electric field region determined by an electrode (106) arranged downstream of a nebuliser or electrospray probe and an ion inlet (104) of a mass spectrometer so as to cause the breaking of a portion of the disulphide bonds.

A mass spectrometry method comprising steps of generating an ion beam from an ion source; directing the ion beam into a collision cell; introducing into the collision cell through a gas inlet on the collision cell a charge-neutral analyte gas or reaction gas; ionizing the analyte gas or reaction gas in the collision cell by means of collisions between the analyte gas or reaction gas and the ion beam; transmitting ions from the ionized analyte gas or reaction gas from the collision cell into a mass analyzer; and mass analyzing the transmitted ions of the ionized analyte or reaction gas. The methods can be applied in isotope ratio mass spectrometry to determine the isotope abundance or isotope ratio of a reaction gas used in mass shift reactions between the gas and sample ions, to determine a corrected isotope abundance or ratio of the sample ions.

An ion guide includes a plurality of curved electrodes arranged along a curved central axis. The plurality of electrodes define a curved ion guide region, with the curved ion guide region beginning at an ion entrance and ending at an ion exit. The ion guide includes an ion deflecting device configured to apply a radial DC electric field across the ion guide region and along the curved central axis. The ion guide region has a radius of curvature that varies along the curved central axis, and the radius of curvature is at a maximum at the ion entrance and decreases along the curved central axis toward the ion exit.

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 ion optical arrangement (1) for use in a mass spectrometer comprises electrodes (11, 12, 14) comprising a multipole arrangement defining an ion optical axis, and a voltage source for providing voltages to the electrodes to produce electric fields. The ion optical arrangement is configured for producing a radio frequency electric focusing field for focusing ions on the ion optical axis. The radio frequency electric focusing field has a varying frequency so as to reduce any mass dependence of ion trajectories through the ion optical arrangement. The ion optical arrangement may further be configured for producing a static electric field in response to a DC bias voltage applied to the multipole arrangement. A superimposed varying electric field may be produced by superimposing an AC voltage upon the DC bias voltage.

Imaging by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) requires that a sample be encased in an amorphous solid, such as amorphous ice. In current cryo-EM preparation systems, once the sample has been deposited on an EM grid and coated in the amorphous solid, the EM grid must be removed from vacuum and then transferred into the vacuum of the cryo-EM system. As a result, samples deposited on the grid are exposed to damage and contamination. The present invention provides improved EM grid handling systems and devices compatible with advanced cryo-EM sample preparation techniques and which reduce or eliminate exposure of the sample on the grid to atmosphere and elevated temperatures. These methods and devices will also significantly reduce handling time and complexities associated with cryo-EM sample preparation.