The invention generally relates to systems and methods for systems and methods for multiplexed electrospray ionization. In certain embodiments, electrospray ionization sources orthogonally inject ions into an ion funnel with at least two of the sources injecting on the same side of the ion funnel.

A method of removing sample residue from a surface of a mass spectrometer inlet, with the surface being adjacent to an ion passageway, is provided. A pendent droplet of a cleaning solvent is formed at a tip of a capillary, with the tip being spaced apart from the surface. The pendent droplet detaches from the tip and contacts the surface. The surface is heated to a temperature T at least 50 C. above the boiling point of the least volatile component of the cleaning solvent.

Certain configurations of systems and methods that can detect inorganic ions and organic ions in a sample are described. In some configurations, the system may comprise one, two, three or more mass spectrometer cores. In some instances, the mass spectrometer cores can utilize common components such as gas controllers, processors, power supplies and vacuum pumps. In certain configurations, the systems can be designed to detect both inorganic and organic analytes comprising a mass from about three atomic mass units, four atomic mass units or five atomic mass units up to a mass of about two thousand atomic mass units.

Mass spectrometers and methods for measuring information about samples using mass spectrometry are disclosed.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for supplying reagent ions, for example ETD or PTR reagent ions, to a mass spectrometer. The apparatus includes a reagent material reservoir, coupled to a carrier gas supply, which delivers an entrained reagent vapor flow to an inlet of a mixing junction through a first flow restrictor. A control gas flow of carrier gas is delivered to another inlet of the mixing junction via a variable pressure regulator and a second flow restrictor. The outlet of the mixing junction is coupled via a third flow restrictor and a reagent transfer junction to an inlet of an ionizer, such as a glow-discharge ionizer. By dynamic adjustment of the output pressure of the variable pressure regulator, the flow rate of reagent vapor may be controlled over a broad range, even for reagent materials of relatively high volatility.

A liquid sample analyzing system including an ion analyzer having a first ion source receiving a target sample and a second ion source receiving a reference sample; a liquid sample introduction mechanism 3 including a passage-switching section introducing reference samples into the second ion source; and a controller for repeatedly performing a series of steps in the ion analyzer, the steps including: a pre-measurement step for initiating a measurement; a measurement step for introducing a target sample into the first ion source and performing a measurement on an ion originating from the target sample along with an ion originating from a reference sample introduced into the second ion source by the liquid sample introduction mechanism; and a post-measurement step where the liquid sample introduction mechanism operates concurrently with the predetermined post-measurement step to switch the passage-switching section to a passage having a reference sample for the next analysis.

An ion transfer apparatus for transferring ions from a first pressure controlled chamber at a first pressure, which first pressure is lower than 10000 Pa, along a path to an adjacent second pressure controlled chamber at a second pressure that is lower than the first pressure. The ion transfer apparatus includes: the first pressure controlled chamber and the second pressure controlled chamber, wherein each pressure controlled chamber includes an ion inlet opening for receiving ions on the path and an ion outlet opening for outputting the ions on the path, wherein the ion outlet opening of the first pressure controlled chamber is in flow communication with the ion inlet opening of a the second pressure controlled chamber; and an RF focusing device configured to focus ions towards the path, the RF focusing device including a plurality of RF focusing electrodes, wherein each RF focusing electrode of the RF focusing device is configured to receive an RF voltage so as to produce an electric field that acts to focus ions towards the path, wherein each RF focusing electrode of the RF focusing device has a shape that extends circumferentially around the path. The first and second pressure controlled chambers each include RF focusing electrodes of the RF focusing device. Each RF focusing electrode of the RF focusing device has a thickness in the direction of the path and a thickness in a direction radial to the path that is less than a distance separating the RF focusing electrode from an adjacent RF focusing electrode of the RF focusing device.

An ion transfer apparatus for transferring ions from an ion source at an ion source pressure, which ion source pressure is greater than 500 mbar, along a path towards a mass analyser at a mass analyser pressure that is lower than the ion source pressure. The apparatus includes a plurality of pressure controlled chambers, wherein each pressure controlled chamber in the ion transfer apparatus includes an ion inlet opening for receiving ions from the ion source on the path and an ion outlet opening for outputting the ions on the path. The plurality of pressure controlled chambers are arranged in succession along the path from an initial pressure controlled chamber to a final pressure controlled chamber, wherein an ion outlet opening of each pressure controlled chamber other than the final pressure controlled chamber is in flow communication with the ion inlet opening of a successive adjacent pressure controlled chamber. The ion transfer apparatus is configured to have, in use, at least one pair of adjacent pressure controlled chambers for which a ratio of pressure in an upstream pressure controlled chamber to pressure in a downstream pressure controlled chamber is set such that there is substantially subsonic gas flow in the downstream pressure controlled chamber.

Devices, systems and methods including a spray chamber are described. In certain examples, the spray chamber may be configured with an outer chamber configured to provide tangential gas flows. In other instances, an inner tube can be positioned within the outer chamber and may comprise a plurality of microchannels. In some examples, the outer chamber may comprise dual gas inlet ports. In some instances, the spray chamber may be configured to provide tangential gas flow and laminar gas flows to prevent droplet formation on surfaces of the spray chamber. Optical emission devices, optical absorption devices and mass spectrometers using the spray chamber are also described.

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising ion optics that map an array of ions at an ion source array (71) to a corresponding array of positions on a position sensitive ion detector (79). The ion optics include at least one gridless ion mirror (76) for reflecting ions, which may compensate for various aberrations and allows the spectrometer to have relatively high mass and spatial resolutions.