A nozzle for an ionisation source comprises: a light passage having an inlet end and an outlet end; and a gas flow passage in fluid communication with the light passage, wherein the gas flow passage is configured to convey, in use, a flow of gas into the light passage such that the flow of gas travels substantially towards the outlet end of the light passage.

An electrospray ionization system used in mass spectrometry provides for improved current measurement. The system includes a fluid union, a fluid column coupled with a first port of the fluid union, a power source coupled with the fluid union and configured to apply a voltage potential to the fluid union, and an electrospray emitter coupled with a second port of the fluid union. The power source is coupled with the first port and configured to apply the voltage potential to the first port to restrict current leakage from the fluid union. The current sensing circuit is configured to determine an electrical current flow between the power source and the at least one of the fluid union and the first port.

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for quantifying an analyte extracted from a sample. In certain embodiments, the invention provides methods that involve introducing a solvent into a capillary, introducing the capillary into a vessel including a sample such that a portion of the sample is introduced into the capillary, moving the sample and the solvent within the capillary to induce circulation within the sample and the solvent, thereby causing the analyte to be extracted from the sample and into the solvent, analyzing the analyte that has been extracted from the sample, and quantifying the analyte. In certain embodiments, the quantifying step is performed without knowledge of a volume of the sample and/or solvent.

The present disclosure provides a method for detecting short-chain fatty acids in biological samples, including a derivatizing step, a loading step and a detecting step. The derivatizing step includes treating the short-chain fatty acids in the biological sample with 2-nitrophenylhydrazine for derivatizing the short-chain fatty acids into a sample to be detected. The loading step includes loading the sample onto a paper carrier. The detecting step includes analyzing the sample loaded onto the paper carrier by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry for obtaining a detection result. The method provided by the present disclosure may complete the analysis of the biological sample within a short period of time and achieve a quantitative result comparable to that obtained by conventional chromatographic approaches.

The present disclosure provides a method for detecting short-chain fatty acids in biological samples, including a derivatizing step, a loading step and a detecting step. The derivatizing step includes treating the short-chain fatty acids in the biological sample with 2-nitrophenylhydrazine for derivatizing the short-chain fatty acids into a sample to be detected. The loading step includes loading the sample onto a paper carrier. The detecting step includes analyzing the sample loaded onto the paper carrier by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry for obtaining a detection result. The method provided by the present disclosure may complete the analysis of the biological sample within a short period of time and achieve a quantitative result comparable to that obtained by conventional chromatographic approaches.

This disclosure presents inventions for ionization, for example, for use in mass spectrometer devices and methods. In an embodiment, a device is provided for introduction of pulses of a first carrier gas into an ionization chamber and introduction of a second carrier gas into the ionization chamber. Electrodes in the chamber ionize the carrier gas and direct the ionized gas toward a sample for analysis. The second carrier gas can either assist in washing out the first carrier gas or may become ionized along with the first carrier gas to improve ionization of an analyte. In an embodiment, a method for producing ionized carrier gasses is provided.

The present invention relates to the field of protein characterization, and in particular to methods for identifying critical quality attributes of therapeutic proteins by implementing a workflow including using a competitive binding assay with insufficient capture molecule followed by LC-MS.

The present invention relates to an interface unit which can be used in a laser ablation-direct analysis in real time-mass spectrometry (LA-DART-MS) system, and more particularly, provides an interface unit which can be disposed between a DART unit and an MS unit to improve detection sensitivity of a sample laser-ablated by a laser beam.

A method for removing deposits in a mass spectrometer ion source housing includes delivering a liquid from a liquid source to a surface within the ion source housing. The surface including an ultrasonic transducer embedded within the surface. The method further includes activating the ultrasonic transducer to ultrasonically remove the deposit.

A mass spectrometer includes: a probe having an electric conductivity; a probe moving unit configured to move the probe; a high voltage application unit configured to apply a high voltage to the probe located at an ion generation position where the tip of the probe is apart from the sample, so as to generate an ion from the sample adhered to the probe, the ion originating from a component in the sample; and a sample holding unit that includes a sample holder having a plurality of concave portions, each configured to hold the sample, and a base configured to hold the sample holder in a removable manner, the base including a mechanical element configured to move the sample holder in order to sequentially move each of the plurality of concave portions of the sample holder to the sample collection position.