A method of analysis is disclosed comprising providing a sample on an insulating substrate such as a petri dish (4) and contacting e.g. the rear surface of the insulating substrate with a first electrode (9). The method further comprises contacting the sample with a second electrode (2) and applying an AC or RF voltage to the first and second electrodes (9,2) in order to generate an aerosol from the sample.

A method of ionisation is disclosed in which a sample is heated such that analyte is released from the sample. Analyte released from the sample is accumulated, and then the accumulated analyte is passed to an ionisation region where the analyte is ionised.

A mass spectrometer having a triple ionization interface for ionizing sample components is provided. The ionization interface of the mass spectrometer includes a means for ionizing sample components via electrostatic ionization, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, and laser diode thermal desorption.

A method is disclosed comprising obtaining or acquiring chemical or other non-mass spectrometric data from one or more regions of a target using a chemical sensor. The chemical or other non-mass spectrometric data may be used to determine one or more regions of interest of the target. An ambient ionisation ion source may then be used to generate aerosol, smoke or vapour from one or more regions of the target.

The present invention relates to the field of mass and/or ion mobility spectrometers. Provided is an ionization device and a mass spectrometer and an ion mobility spectrometer having same. Further provided is an ionization method. A sampling probe of the ionization device of the present invention is able to actively and rapidly collect samples, while a sampling device and a thermal desorption device are combined into one, simplifying and compacting the sampling device. An ionization part is provided downstream of the sampling and desorption part, ensuring that the sampling probe will not interfere with a flow field or an electric field between the ionization part and the analysis assembly inlet, thus ensuring repeatability of the device signal and flexibility of analysis.

The present disclosure provides a sample desorption ionization device and analysis method for a mass spectrometer. The device has a first gas pressure region and a second gas pressure region lower than the first gas pressure region. The device includes: a heating desorption device, carrying a sample and heating the sample, an analyte in the sample is desorbed from the sample under a heating action and then enters the first gas pressure region; a vacuum interface component, connected with the first gas pressure region and the second gas pressure region, and causing the analyte to enter the second gas pressure region from the first gas pressure region under the drive of a gas flow; and a soft ionization source, converting gas molecules in the second gas pressure region into activated gas molecules, the analyte entering the second gas pressure region realizes soft ionization after interacting with the activated gas molecules.

A method of analysing a food sample (3) comprises generating analyte ions from a food sample using ambient ionisation (5), analysing (1) the analyte ions to produce a data set, and assessing the data set to identify or determine one or more properties of the food sample.

The disclosure provides a thermal desorption (TD) tube sampler. The sampler comprises a first connector configured to reversibly connect to a TD tube containing a sample, and a second connector configured to couple to a direct injection mass spectrometer. The TD tube sampler is configured to desorb a sample in a TD tube connected thereto, and feed the desorbed sample from the TD tube to a direct injection mass spectrometer such that the desorbed sample does not pass through a cold trap.

Provided is an ion analyzer characterized by: an ionization chamber (10) to be maintained at atmospheric pressure; an analysis chamber (11) for analyzing an ion generated in the ionization chamber (10); a vacuum pump (15, 16) for evacuating the inside of the analysis chamber (11); a capillary (102) for allowing the ionization chamber (10) and the analysis chamber (11) to communicate with each other; a conductance changer (103, 104) for changing the conductance of the capillary (102); and a controller (20) for operating the conductance changer (103, 104) in such a manner as to decrease the conductance of the capillary (102) when the degree of vacuum in the analysis chamber (11) is lower than a predetermined degree of vacuum.

An objective of this invention is to conduct an accurate quantitative analysis on the Ar element contained in a sample gas by an element analysis device comprising a heating furnace and a mass spectrometer for conducting a quantitative analysis on an element in a vacuum atmosphere. The element analysis device comprises: a heating furnace that heats a graphite crucible containing a sample while introducing a carrier gas into the heating furnace, thereby vaporizing the sample to generate a sample gas; a quadrupole mass spectrometer that conducts the quantitative analysis on the Ar element contained in the sample gas in a mixed gas comprising the carrier gas and the sample gas discharged from the heating furnace, a first pressure regulator that controls the pressure of the carrier gas to be introduced into the heating furnace, and a second pressure regulator that controls the pressure of the mixed gas discharged from the heating furnace.