Methods comprise introducing a gas sample having an ionisation potential below a first electron energy and above a second electron energy into an ion source and operating the ion source in the ON mode; measuring a signal produced by ionisation of the gas sample during a first time period; operating the ion source in the OFF mode during a second time period; determining, based on the signal measured during the first time period, an expected signal for ionisation of the gas sample during a third time period; operating the ion source in the ON mode and measuring a signal produced by ionisation of the gas sample during the third time period; calculating a deviation between the measured signal for the third time period and the expected signal for the third time period; and based on the deviation, adjusting one or more of the second set of operational parameters.

There is provided an analyzer including: an ionizer unit that ionizes molecules to be analyzed; a filter unit that selectively passes ions generated by the ionizer unit; and a detection unit that detects ions that have passed the filter unit. The detection unit includes a plurality of detection elements disposed in a matrix, and the analyzer further includes a first reconfiguration unit that switches between detection patterns including detection elements to be enabled for detection out of the plurality of detection elements. The ionizer unit includes a plurality of ion sources, and the analyzer further includes a driving control unit that switches the connections of the plurality of ion sources based on changes in characteristics of the ion sources.

An electronic device 1 for analyzing a gas composition, which is present in an environment A at an environment pressure Pa, is described. The device 1 is portable and comprises a gas sampling module 7, an ion filtering module 8 and an ion detecting module 9. The sampling module 7 is configured to adjust an input gaseous flow Fi of gaseous particles from the environment A and an output gaseous flow Fo so as to reproduce inside the sampling module 7 a gas composition representative of the gas composition to be analyzed. In addition, the sampling module 7 is configured to ionize said gaseous particles and to emit the ions produced, so as to generate an ion flow I having an ion composition representative of the gas composition to be analyzed. The ion filtering module 8 is operatively connected to the sampling module 7 to receive the ion flow I, and is configured to controllably select at least one type of ions present in the ion flow I and to generate a corresponding at least one homogeneous ion beam I, having an intensity representative of the concentration of the corresponding gas particle in the gaseous composition to be analyzed. The ion detecting module 9 is operatively connected to the ion filtering module 8 to receive the at least one ion beam I, and is configured to measure the intensity of such least one ion beam I and to generate a corresponding electric signal S representative of the concentration of the corresponding gas particle in the gaseous composition to be analyzed.

The device 1 further comprises pumping means 95, configured to extract gas from the device 1, so as to control an ionization pressure Pi that is present inside the sampling module 7. The sampling module 7 is configured in such a way that the input gaseous flow Fi comprises a plurality of micro-flows at a molecular or predominantly molecular regime, at the environment pressure Pa, and the output gaseous flow Fo is a flow at a molecular or predominantly molecular regime, at the ionization pressure Pi.

The invention concerns a vacuum system, comprising a first vacuum chamber and a second vacuum chamber, the first vacuum chamber being evacuated by a first vacuum pump, in particular a turbomolecular pump, the first and the second vacuum chamber being connected by a passage, wherein the passage is surrounded by a sealing arrangement comprising an inner seal and an outer seal with a plenum positioned between the inner seal and the outer seal, the plenum being evacuated by a support vacuum pump, and wherein at least one sealing face of the inner seal consists of the wall material of the first or the second vacuum chamber, in particular the inner seal being formed by direct contact between the wall material of the first vacuum chamber and the wall material of the second vacuum chamber. Additionally, the invention concerns a mass spectrometry system.

In an example, a system includes a sample transfer assembly configured to convey ablated material from a sample to an analyzer inlet of an ion analyzer. The sample transfer assembly includes a sample transfer pipe and one or more gas inlets, each configured to receive a respective gas flow. A mass flow rate into the analyzer inlet is equal to or greater than a total mass flow rate of the gas flows into the one or more gas inlets. In another example, a method includes entraining ablated material in a sample material flow that flows within a sample transfer assembly, ionizing the ablated material, and conveying the ionized sample particles to an analyzer inlet of an ion analyzer. In another example, a computer-readable medium includes stored processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to regulate a flow rate of a sample material flow.

A machine, article, process of using, process of making, products produced thereby and necessary intermediates. Illustratively, there can be a process that includes: ionizing at least some injected gas to form ions; confining, without using magnetic fields, at least some of said ions to produce confined ions; accumulating at least some of said confined ions to produce accumulated ions; cooling at least some of said accumulated ions to produce cooled ions; compressing, without using magnetic fields, at least some of said accumulated ions to produce compressed ions; accelerating at least some of said compressed ions to produce accelerated ions; ejecting at least some of said accelerated ions; and measuring at least one property of said ejected ions.

In some examples, an apparatus may include an ion source including at least one lens that is partitioned by at least one partition into at least two lens partitions. The at least two lens partitions may be connectable to a direct current (DC) bias power supply to bias the at least two lens partitions and a radio frequency alternating current (RF AC) voltage power supply to produce a dipolar RF field within the at least one lens.

A mass spectrometer is disclosed. The mass spectrometer may include an ion trap configured to trap and analyze an ionized sample. A first aperture may be provided having a first diameter, and a second aperture may be provided having a second diameter. The first aperture may be configured to receive electrons for the purpose of ionizing sample ions within the ion trap. The second aperture may be configured to receive photons for the purpose of ionizing sample ions within the ion trap.

The invention relates to a holding device for at least one filament, comprising: at least one filament receptacle for receiving the at least one filament. The holding device is designed for the detachable attachment, in particular clamping attachment, of the at least one filament receptacle to a container of an ionization device. The invention also relates to a mass spectrometer comprising: an ionization device having a container in which an ionization space for ionizing a gas is formed, at least one holding device which is designed for the detachable attachment, in particular clamping attachment, of the at least one filament receptacle to the container, and a vacuum housing to which the holding device, in particular a base body of the holding device, is detachably connected.

A method of targeted mass spectrometric analysis is provided for analyzing trace compounds at sub-ppb level compared to sample matrix. Sample is chromatographically separated at standard conditions to employ a map of target mass (M) versus retention time (RT). Small mass ions under M(RT) are rejected by RF field, and remaining ions are accumulated for pulsed injection into a multi-reflecting TOF MS, either directly from EI source, or from linear RF trap or via a heated RF only quadrupole with axial ion trapping. In combination with EI source the method provides sub femtogram sensitivity at matrices loads in microgram range.