Methods, devices, and systems for improving the quality of electrospray ionization mass spectrometer (ESI-MS) data are described, as are methods, devices, and systems for achieving improved correlation between chemical separation data and mass spectrometry data.

An analyzer apparatus includes: an ionization unit that ionizes molecules to analyze; a filter unit that forms a field for selectively passing ions generated by the ionization unit; a detector unit that detects ions that have passed through the filter unit; an ion drive circuitry that electrically drives the ionization unit; a field drive circuitry that electrically drives the filter unit; and a control unit that controls outputs of the ion drive circuitry and the field drive circuitry, wherein the control unit controls the ion drive circuitry to ramp up and down a filament voltage supplied to a filament of the ionization unit when the analyzer apparatus starts and stops.

A filament assembly for mounting to a source assembly of a mass spectrometer, the filament assembly comprising a body having one of: an aperture to receive a corresponding spigot provided by a source assembly; or a spigot to be received in a corresponding aperture on a source assembly.

Apparatus (e.g., ion source), systems (e.g., residual gas analyzer), and methods provide extended life and improved analytical stability of mass spectrometers in the presence of contamination gases while achieving substantial preferential ionization of sampled gases over internal background gases. One embodiment is an ion source that includes a gas source, nozzle, electron source, and electrodes. The gas source delivers gas via the nozzle to an evacuated ionization volume and is at a higher pressure than that of the evacuated ionization volume. Gas passing through the nozzle freely expands in an ionization region of the ionization volume. The electron source emits electrons through the expanding gas in the ionization region to ionize at least a portion of the expanding gas. The electrodes create electrical fields for ion flow from the ionization region to a mass filter and are located at distances from the nozzle and oriented to limit their exposure to the gas.

A magnet assembly for an ion source comprising a first magnet of a first magnet type; a second magnet of a second magnet type; a heat shield located between the first magnet and the second magnet; and a heat sink coupled to the heat shield; wherein the first magnet type having a higher Curie temperature than the second magnet type.

A device including an ionizer is disclosed. The ionizer comprises bulk bodies including one or more emitter materials and that is configured to at least partly depletable; and a heating unit that is configured to heat at least a part of the bulk bodies. The ionizer may comprise a electron emitter dispenser that is configured to exposes a limited part of the bulk bodies.

An ion source can include a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field in a direction parallel to a direction of the electron beam and coincident with the electron beam. However, this magnetic field can also influence the path of ionized sample constituents as they pass through and exit the ion source. An ion source can include an electric field generator to compensate for this effect. As an example, the electric field generator can be configured to generate an electric field within the ion source chamber, such that an additional force is imparted on the ionized sample constituents, opposite in direction and substantially equal in magnitude to the force imparted on the ionized sample constituents by the magnetic field.

An analyzer according to the present invention includes an electron emission element, a detector, an electric field generator, an electrostatic gate electrode, and a controller, in which the electron emission element includes a lower electrode, a surface electrode, and an intermediate layer, and directly or indirectly generates anions by electrons emitted in an ionization region between the electron emission element and the electrostatic gate electrode, the electrostatic gate electrode controls injection of the anions into a drift region between the electrostatic gate electrode and the detector, the detector detects the anions move through the drift region by a potential gradient, and the controller applies a pulse voltage between the lower electrode and the surface electrode, and applies a voltage to the electrostatic gate electrode such that the electrostatic gate electrode injects the anions into the drift region during a time when the pulse voltage is on.

Certain configurations of an ionization source comprising a multipolar rod assembly are described. In some examples, the multipolar rod assembly can be configured to provide a magnetic field and a radio frequency field into an ion volume formed by a substantially parallel arrangement of rods of the multipolar rod assembly. The ionization source may also comprise an electron source configured to provide electrons into the ion volume of the multipolar rod assembly to ionize analyte introduced into the ion volume. Systems and methods using the ionization source are also described.

A miniature, low cost mass spectrometer capable of unit resolution over a mass range of 10 to 50 AMU. The mass spectrometer incorporates several features that enhance the performance of the design over comparable instruments. An efficient ion source enables relatively low power consumption without sacrificing measurement resolution. Variable geometry mechanical filters allow for variable resolution. An onboard ion pump removes the need for an external pumping source. A magnet and magnetic yoke produce magnetic field regions with different flux densities to run the ion pump and a magnetic sector mass analyzer. An onboard digital controller and power conversion circuit inside the vacuum chamber allows a large degree of flexibility over the operation of the mass spectrometer while eliminating the need for high-voltage electrical feedthroughs. The miniature mass spectrometer senses fractions of a percentage of inlet gas and returns mass spectra data to a computer.