An analytical device includes: a valve assembly that is connected to a plurality of gas supply conduits; and a gas supply chamber to which a plurality of gases are supplied through the valve assembly, wherein: the valve assembly includes a plurality of valves that regulate flow rates of the plurality of gases supplied to the gas supply chamber through the plurality of gas supply conduits, a fixing member that integrally fixes the plurality of valves, a plurality of first sealing members that seal the plurality of valves against the fixing member, and a retainer that is fastened to the fixing member to integrally press the first sealing member against the fixing member.

The invention relates to an ion source (50) for generating elemental ions and/or ionized metal oxides from aerosol particles, comprising: a reduced pressure chamber (61) having an inside; an inlet (56) and a flow restricting device (60) for inserting the aerosol particles in a dispersion comprising the aerosol particles dispersed in a gas, in particular in air, into the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61), the inlet (60) fluidly coupling an outside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) via the flow restricting device (60) with the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (60); a laser (62) for inducing in a plasma region (63) in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a plasma in the dispersion for atomizing and ionizing the aerosol particles to elemental ions and/or ionized metal oxides; wherein the reduced pressure chamber (61) is adapted for achieving and maintaining in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a pressure in a range from 0.01 mbar to 100 mbar. The invention further relates to a method for generating elemental ions and/or ionized metal oxides from aerosol particles, comprising the steps of inserting aerosol particles in a dispersion comprising the aerosol particles dispersed in a gas, in particular in air, through an inlet (56) via a flow restricting device (60) into an inside of a reduced pressure chamber (61), while maintaining in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a pressure in a range from 0.01 mbar to 100 mbar, preferably from 0.1 mbar to 100 mbar or from 1 mbar to 100 mbar, particular preferably from 0.1 mbar to 50 mbar or from 1 mbar to 50 mbar, most preferably from 0.1 mbar to 40 mbar or from 1 mbar to 40 mbar; and inducing with a laser (62) in a plasma region (63) in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a plasma in the dispersion for atomizing and ionizing the aerosol particles to elemental ions and/or ionized metal oxides, wherein the laser (62) is adapted for inducing in the plasma region (63) in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) the plasma in the gas of the dispersion for atomizing and ionizing the aerosol particles to elemental ions.

Lipid-derived ions captured within an ion trap are irradiated with hydrogen radicals to induce the reaction of hydrogen extraction (S1, S2). A precursor-ion isolation process is subsequently performed (S3), and the precursor ion is dissociated by low-energy collision-induced dissociation (S4). The thereby generated product ions are subjected to mass spectrometry to create a product-ion spectrum (S5, S6). Since the dissociation achieved by such a procedure does not cause hydrogen rearrangement, a peak pair having a mass difference of +12 Da characteristic of the unsaturated bond site certainly appears on the product-ion spectrum. By searching for this peak pair, the unsaturated bond site can be located (S7, S8). By such a method, a lipid-structure analysis including the determination of the position of the unsaturated bond site in a lipid can be performed in a stable and accurate manner without requiring derivatization or other cumbersome pretreatments.

The invention proposes a mass spectrometry apparatus for ultraviolet light ionization of neutral lost molecules, and a method for operating same. The mass spectrometry apparatus for ultraviolet light ionization of neutral lost molecules includes a quadrupole tandem special linear ion trap mass analyzer, a vacuum ultraviolet lamp, a lamp front shutter, a gradient vacuum system and other necessary components for the mass spectrometry apparatus. In addition, the invention also proposes a method for operating the apparatus to efficiently store ions, fragment and analyze the ions, perform ultraviolet efficient ionization on lost neutral molecules, and then analyze the ions.

A extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imaging spectrometer includes: a radiation source to: produce EUV radiation; subject a sample to the EUV radiation; photoionize a plurality of atoms of the sample; and form photoions from the atoms subject to photoionization by the EUV radiation, the photoions being field evaporated from the sample in response to the sample being subjected to the EUV radiation; and an ion detector to detect the photoions: as a function of a time-of-arrival of the photoions at the ion detector after the sample is subjected to the EUV radiation; or as a function of a position of the photoions at the ion detector.

A system and method comprising an ion production chamber having an ultra-violet light source disposed towards said chamber, a coated quartz plate between the chamber and the UV source whose coating absorbs incident UV light and ejects electrons into the chamber through the photoelectric effect, a harvest gas disposed to flow through the chamber from an inlet to an outlet, and a jet operable to introduce a sample into the harvest gas flow. In some embodiments the system includes using helium as the harvest gas. Certain embodiments include introducing a sample perpendicular to the harvest gas flow and using multiple sample introduction jets to increase mixing efficiency. In some embodiments the harvest gas and particle sample jet are one and the same. The charge sample may be coupled to a MEMS-based electrometer.

The invention relates to an ion source (50) for generating elemental ions and/or ionised metal oxides from aerosol particles, comprising: a reduced pressure chamber (61) having an inside; an inlet (56) and a flow restricting device (60) for inserting the aerosol particles in a dispersion comprising the aerosol particles dispersed in a gas, in particular in air, into the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61), the inlet (60) fluidly coupling an outside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) via the flow restricting device (60) with the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (60); a laser (62) for inducing in a plasma region (63) in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a plasma in the dispersion for atomising and ionising the aerosol particles to elemental ions and/or ionised metal oxides; wherein the reduced pressure chamber (61) is adapted for achieving and maintaining in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a pressure in a range from 0.01 mbar to 100 mbar. The invention further relates to a method for generating elemental ions and/or ionised metal oxides from aerosol particles, comprising the steps of inserting aerosol particles in a dispersion comprising the aerosol particles dispersed in a gas, in particular in air, through an inlet (56) via a flow restricting device (60) into an inside of a reduced pressure chamber (61), while maintaining in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a pressure in a range from 0.01 mbar to 100 mbar, preferably from 0.1 mbar to 100 mbar or from 1 mbar to 100 mbar, particular preferably from 0.1 mbar to 50 mbar or from 1 mbar to 50 mbar, most preferably from 0.1 mbar to 40 mbar or from 1 mbar to 40 mbar; and inducing with a laser (62) in a plasma region (63) in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a plasma in the dispersion for atomising and ionising the aerosol particles to elemental ions and/or ionised metal oxides, wherein the laser (62) is adapted for inducing in the plasma region (63) in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) the plasma in the gas of the dispersion for atomising and ionising the aerosol particles to elemental ions.

The present invention provides a mass spectrometer comprising a sample inlet, an ionization source, a mass analyzer, and an ion detector, wherein the ionization source comprises a photoionization detector lamp. The invention also provides mass spectrometers comprising two photoionization detector lamps. The use of a photoionization detector lamp can provide an increase in the signal of detected compounds as compared to the signal of detected compounds obtained using a comparable mass spectrometer with a conventional electron pumped beam lamp.

Systems and methods disclosed provide a laser-assisted micro-mass spectrometer, which can include a pulsed inlet, a multi-wavelength laser system, and a first mass spectrometer module including a plurality of first ionization sources. In an embodiment, the pulsed inlet can be configured to receive a neutral sample of analyte material and provide it to said first mass spectrometer module.

Provided are an apparatus for measuring an ionic mobility of a harmful material and a reference data obtaining method thereof. The method includes obtaining a measurement signal by detecting a charge of an ion between electrodes, obtaining a noise signal by insulating the electrodes from the ion, aligning the noise signal with the measurement signal, removing a part of the measurement signal aligned with the noise signal, and calculating reference data from a remaining part of the measurement signal.