An apparatus for detecting constituents in a sample includes first and second drift tubes defining first and second drift regions, and a controllable electric field device within a fragmentation region coupled to the first and second drift tubes. The apparatus also includes a first ion shutter positioned between the first drift and fragmentation regions. The apparatus further includes a control system configured to regulate the first ion shutter, thereby facilitating injection of a selected portion of ions from the first drift region into the fragmentation region. The control system is also configured to regulate the controllable device to modify the selected portion of ions to generate predetermined ion fragments within the fragmentation region, thereby facilitating injection of a selected portion of the predetermined fragmented ions into the second drift region. A method of detecting constituents in a sample is facilitated through such an apparatus.

A method, apparatus and algorithms are disclosed for operating an open electrostatic trap (E-trap) or a multi-pass TOF mass spectrometer with an extended flight path. A string of start pulses with non equal time intervals is employed for triggering ion packet injection into the analyzer, a long spectrum is acquired to accept ions from the entire string and a true spectrum is reconstructed by eliminating or accounting overlapping signals at the data analysis stage while using logical analysis of peak groups. The method is particularly useful for tandem mass spectrometry wherein spectra are sparse. The method improves the duty cycle, the dynamic range and the space charge throughput of the analyzer and of the detector, so as the response time of the E-trap analyzer. It allows flight extension without degrading E-trap sensitivity.

A Time of Flight mass analyzer is disclosed comprising an annular ion guide having a longitudinal axis and comprising a first annular ion guide section and a second annular ion guide section. Ions are introduced into the first annular ion guide section so that the ions form substantially stable circular orbits within the first annular ion guide section about the longitudinal axis. An ion detector is disposed within the annular ion guide. Ions are orthogonally accelerated in a first axial direction from the first annular ion guide section into the second annular ion guide section. An axial DC potential is maintained along at least a portion of the second annular ion guide section so that the ions are reflected in a second axial direction which is substantially opposed to the first axial direction. The ions undergo multiple axial passes through the second annular ion guide section before being detected by the ion detector.

A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising providing a first device and a second device disposed downstream of the first device. The method further comprises introducing a potential difference between the exit of the first device and the entrance of the second device and reducing the total potential drop across the first and second devices by applying a reverse axial electric field to the first device and/or the second device. Ions are driven through the first device and/or the second device against the reverse axial electric field.

The disclosure relates generally to analytical measurement and, more specifically, to the use of ion spectrometry, including mass analysis, for the quantitation and chemical characterization (e.g., identification) of biological or synthetic materials using two different ion spectrometric measurement cycles. The methods may be employed fruitfully in particular with analyte molecules of low molecular weight, such as metabolites.

A Time of Flight mass analyser is disclosed comprising an annular ion guide having a longitudinal axis and comprising a first annular ion guide section and a second annular ion guide section. Ions are introduced into the first annular ion guide section so that the ions form substantially stable circular orbits within the first annular ion guide section about the longitudinal axis. An ion detector is disposed within the annular ion guide. Ions are orthogonally accelerated in a first axial direction from the first annular ion guide section into the second annular ion guide section. An axial DC potential is maintained along at least a portion of the second annular ion guide section so that the ions are reflected in a second axial direction which is substantially opposed to the first axial direction. The ions undergo multiple axial passes through the second annular ion guide section before being detected by the ion detector.

Used as an ion beam guiding unit for introducing primary ions to the surface of the sample is an ion optical system of reflectron TOFMS for achieving time focusing including an orthogonal acceleration unit for accelerating the ions in the orthogonal direction, a flight space of a non-electric field, and an ion reflector for forming a reflecting electric field. A dual stage type is used as the ion reflector to superimpose the correction potential showing a predetermined non-linear potential distribution on the potential having a linear gradient of a uniform electric field at the side deeper than the second order focusing position that fulfills the Mamyrin solution, thereby correcting the temporal spread of ion packets emitted from the orthogonal acceleration unit until the deviation of third or higher order in energy, achieving high time focusing.

A method of manufacturing a device for manipulating charged particles using an axial electric field as they travel along a longitudinal axis of the device is disclosed. The method comprises providing first electrodes of different lengths, supplying different voltages to these electrodes and arranging grounded electrodes between the first electrodes in order to form the desired axial potential profile.

Ions ejected substantially simultaneously from a collision cell after being temporarily held inside the collision cell arrive at an orthogonal acceleration unit through an ion transport optical system. When the ions enter the orthogonal acceleration unit, voltages having a predetermined potential difference are applied to an entrance-side electrode and an exit-side auxiliary electrode, and as a result an electric field having a rising potential gradient along an axis is created in the orthogonal acceleration unit. As ions having low an m/z values and entering the orthogonal acceleration unit first is significantly decelerate, the packet of ions spread in the X-axis direction in accordance with the m/z values are compressed in the X-axis direction after entering the orthogonal acceleration unit. Thus, a mass-to-charge ratio range of ions that are accelerated in the orthogonal acceleration unit is broadened, and a mass spectrum of a broad range of mass-to-charge ratios can be obtained.

A device (1) for manipulating charged particles, the device comprising a series of electrodes (2, 3) that form a channel for transportation of the charged particles. A power supply unit (5, 6) provides a voltage to axially segmented bunching electrodes to create a potential well within the channel having one or more local minima between local maxima (50, 51). The well is translated along the channel. An axial extraction region (54) comprises electrodes defining an end of the channel. They receive a supply voltage to create a pseudo-potential within the channel such that the depth of the potential well varies according to the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of the charged particles transported therein and reduces as a local maxima of the potential well is translated axially towards the axial extraction region thereby to release the transported charged particles of different mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) at different respective times.