The invention relates to a method for mass analysing positively charged ions and negatively charged ions with a mass analyser arrangement (10). The method includes inserting the positively charged ions and the negatively charged ions via an intake (13) of the mass analyser arrangement (10) into a mass analysis chamber (14) of the mass analyser arrangement (10). Furthermore, the method includes transferring inside the mass analysis chamber (14) the positively charged ions from the intake (13) to a first mass analyser (11) of the mass analyser arrangement (10) and mass analysing the positively charged ions with the first mass analyser (11) and transferring inside the mass analysis chamber (14) the negatively charged ions from the intake (13) to a second mass analyser (12) of the mass analyser arrangement (10) and mass analysing the negatively charged ions with the second mass analyser (12). The invention furthermore relates to the mass analyser arrangement (10) for mass analysing positively charged ions and negatively charged ions with the method according to the invention.

A mass spectrometer comprising: a multi-reflecting time of flight (MRTOF) mass analyser or mass separator having two gridless ion mirrors 2 that are elongated in a first dimension (Z-dimension) and configured to reflect ions multiple times in a second orthogonal dimension (X-dimension) as the ions travel in the first dimension; the spectrometer configured to operate in: (i) a first mode for ions having a first rate of interaction with background gas molecules in the mass analyser or separator, such that the ions are reflected a first number of times between the ion mirrors 2; and (ii) a second mode for ions having a second, higher rate of interaction with background gas molecules in the mass analyser or separator, such that ions are reflected a second, lower number of times between the ion mirrors 2.

The present disclosure provides a method comprising providing a sample to be analysed, separating successive populations of ions from said sample in a separator, wherein said populations of ions are introduced into said separator at regular intervals, and the intervals are timed such that at least some ions in a subsequent population of ions overlap ions in a preceding population of ions, varying one or more parameters of said separator such that different populations of ions experience different separation conditions, detecting ions from said populations of ions and obtaining a convolved data set, and de¬ convolving said convolved data set using the known variance of the parameters and outputting data corresponding to the successive populations of ions.

A Time of Flight mass analyser is disclosed comprising: at least one ion mirror ((34) for reflecting ions; an ion detector (36) arranged for detecting the reflected ions; a first pulsed ion accelerator (30) for accelerating an ion packet in a first dimension (Y-dimension) towards the ion detector (36) so that the ion packet spatially converges in the first dimension as it travels to the detector (36); and a pulsed orthogonal accelerator (32) for orthogonally accelerating the ion packet in a second, orthogonal dimension (X-dimension) into one of said at least one ion mirrors (34).

In a mass spectrometer provided with a measurement section (1) including a collision cell (17) and a mass separator (20-23) for a mass spectrometric analysis of product ions, a CES-method-condition determiner (321) determines collision-energy (CE) values for a collision energy spread (CES) method according to given conditions including the range and number of CE values, in such a manner that n+1 CE values to be used when the number is n+1 (where n is an integer equal to or greater than three) include n collision-energy values used when the number is n and one additional CE value different from the n CE values. An analysis controller (30) sequentially changes the collision energy to the n+1 CE values and controls the measurement section to execute an MS/MS analysis under each CE value. A data processor (33) obtains a cumulative mass spectrum by accumulating mass spectra respectively obtained under different CE values.

A method of removing nuclear isobars from a mass spectrometric technique comprising directing ions, decelerating the ions, neutralizing a first portion of the ions, creating residual ions and a second portion of the ions, reionizing a selective portion of the ions, re-accelerating the selective reionized portion of ions, and directing the reionized portion of ions to a detector. An apparatus to remove nuclear isobars comprising a deceleration lens, an equipotential surface, an electron source to neutralize a portion of the ion beam, a deflector pair, a tunable resonance ionization laser for selective resonant reionization, and an acceleration lens.

The invention relates to a mass spectrometer for analysing a gas by mass spectrometry, comprising: a controllable inlet system for pulsed feeding of the gas to be analysed from a process region outside the mass spectrometer into an ionisation region, an ionisation device for ionising the gas to be analysed in the ionisation region, an ion transfer device for transferring the ionised gas from a ionisation region via an ion transfer region into an analysis region, and an analyser for detecting the ionised gas in the analysis region. The invention further relates to an associated method for mass spectrometrically analysing a gas.

The invention relates to a mass spectrometer for analysing a gas by mass spectrometry, comprising: a controllable inlet system for pulsed feeding of the gas to be analysed from a process region outside the mass spectrometer into an ionisation region, an ionisation device for ionising the gas to be analysed in the ionisation region, an ion transfer device for transferring the ionised gas from a ionisation region via an ion transfer region into an analysis region, and an analyser for detecting the ionised gas in the analysis region. The invention further relates to an associated method for mass spectrometrically analysing a gas.

Improved pulsed ion sources and pulsed converters are proposed for multi-pass time-of-flight mass spectrometer, either multi-reflecting (MR) or multi-turn (MT) TOF. A wedge electrostatic field (45) is arranged within a region of small ion energy for electronically controlled tilting of ion packets (54) time front. Tilt angle γ of time front (54) is strongly amplified by a post-acceleration in a flat field (48). Electrostatic deflector (30) downstream of the post-acceleration (48) allows denser folding of ion trajectories, whereas the injection mechanism allows for electronically adjustable mutual compensation of the time front tilt angle, i.e. γ=0 for ion packet in location (55), for curvature of ion packets, and for the angular energy dispersion. The arrangement helps bypassing accelerator (40) rims, adjusting ion packets inclination angles α.sub.2 and what is most important, compensating for mechanical misalignments of the optical components.

An orthogonal acceleration electrode (242) deflects the flight direction of ions incident from an ion source (201). A flight-path-defining electrode (244, 246, 247) defines a flight path of the deflected ions. An ion detection section (245) detects an ion after the flight of the ion through the flight path. A voltage application section (3) applies voltages to the orthogonal acceleration electrode and flight-path-defining electrode. A measurement control section (43) acquires mass spectrum data by conducting a measurement of a known ion generated from a predetermined amount of known sample, under a plurality of measurement conditions which differ from each other in the value of the voltage applied to the orthogonal acceleration electrode. A score-value calculation section (44) calculates a score value based on a predetermined calculation formula, using the intensity of a mass peak and the mass-resolving power in the mass spectrum data acquired under each of the measurement conditions.