Calibration of a mass spectrometer is described. In one aspect, a mass spectrometer can generate an offset value indicative of the mass difference between the corrected and reference external calibrant ion data. By comparing the offset value to a threshold, a preliminary mass calibration can be modified, or a recalibration of the mass spectrometer is performed.

Cylindrical ion traps (CITs) that can be used for molecular sample identification, as well as systems and methods using the same, are provided. A CIT can utilize a notched ring electrode having an inner diameter that increases as a first end of the CIT is approached from the center of the CIT or from a second end of the CIT. The first end can be the one positioned closer to the ion detector than is the second end, which can be positioned closer to the ion source than is the first end.

A quadrupole ion trap apparatus includes a main electrode, a first end-cap electrode, a second end-cap electrode, and a phase-controlled waveform synthesizer. The phase-controlled waveform synthesizer generates a main RE waveform for the main electrode. The main RE waveform includes a plurality of sinuous waveform segments each of which is a part of a sine wave, and a plurality of phase conjunction segments each of which is non-sinuous. Each of the sinuous waveform segments is bridged to another sinuous waveform segment via one of the phase conjunction segments, so as to perform ordering of micro motions of sample ions trapped by the electrodes.

The mass spectrometer includes an ionization unit, an ion transport unit, and a mass separation unit that separates transported ions according to a mass-to-charge ratio. The ion transport unit includes a transport electrode member, a voltage generator that applies a voltage to the transport electrode member, and a voltage controller that changes a voltage applied to the transport electrode member while ionization is performed. The voltage controller switches between a first voltage state in which charged particles generated in the ionization unit can enter the mass separation unit, and a second voltage state in which the charged particles cannot enter the mass separation unit, and switches a voltage state of the transport electrode member between the first voltage state and the second voltage state.

A mass spectrometer includes an ion source that generates ions, an ion trap that captures the ions generated from the ion source, a detector that detects the ions ejected from the ion trap and a controller that controls a periodic voltage, which is added to form a capturing electric field in the ion trap and controls a time point at which the ions are generated from the ion source. The controller includes an ion generation time controller that allows the ions to be generated from the ion source at N (N is an integer equal to or larger than 2) phase time points while addition of the periodic voltage is continued, the N phase time points being set in one period of the periodic voltage and being respectively assigned to different periods of the periodic voltage.

A mass spectrometer includes an ion trap, which has an interior for storing ions, a signal generator, which is connected to an electrode of the ion trap, which delimits the interior, for coupling in a voltage signal, in particular a radiofrequency voltage signal, and an ionization device for ionizing a gas to be ionized and supplied to the interior. The ionization device is connected to the signal generator in order to use the voltage signal (U.sub.RF, U.sub.Stim1, U.sub.stim2) of the signal generator, which is coupled into the electrode, for generating ions.

A mass spectrometer includes a MALDI ion source, an ion separator that separates ions generated from the MALDI ion source, a detector that detects ions ejected from the ion separator, a data processor that acquires a mass spectrum of the ion detected in the detector, and a controller that controls intensity of laser light with which the MALDI ion source is irradiated. The controller includes a determiner that determines whether a peak of a matrix is detected in the mass spectrum acquired in the data processor while increasing intensity of laser light emitted to a sample matrix mixture from a first intensity, and a setter that acquires intensity of laser light at a time point at which the peak of the matrix is detected as a second intensity, and sets the second intensity as intensity of laser light used for analysis of the sample.

An ion trap includes: an ion trap including a plurality of electrodes; a rectangular voltage generator including a voltage source for generating a direct voltage and a switching section, the rectangular voltage generator configured to operate the switching section to generate a rectangular voltage by switching the direct voltage generated by the voltage source and to apply the rectangular voltage to at least one of the plurality of electrodes; and a switching section temperature controller configured to control a temperature of the switching section so as to maintain the temperature of the switching section at a target temperature which is higher than a highest reaching temperature of the switching section.

A method for analyzing a gas by mass spectrometry includes exciting ions of the gas to be analyzed in an FT ion trap, and recording a first frequency spectrum in a first measurement time interval during or after the excitation of the ions. The first frequency spectrum contains ion frequencies of the excited ions and interference frequencies. The method also includes recording a second frequency spectrum in a second measurement time interval. The second frequency spectrum contains the interference frequencies, but not the ion frequencies of the first frequency spectrum. The method further includes comparing the first frequency spectrum with the second frequency spectrum to identify the interference frequencies in the first frequency spectrum. The disclosure also relates to a mass spectrometer which is suitable for carrying out the method for analyzing the gas by mass spectrometry.

Mass spectrometry systems or assemblies therefore include an ionizer that includes at least one planar conductor, a mass analyzer with a planar electrode assembly, and a detector comprising at least one planar conductor. The ionizer, the mass analyzer and the detector are attached together in a compact stack assembly. The stack assembly has a perimeter that bounds an area that is between about 0.01 mm.sup.2 to about 25 cm.sup.2 and the stack assembly has a thickness that is between about 0.1 mm to about 25 mm.