A mass spectrometer includes: an ion source; a collision cell into which a predetermined gas is introduced, for allowing an ion generated in the ion source to be in contact with the predetermined gas; and a quadruple mass filter for performing mass spectrometry on the ion ejected from the collision cell. The mass spectrometer further includes: an inlet electrode provided at an ion injection port through which the ion is incident in the collision cell; a voltage generator for applying a direct-current voltage to the inlet electrode; and a voltage controller and a controller for controlling the voltage generator to apply, to the inlet electrode, a direct-current voltage with a polarity same as a polarity of an unnecessary ion generated in the ion source, during at least a part of a standby period of time in which no analysis-target ion is analyzed.

A spherical ion trap includes a substrate and an ion aperture; two RF electrodes in electrostatic communication with an ion trapping region; RF ground electrodes in electrostatic communication with the ion trapping region; and the ion trapping region bounded by opposing RF electrodes and the RF ground electrodes, such that: the ion trapping region is disposed within the ion aperture and receives ions that are selectively trapped in the ion trapping region in response to receipt of DC and RF voltages by the RF electrodes, and receipt of the DC voltages by RF ground electrodes, and the first RF electrode, the second RF electrode, the RF ground electrodes, and the ion trapping region are disposed in the same plane within the ion aperture.

This disclosure presents inventions for ionization, for example, for use in mass spectrometer devices and methods. In an embodiment, a device is provided for introduction of pulses of a first carrier gas into an ionization chamber and introduction of a second carrier gas into the ionization chamber. Electrodes in the chamber ionize the carrier gas and direct the ionized gas toward a sample for analysis. The second carrier gas can either assist in washing out the first carrier gas or may become ionized along with the first carrier gas to improve ionization of an analyte. In an embodiment, a method for producing ionized carrier gasses is provided.

In an embodiment of the present ambient ionization experiment, the abundance of background chemicals relative to ions of interest is decreased by pulsing the carrier gas used to generate the excited species directed at the sample. The excited species are stepwise directed at the sample reducing the overall abundance of background chemicals introduced into the ionizing region. In an embodiment of the present ambient ionization experiment, the combination of stepping the sample in front of the excited species and pulsing the carrier gas used to generate the excited species increases the sensitivity of detection.

Methods and systems for loading an ion trap are provided herein in which the total ion beam intensity and/or content of the ion beam are quickly interrogated so as to determine an optimum fill time for an ion trap. In various aspects, the methods and systems described herein are effective to prevent overfilling of the ion trap while decreasing the time associated with known techniques utilized to obtain a survey scan of the ion beam.

An analytical device, includes: an ionization unit that ionizes carrier gas introduced into the separation column; a mass separation unit that mass-separates ions generated in the ionization unit; a detection unit that detects the ions mass-separated by the mass separation unit in amplification with a predetermined multiplication factor, and outputs a detection signal; an analysis unit that analyzes the detection signal having been output from the detection unit; and an adjustment unit performs an adjustment of the multiplication factor of the detection unit and/or voltage applied to an electrode of an ion transport system of the mass separation unit based on magnitude of the detection signal corresponding to the carrier gas detected by the detection unit.

Disclosed herein are various methods and apparatus for performing charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS). In particular, techniques are disclosed for monitoring a detector signal from a CDMS device to determine how many ions are present in the ion trap (10) of the CDMS device. For example, if no ions are present the measurement can then be terminated early. Similarly, if more than one ion is present, the measurement can be terminated early, or ions can be removed from the trap (10) until only a single ion remains. Techniques are also provided for increasing the probability of there being a single ion in the trap (10). A technique for attenuating an ion beam is also provided.

A method for determining a quantity of an analyte in a liquid sample, comprises: adding a known quantity of an internal standard comprising an isotopically labeled version of the analyte to the sample; (b) providing a continuous stream of the sample having the internal standard to an inlet of a Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LCMS) system; and repeatedly performing the steps of: performing a data-independent analysis of the precursor ion species using a mass analyzer, whereby mass spectra of a plurality of fragment-ion species are acquired; calculating one or more degree-of-matching scores that relate to either a number of ions of the internal standard that overlap between results of the data-independent analysis and tabulated mass spectral data of the internal standard; and performing quantitative tandem mass spectrometric analyses of the internal standard and the analyte if each of the degree-of-matching scores meets a respective degree-of-matching condition.

A linear ion trap system includes a linear ion trap having at least two discrete trapping regions for processing ions. An RF electrical potential generator produces two RF waveforms applied to a pair of pole electrodes of the linear ion trap forming a RF trapping field component to trap ions radially. A multi-output DC electrical potential generator produces a first set of multiple DC field components superimposed to the RF trapping field component and distributed across the length of the linear ion trap to control ions axially. A control unit is configured to switch the DC electrical potentials and DC field components collectively forming a first trapping region of the at least two discrete trapping regions that is populated with ions to alter ion potential energy from a first level to a second level, and to enable at least a first ion processing step in at least one of the first and second levels.

A method of mass spectrometry is provided. The method comprises eluting a sample from a chromatography system, and calculating a desired maximum scan duration for the sample eluting from the chromatographic system based on a duration of a chromatographic peak of the sample as it elutes from the chromatography system, and a minimum number of scans per chromatographic peak to be performed. A maximum accumulation duration is calculated based on the desired maximum scan duration. The sample is ionised to produce sample ions using an ion source. The sample ions are directed along an ion path from the ion source to a mass analyser. A first set of mass analysis scans are performed. Each of the first set of mass analysis scans comprises: accumulating a portion of sample ions at a point along the ion path, wherein the portion of sample ions are accumulated for a duration not exceeding the maximum accumulation duration, and mass analysing the portion of sample ions using the mass analyser. The mass analyser is a Fourier Transform mass analyser or a Time of Flight mass analyser.