A system for separating ions may include an ion source configured to generate ions from a sample, at least one ion separation instrument configured to separate the generated ions as a function of at least one molecular characteristic, and an orbitrap in which a rotating and oscillating ion induces charges on inner and outer electrode halves of the orbitrap, and wherein charge detection circuitry is configured to detect the charges induced on each of the inner electrode halves and on each of the outer electrode halves, and to combine the detected charges for each oscillation to produce a measured ion charge signal.

An instrument for separating ions may include an ion source in a first pressure environment at a first pressure and configured to generate ions from a sample, an ion separation instrument, controlled to an instrument pressure that is less than the first pressure, and configured to separate ions as a function of at least one molecular characteristic and an interface, controlled to a second pressure less than the first pressure and greater than the instrument pressure, for transporting the generated ions from the first pressure environment into the ion separation instrument operating at the instrument pressure. The interface may include a sealed ion funnel defining an axial passageway therethrough, and an ion carpet sealed to the first ion funnel. A portion of the axial passageway tapers from a first cross-sectional area to a reduced cross-sectional area such that the tapered axial passageway defining a virtual jet disrupter therein.

A signal processing unit comprises: at least one data signal input line adapted to receive a measured data signal generated by an image current, the measured data signal comprising an added crosstalk signal induced by a source of electromagnetic disturbance; at least one disturbance signal input line adapted to receive a decoupled disturbance signal, extracted from the source of electromagnetic disturbance; an output line adapted to supply a compensated data signal; a conditioning module, to which the decoupled disturbance signal is supplied via the disturbance signal input line and which provides a compensation signal; and an adding module, to which the measured data signal and the compensation signal are provided and in which the measured data signal and the compensation signal are superposed, whereby the decoupled disturbance signal is conditioned by the conditioning module such that the compensation signal essentially corresponds to an inverted added crosstalk signal.

A mass spectrometry method comprises: introducing a first packet of ions into an electrostatic trap mass analyzer through a set of electrostatic lenses, wherein, during the introducing of the first packet, either the lenses are operated in a first mode of operation or an injection voltage of a first pre-determined magnitude is applied to an electrode of the mass analyzer; mass analyzing the first ion packet using the mass analyzer; introducing a second packet of ions into the mass analyzer through the set of lenses, wherein, during the introducing of the second packet, either the lenses are operated in a second mode of operation or an injection voltage of a second pre-determined magnitude is applied to the electrode of the mass analyzer; and mass analyzing the second packet of ions using the electrostatic trap mass analyzer.

A signal processing unit comprises: at least one data signal input line adapted to receive a measured data signal generated by an image current, the measured data signal comprising an added crosstalk signal induced by a source of electromagnetic disturbance; at least one disturbance signal input line adapted to receive a decoupled disturbance signal, extracted from the source of electromagnetic disturbance; an output line adapted to supply a compensated data signal; a conditioning module, to which the decoupled disturbance signal is supplied via the disturbance signal input line and which provides a compensation signal; and an adding module, to which the measured data signal and the compensation signal are provided and in which the measured data signal and the compensation signal are superposed, whereby the decoupled disturbance signal is conditioned by the conditioning module such that the compensation signal essentially corresponds to an inverted added crosstalk signal.

Apparatus and methods for performing charge detection mass spectrometry are disclosed. An analyte ion is injected into an electrostatic trap, which has electrodes shaped and arranged to establish a trapping field that causes the analyte ion to undergo harmonic motion along a longitudinal axis. A time-varying signal is generated by a detector representative of the harmonic motion. A data system processes the time-varying signal to derive the frequency of ion motion and the amplitude at the harmonic motion frequency, and determines the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of the ion based on the derived frequency and the charge from the derived amplitude. The product of the experimentally determined m/z and charge yields the mass of the analyte ion. The electrodes preferably include an elongated inner electrode surrounded by an outer electrode, forming an orbital or non-orbital electrostatic trap.

A charge detection mass spectrometer may include an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT) or orbitrap, a source of ions to supply ions to the ELIT or orbitrap, a processor operatively coupled to the ELIT or orbitrap, a display monitor coupled to the processor, and a memory having instructions stored therein executable by the processor to produce a control graphic user interface (GUI) on the display monitor, the control GUI including at least one selectable GUI element for at least one corresponding operating parameter of the ELIT or orbitrap, receive a first user command, via user interaction with the control GUI, corresponding to selection of the at least one selectable GUI element, and control the ELIT or orbitrap to control the at least one corresponding operating parameter of the ELIT or orbitrap in response to receipt of, and based on, the first user command.

A method for determining an isotopic profile for a molecule is provided. The isotopic profile is indicative of an isotopic content for the molecule. The method comprises mass selecting ions of the molecule in a mass window, the mass window excluding a mass for a monoisotopic molecular ion and including a mass for at least one isotopic variant of the monoisotopic molecular ion. The method comprises fragmenting the mass selected ions into fragment ions, performing mass analysis on one or more of the fragment ions to produce a mass spectrum, and determining the isotopic profile for the molecule, the isotopic profile comprising at least one data value. Each data value is calculated for a fragment ion as a function of intensities of multiple peaks in the mass spectrum. A computer program is provided. A mass spectrometry system is provided. A method for identifying a sample is provided.

The present disclosure relates to a device for filtering at least one selected ion from an ion beam includes a unit for creating an electric field for accelerating the ions of the ion beam along a flight path of predefinable length, and a controllable ion optical system, which delimits the flight path in one direction, and which is used to deflect the selected ion from a flight path of the ion beam. The device is further designed to control the ion optical system subject to a flight time of the selected ion along the flight path. The present disclosure also relates to a mass spectrometer having a device according to the present disclosure, and to a method for filtering at least one selected ion from an ion beam.

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.