An ion analysis device 1 configured to generate and analyze product ions from precursor ions derived from a sample component includes: a reaction chamber 132 into which the precursor ions are introduced; a radical emitter 134 made of a predetermined kind of metal and disposed in the reaction chamber or a space communicating with the reaction chamber, at least a part of a surface of the radical emitter being oxidized or nitrided; a heating unit 20 configured to heat the radical emitter to a predetermined temperature; and separation detection units 135 and 136 configured to separate and detect, according to at least one of a mass-to-charge ratio and an ion mobility, product ions generated from the precursor ions by a reaction with radicals emitted from the radical emitter heated to the predetermined temperature.

An apparatus for analysing ions, including a first mass analyser configured to eject groups of ions in a predetermined sequence during different time windows; an ion transport device having a plurality of electrodes arranged around a transport channel; control means configured to control voltages applied to the electrodes to generate a transport potential in a transport channel, the transport potential having a plurality of potential wells configured to move along the transport channel such that each group of ions received by the ion transport device is respectively transported along the transport channel by one or more selected potential; fragmentation means configured to fragment precursor ions in each group of ions so as to produce product ions; and a second mass analyser configured to produce a respective mass spectrum using each group of ions after the group of ions has been fragmented and transported.

The present invention relates to a method for identifying a chemical structure of a wide variety of low molecular weight compounds using mass-to-charge ratio and collision cross section of fragment ions of an analyte compound. The analyte compound is ionized and fragmented, and the fragment ions are measured by a mass spectrometer with an ion mobility spectrometry measurement device. According to the present method, it does not depend on any compound class-specific characteristics or structural features, therefore enabling determinations of any classes of low molecular weight compounds, which does not limit to a specific compound class. The present invention comprises three methods which share a common data structure and s data processing method.

A hybrid mass spectrometer comprising: an ion source for generating ions from a sample, a first mass spectral system comprising a nanoelectromechanical mass spectral (NEMS-MS) system, a second mass spectral system including at least one mass analyzer adapted to separate the charged particles according to their mass-to-charge ratios, and an integration zone coupling the first and second mass spectral systems, the integration zone including at least one directional device for controllably routing the ions to a selected one or both of the first and second mass spectral systems for analysis thereby. The second system can be an orbital electrostatic trap system. The ion beam can be electrically directed to one or the other system by ion optics. A chip with resonators can be used with cooling. Uses include analysis of large mass complexes found in biological systems, native single molecule analysis, and size and shape analysis.

A sample is ionized using an ion source and the ion beam is received using a tandem mass spectrometer. An m/z range is divided into two or more precursor ion isolation windows. Two or more values for a fragmentation parameter are selected. A first value of the two or more values for the fragmentation parameter has a level that fragments a minimal amount of ions of the ion beam. The one or more additional values have increasingly aggressive levels that produce increasingly more fragmentation of the ions of the ion beam. For each precursor ion isolation window, the tandem mass spectrometer is instructed to perform a selection and fragmentation of the ion beam using the precursor ion isolation window and the first value and is instructed to perform one or more additional selections and fragmentations of the ion beam using the precursor ion isolation window and using the one or more additional values.

In a DIA method, a specified precursor ion m/z range of interest is divided into a set of two or more precursor ion mass selection windows. A tandem mass spectrometer is instructed to select, dissociate using a first dissociation technique, and mass analyze each precursor ion mass selection window of the set within a specified cycle time. Product ion intensity and m/z measurements are produced for each window of the set using the first dissociation technique. The tandem mass spectrometer is also instructed to select, dissociate using a second dissociation technique, and mass analyze each precursor ion mass selection window of the set within the same cycle time. Product ion intensity and m/z measurements are produced for each window of the set using the second dissociation technique. Product ion measurements from both the first and second dissociation techniques are used to identify or quantitate compounds of a sample.

A method of ionising a sample is disclosed comprising nebulising a sample which includes monoclonal antibody (“mAb”) molecules. A stream of monoclonal antibody droplets or charged droplets is directed so as to impact upon a target or electrode so as to form intact parent monoclonal antibody ions, intact minus light chain parent monoclonal antibody ions or light chain (“LC”) fragment monoclonal antibody ions.

A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising: a) providing temporally separated precursor ions; b) mass analyzing separated precursor ions, and/or product ions derived therefrom, during a plurality of sequential acquisition periods, wherein the value of an operational parameter of the spectrometer is varied during the different acquisition periods; c) storing the spectral data obtained in each acquisition period along with its respective value of the operational parameter; d) interrogating the stored spectral data and determining which of the spectral data for a precursor ion or product ions meets a predetermined criterion, and determining the value of the operational parameter that provides this mass spectral data as a target operational parameter value; and e) mass analyzing again the precursor or product ions whilst the operational parameter is set to the target operational parameter value.

Disclosed are techniques for mass spectrometry. In one example, an isotopologue of a target analyte is added to a sample. The sample and isotopologue are analyzed as it elutes from a chromatography system to form precursor ions. The precursor ions are mass analysed using a data independent acquisition (DIA) methodology comprising performing mass analysis scans in the MS1 domain and performing mass analysis scans in the MS2 domain. Upon identifying that the isotopologue is eluting from the chromatography system, a plurality of target scans are performed, each having a target isolation window including a mass to charge ratio representative of the target analyte over the duration of a chromatographic peak of the isotopologue for at least one of identification and quantitation of the target analyte. The target scans are configured to provide additional quantitation data for the target analyte.

One mode is a method for the structural analysis of an organic compound by MALDI mass spectrometry, including: a sample preparation process (S1) which includes preparing a sample by mixing a specimen containing an organic compound to be analyzed with a predetermined matrix at a mixture ratio within a range from 1:5 to 1:5000 in molar ratio; a mass spectrometry process (S3) which includes irradiating the prepared sample with a laser beam having a spot size equal to or smaller than 15 μm to generate ions originating from a component of the specimen in the sample, and performing a mass spectrometric analysis of the generated ions; and an analyzing process (S4) which includes detecting, from a mass spectrum acquired in the mass spectrometry process, ions including product ions resulting from in-source decay, and estimating the structure of the organic compound to be analyzed based on information concerning the ions.