A parallel multi-beam mass spectrometer includes an ion trap and a single multi-beam time-of-flight analyzer. The trap has a plurality of alternating electrodes configured to form a plurality of quadrupoles defining a surface of the trap, wherein at least two of the plurality of quadrupoles are configured as mass filters for selective ejection of concurrent parallel beams of ions from the trap in respective predetermined ion mass-to-charge windows. The single multi-beam time-of-flight analyzer has a position sensitive detector or a plurality of individual detectors for simultaneously receiving and analyzing the concurrent parallel beams of ions.

The present disclosure includes a mass spectrometry apparatus for analyzing an analyte sample, which comprises: an ion source from which a quantity of analyte ions from the analyte sample may be sourced for providing an ion beam; a mass analyzer serving to filter the analyte ions of the ion beam based on their mass-to-charge ratio; a first detector unit for analyzing the ions of the ion beam; and a second detector unit being based on the time-of-flight principle and comprising a second detector for analyzing the ions of the ion beam. The present disclosure further includes a method for analyzing an analyte sample using a mass spectrometry apparatus according to the present disclosure.

The invention relates to a method for mass analysing a sample by ionising the sample to first sample ions and to second sample ions and by obtaining mass spectra from the first sample ions and the second sample ions with a mass analyser (5). Thereby, repeatedly, a first assay is obtained from the sample and transferred past any chromatography column to a first ion source (2) and ionised by the first ion source (2) to the first sample ions, wherein the first sample ions obtained from the respective first assay are transferred to the mass analyser (5), wherein at least one first mass spectrum is obtained with the mass analyser (5) from the first sample ions obtained from the respective first assay and ionised by and transferred from the first ion source (2). Furthermore, at least once, a second assay is obtained from the sample within a time window being associated with the respective second assay and having a window width, wherein the respective second assay is transferred for chromatographic separation via a chromatography column (3) to at least one second ion source (4.1, 4.2) in that after being chromatographically separated, the respective second assay eluting from the chromatography column (3) is transferred to the at least one second ion source (4.1, 4.2) and ionised by the at least one second ion source (4.1, 4.2) to the second sample ions, wherein the second sample ions obtained from the respective second assay are transferred to the mass analyser (5), wherein at least one second mass spectrum is obtained with the mass analyser (5) from the second sample ions obtained from the respective second assay which has been ionised by and transferred from the at least one second ion source (4.1, 4.2). Thereby, each one of the at least one second mass spectrum is assigned to one or more of the at least one first mass spectrum from the first sample ions obtained from one of the first assays which has been obtained from the sample within the time window associated with the respective second assay which has been chromatographically separated and ionised by the at least one second ion source (4.1, 4.2) to the second sample ions from which the respective one of the at least one second mass spectrum has been obtained. Furthermore, the invention relates to an apparatus (1) for mass analysing a sample with the method according to the invention.

A device and associated method are disclosed for interfacing an ion trap to a pulsed mass analyzer (such as a time-of-flight analyzer) in a mass spectrometer. The device includes a plurality of separate confinement cells and structures for directing ions into a selected one of the confinement cells. Ions are ejected from the ion trap in a series of temporally successive ion packets. Each ion packet (which may consist of ions of like mass-to-charge ratio), is received by the ion interface device, fragmented to form product ions, and then stored and cooled in the selected confinement cell. Storage and cooling of the ion packet occurs concurrently with the receipt and storage of at least one later-ejected ion packet. After a predetermined cooling period, the ion packet is released to the mass analyzer for acquisition of a mass spectrum.

A hybrid mass spectrometer design and architecture, and methods of operating mass spectrometers are disclosed. According to one operating method, an analysis time is determined for each one of a plurality of ion species to be analyzed in an ordered sequence, and an injection time is calculated for at least some of the ion species based on an analysis time of a preceding ion species in the ordered list. The method enables more efficient utilization of analyzer time.

A method for parallel analysis in mass spectrometry and ion mobility spectrometry includes enabling a sample to be subjected to a chromatography separation; ionizing the chromatography separated sample and then feeding the sample into a succeeding stage device for analysis, comprising: analyzing at least part of the ionized sample through an ion mobility spectrometer to obtain an ion mobility spectrum, and analyzing at least other parts of the sample through a mass spectrometer to obtain a mass spectrum, wherein the period for obtaining each ion mobility spectrum and each mass spectrum being not longer than 5 s; and performing data post-processing, comprising: correlating the peaks in said ion mobility spectrum and the peaks in said mass spectrum with a deconvolution algorithm according to the consistency in retention time or elution profile for the same analyte in said chromatography.

The invention discloses a networking mass analysis method and device, and belongs to the field of mass spectrometer and ion mass analysis. The device comprises an ion source, an ion transporter, an ion deflector and multiple mass analyzers, wherein the ion transporter is connected with one of the multiple mass analyzers, the multiple mass analyzers are connected with the ion deflector respectively, the ion source produces the ions to be detected, the ions to be detected enter any of the mass analyzers connected with the ion deflector via the ion transporter for mass analysis, and the remaining ions to be detected are transported to the corresponding mass analyzers via the ion deflector for mass analysis. The invention can improve the mass analysis duty ratio of continuous ion sources and obtain more mass-to-charge ratio information of ion beams within each time slot.

A mass spectrometer comprises: an ion source that generates ions having an initial range of mass-to-charge ratios; an auxiliary ion detector, downstream from the ion source that receives a plurality of first ion samples derived from the ions generated by the ion source and determines a respective ion current measurement for each of the plurality of first ion samples; a mass analyzer, downstream from the ion source that receives a second ion sample derived from the ions generated by the ion source and to generate mass spectral data by mass analysis of the second ion sample; and an output stage that establishes an abundance measurement associated with at least some of the ions generated by the ion source based on the ion current measurements determined by the auxiliary ion detector.

A space-time buffer includes a plurality of discrete trapping regions and a controller. The plurality of discrete trapping regions is configured to trap ions as individual trapping regions or as combinations of trapping regions. The controller is configured to combine at least a portion of the plurality of trapping regions into a larger trap region; fill the larger trap region with a plurality of ions; split the larger trap region into individual trapping regions each containing a portion of the plurality of ions; and eject ions from the trapping regions.

A partial structure estimation apparatus is configured to generate a first explanatory variable by performing composition estimation for each peak in a mass spectrum acquired from a sample, and to generate a second explanatory variable by performing composition estimation for each peak interval in the mass spectrum. The partial structure estimation apparatus is further configured to then estimate a partial structure as an objective variable based on the first explanatory variable and the second explanatory variable. In a partial structure estimation model generation apparatus, a partial structure estimation model is generated through machine learning using a training data set.