An atmospheric pressure ionisation source comprising: an ionisation chamber, comprising an aperture for receiving at least the distal end of a capillary into the ionisation chamber in use, the aperture having a capillary axis; a desolvation heater having a nozzle, for directing a stream of heated gas onto the distal end of the capillary in use, the nozzle having a nozzle axis; a corona discharge device including a corona pin having a corona axis, the corona pin for ionizing a sample in the ionisation chamber in use; and an inlet cone of a mass spectrometer arranged in the ionisation chamber, the inlet cone defining a cone entrance having a cone axis, wherein the cone axis is substantially coaxial with the corona axis and the capillary axis is substantially perpendicular to and intersects with the nozzle axis.

An atmospheric pressure ionisation source comprising: an ionisation chamber, comprising an inlet for receiving at least the distal end of a capillary into the ionisation chamber in use; a desolvation heater including a heating element, for directing a stream of heated gas onto the distal end of the capillary in use; a corona discharge device arranged in the ionisation chamber; and a control system configured to operate the source in a selected one of: an analytical mode, in which the heating element is heated to a first temperature within a first temperature range, and in which a first current within a first current range is supplied to the corona discharge device; and a capillary priming mode, in which the heating element is heated to a second temperature within a second temperature range, and in which a second current within a second current range is supplied to the corona discharge device, wherein the lower limit of the second temperature range is higher than the lower limit of the first temperature range, and the second current range is higher than the first current range.

The invention relates to an ionization chamber for connection to a mass spectrometer. The ionization chamber has a temperature-control block with a gas inlet and a gas channel which starts at the gas inlet and leads into a gas outlet. A temperature-control device is positioned along the gas channel and ensures that a gas flowing in the gas channel is brought to a specific temperature, i.e. it is heated or cooled, before it enters the ionization chamber. The temperature-control block has a formed part into which a structure of the gas channel is incorporated and which is fabricated by means of a sol-gel process, for example out of a glass or ceramic material.

A heater for ionization is used to produce ions from a sample. The heater for ionization has a bobbin, an electric heating wire and an electrode. The bobbin extends in one direction. The electric heating wire is wound around the bobbin. The electrode is welded to the electric heating wire. In the bobbin, a groove portion extending in the one direction is formed. The electrode is fitted into the groove portion.

An object of the present invention is to improve the safety and stability of an ion source by making a temperature distribution of a heated gas uniform while ensuring heat insulating properties. The ion source according to the present invention includes a gas introduction port inside a probe holder that holds an ion probe. A heater that increases the temperature of a heated gas and the gas introduction port are connected by a plurality of pipes which extend along an extending direction of the ion probe and are independent of each other (see FIG. 4).

Method and devices are provided for imaging a surface, such as a biological tissue sample, by mass spectrometry. In certain aspects, devices of the embodiments allow for the placement and collection of a plurality of spatially separated liquid droplets on a sample and delivery of the droplets with extracted sample analytes for mass spectrometry analysis.

An object of the present invention is to improve the safety and stability of an ion source by making a temperature distribution of a heated gas uniform while ensuring heat insulating properties. The ion source according to the present invention includes a gas introduction port inside a probe holder that holds an ion probe. A heater that increases the temperature of a heated gas and the gas introduction port are connected by a plurality of pipes which extend along an extending direction of the ion probe and are independent of each other (see FIG. 4).

Apparatus, systems, and methods for identifying and quantifying chemical components in a high-melting-point liquid. One such method includes: receiving, into a nebulizer assembly, a high-melting-point liquid from a molten liquid conduit; aerosolizing, using the nebulizer assembly, at least a portion of the received high-melting-point liquid; delivering, into one or more instruments, the aerosolized high-melting-point liquid from the nebulizer; and chemically analyzing, using the one or more instruments, the aerosolized high-melting-point liquid.

In an ionization device for an ionization chamber (11) separated from an analysis chamber (12-14) by a partition wall having an ion introduction port (113), an ionization probe (111) sprays a liquid sample. A heated-gas supply mechanism (112), which includes a gas supply source and a heating section (1122) for heating a gas supplied from the gas supply source, expels the gas in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the liquid sample is sprayed from the ionization probe. A controller (32) controls an operation of the heated-gas supply mechanism so that the gas is continuously expelled from the heated-gas supply mechanism regardless of the presence or absence of an operation by a user while the liquid sample is sprayed from the ionization probe. The continuous expulsion of the gas from the heated-gas supply mechanism prevents this mechanism from being contaminated by the sprayed liquid.

Methods and systems are provided for reducing the occurrence of unwanted electrical discharge when operating an electrospray ion source to generate ions for mass spectrometric analysis. In accordance with various aspects of the applicant's teachings, the methods and systems described herein can provide for controlling the ion emission current so as to limit the onset of avalanche of electrical discharge between the electrospray electrode and the counter electrode under ionization conditions that typically tend to increase the likelihood of such discharge (arcing), while nonetheless providing for maximal ionization efficiency. In various aspects, emission currents between the electrospray electrode and the counter electrode through which the ions are transmitted to a downstream mass analyzer can be maintained at elevated levels, below 10 A, for example, without the electric potential between the electrospray electrode and the counter electrode initiating the electrical discharge avalanche that results from the dielectric breakdown of the air gap therebetween, which can cause sputtering and effect the long-term operation of the ESI source.