A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed comprising: (a) using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target in vitro or ex vivo cell population; (b) mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and (c) analysing said spectrometric data in order to identify and/or characterise said target cell population or one or more cells and/or compounds present in said target cell population.

A new form of trace sampling system which is configured to be employed in-line with a conventional conveyor-based imaging scanner, removing the need for a manual sampling substrate to be used with a mass spectrometry detection or mobility spectra detection system. The system is designed to enable rapid sampling without the need for the use of an external sampling medium such as a swab. Manifolds present within a chamber of the conveyor present evaporators and air heaters oriented towards objects to be sampled. The evaporators, via radiation, convey the sample vapor via a vacuum to a detector to analyze the vapor for selected variables.

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.

A method of spectrometric analysis comprises obtaining one or more sample spectra for an aerosol, smoke or vapour sample. The one or more sample spectra are subjected to pre-processing and then multivariate and/or library based analysis so as to classify the aerosol, smoke or vapour sample. The results of the analysis are used for various surgical or non-surgical applications.

A method for strontium isotope analysis of picogram-level samples using highly sensitive silicotungstic acid emitter is presented by a thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The emitter has merits of extremely high sensitivity, low cost, simple operation, etc. It is an important innovation of the strontium isotope analysis of the picogram-level samples. Compared with a sample consumption of 1-50 ng of conventional emitter, the present invention only needs 30-200 pg to obtain satisfying measurement accuracy. The present invention greatly improves test sensitivity, and has broad application prospects in future.

A substance analyzer that includes, to enhance selectivity of substance analysis, the following: a heater that heats a medium for collecting a chemical substance adhering to a surface of an inspection object; a mass spectrometer that performs tandem mass spectrometry of vapor derived from the chemical substance heated and vaporized by the heater from the medium; and a control device that causes the mass spectrometer to perform, based on a temperature of the medium in the heater, tandem mass spectrometry for the chemical substance that is vaporized at the temperature of the medium using the vapor sent from the heater to the mass spectrometer.

A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. The method comprises: using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target comprising or consisting of a microbial population; mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and analysing said spectrometric data in order to analyse said microbial population.

A method of transferring neutral gaseous material includes the steps of passing heated gas through flow tube in a central gas stream; and permeating a chemical dopant inward to the central gas stream through walls of the flow tube.

A system for sampling and analysis of the chemical composition of any material from any surface is provided. The system comprises of a sniffing line to collect a specimen from a surface for evaluation and a thermal desorption system to thermally desorb an analyte from the sampled material, The system may further comprise of an ionization system to form an ionized analyte. A mass spectrometer is then used to analyze the chemical composition of the ionized analyte sample.

A method of analysis using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed. The method comprises: using a first device to generate smoke, aerosol or vapour from a target comprising or consisting of a microbial population; mass analysing and/or ion mobility analysing said smoke, aerosol or vapour, or ions derived therefrom, in order to obtain spectrometric data; and analysing said spectrometric data in order to analyse said microbial population.