Certain configurations of plasma discharge chambers and plasma ionization sources comprising a plasma discharge chamber are described. In some examples, the discharge chamber comprises a conductive area and is configured to sustain a plasma discharge within the discharge chamber. In other examples, the discharge chamber comprises at least one inlet configured to receive a plasma gas and at least one outlet configured to provide ionized analyte from the discharge chamber. Systems and methods using the discharge chambers are also described.

A first mass spectrum including a fragment ion peak is generated under application of a first ionization method. A second mass spectrum including a molecular ion peak is generated under application of a second ionization method. These mass spectra are synthesized to generate a synthesized mass spectrum. On the synthesized mass spectrum, difference information, such as a mass difference and difference composition, is calculated between the molecular ion peak and the fragment ion peak.

Techniques and systems for multi-modal ionization for mass spectrometry are provided. In some embodiments, a method may comprise: receiving an analyte; ionizing some molecules of the analyte using a first ionization method to produce first ions; ionizing other molecules of the analyte using a second ionization method to produce second ions; and providing the first and second ions to a mass analyzer.

An ionizer includes a probe having multiple coaxially aligned conduits. The conduits may carry liquids, and nebulizing and heating gases at various flow rates and temperatures, for generation of ions from a liquid source. An outermost conduit defines an entrainment region that transports and entrains ions in a gas for a defined distance along the length of the conduits. In embodiments, various voltages may be applied to the multiple conduits to aid in ionization and to guide ions. Depending on the voltages applied to the multiple conduits and electrodes, the ionizer can act as an electrospray, APCI, or APPI source. Further, the ionizer may include a source of photons or a source of corona ionization. Formed ions may be provided to a downstream mass analyser.

In one aspect, an ion source for use in a mass spectrometry system is disclosed, which comprises a housing, a first and a second ion probe coupled to said housing, and a first and a second emitter configured for coupling, respectively, to said first and second ion probes. The first ion probe is configured for receiving a sample at a flow rate in nanoflow regime and the second ion probe is configured for receiving a sample at a flow rate above the nanoflow regime. Each of the ion probes includes a discharge end (herein also referred to as the discharge tip) for ionizing at least one constituent of the received sample. In some embodiment, each ion probe receives the sample from a liquid chromatography (LC) column. Further, the ion probes can be interchangeably disposed within the housing.

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.

Techniques and systems for multi-modal ionization for mass spectrometry are provided. In some embodiments, a method may comprise: receiving an analyte; ionizing some molecules of the analyte using a first ionization method to produce first ions; ionizing other molecules of the analyte using a second ionization method to produce second ions; and providing the first and second ions to a mass analyzer.

Provided is an ion source achieving high sensitivity and high robustness while executing a plurality of types of ionization schemes. To this end, a hybrid ion source (1) includes: a chamber (24); a first ion source (2) to spray a sample solution (5) for ionization; a second ion source (3) to ionize droplets and/or a gas component sprayed from the first ion source (2); a first electrode (11) to introduce a first ion (7) generated by the first ion source (2), and a second ion generated by the second ion source (3); and an exhaust pump (27) that generates air flow (26) in a direction from a first space area (23) where the first ion (7) is generated to a second space area (19) in the second ion source (3) where the second ion is generated.

Systems and methods for use in introducing samples to an analytical device for single particle compositional analysis. Suitable analytical devices include, for example, an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer. Prior to introduction to the analytical device, the sample gas is exchanged with argon gas, for example, using a gas exchange device. The analytical device may be calibrated with a liquid sample which is aerosolized prior to entry into the analytical device.

A method of automatically performing a routine to check the operational state of a mass spectrometer is disclosed wherein the method is performed automatically as a start-up routine upon switching ON the mass spectrometer. The method comprises automatically generating a vacuum within one or more vacuum chambers of a mass spectrometer and automatically generating first ions using an internal ion source, wherein the internal ion source is located within a vacuum chamber of the mass spectrometer or is located within a chamber downstream from an atmospheric pressure interface, and detecting at least some of the first ions or second ions derived from the first ions. The method further comprises automatically determining whether or not the mass spectrometer is in a correct operational state.