The invention relates to a mass spectrometer, comprising an ion guide having a plurality of electrodes that are supplied with a radio frequency voltage to facilitate radial confinement of ions in an internal volume defined by inward facing surfaces of the electrodes, the internal volume including a first section having a variable radial diameter along a longitudinal axis of the ion guide, in which the electrodes are helically wound, and an adjacent second section having a substantially constant radial diameter along the longitudinal axis, wherein the electrodes extend from the first section to the second section continuously. The continuous nature of the ion guide electrodes facilitates in particular unhindered axial propagation of ions through the assembly and prevents ion losses during their transmission through different compartments of the mass spectrometer.

Provided is a method of reducing the magnitude of a quasi-static electric dipole field at the null position of an oscillating electric quadrupole field of an ion trap. The method includes trapping at least one ion in a trapping electric field. The trapping electric field includes an electric field amplitude; using an interferometry sequence including applying a first laser pulse when the trapping electric field amplitude includes a first trapping electric field amplitude; applying a second laser pulse when the trapping electric field amplitude includes a second trapping electric field amplitude different from the first electric field amplitude; and measuring a state of the ion; repeating the interferometry sequence in order to obtain a plurality of measurements of the state of the ion; determining a probability that the trapped ion changes state; and adjusting the trapping electric field based on the determined probability.

The invention generally relates to methods and devices for synchronization of ion generation with cycling of a discontinuous atmospheric interface. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a system for analyzing a sample that includes a mass spectrometry probe that generates sample ions, a discontinuous atmospheric interface, and a mass analyzer, in which the system is configured such that ion formation is synchronized with cycling of the discontinuous atmospheric interface.

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 invention generally relates to systems and methods for separating ions at about or above atmospheric pressure. In certain embodiments, the invention provides systems that include an ionization source that generates ions and an ion trap. The ion trap is maintained at about or above atmospheric pressure and includes a plurality of electrodes and at least one inlet configured to receive a gas flow and at least one outlet. The system is configured such that a combination of a gas flow and one or more electric fields produced by the electrodes separates the ions based on mass-to-charge ratio and sends the separated ions through the at least one outlet of the ion trap.

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for separating ions at about or above atmospheric pressure. In certain embodiments, the invention provides systems that include an ionization source that generates ions and an ion trap. The ion trap is maintained at about or above atmospheric pressure and includes a plurality of electrodes and at least one inlet configured to receive a gas flow and at least one outlet. The system is configured such that a combination of a gas flow and one or more electric fields produced by the electrodes separates the ions based on mass-to-charge ratio and sends the separated ions through the at least one outlet of the ion trap.

A beehive system includes a processing system for monitoring and controlling a beehive. The beehive can include a bottom board, one or more boxes, and an outer cover. The one or more boxes can contain bees and bee materials, as well as various components and sensors for monitoring and controlling conditions in the beehive. The beehive can include one or more sensors for monitoring a corresponding one or more conditions inside the beehive, and one or more control elements for manipulating the one or more conditions inside the beehive.

A mass analyzer includes a main substrate, an upper substrate adhered to the main substrate, and a lower substrate. A mass analysis room (cavity) is formed in the main substrate and penetrates from an upper surface of the first main substrate to a lower surface of the first main substrate. A vertical direction (Z direction) to the main substrate by the upper substrate, both sides of the lower substrate, a travelling direction (X direction) of charged particles and a right angle to the Z direction by the main substrate, and both sides of a right-angled direction (Y to Z direction) and the X direction by a side surface of the main substrate are surrounded. A central hole is open in the side plate of the main substrate that the charged particles enter. The charged particles enter the mass analysis room through the central hole formed in the first main substrate.

The invention relates to a tandem mass spectrometer comprising an ionization source that can produce ions; a mass analyzer comprising an ion trap arranged in such a way as to receive ions from the ion source and a detector that can detect ions leaving the ion trap according to the mass to charge (m/z) ratio thereof; ion activation means for activating ions that can fragment at least some of the ions trapped in the ion trap; and coupling means arranged between the ion trap and said ion activation means. According to the invention, the ion activation means consists of a glow discharge lamp that can generate a light beam oriented towards the ion trap, said light beam being electromagnetic radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet wavelength range with photon energies of between 8 eV and 41 eV in such a way as to fragment at least some of the ions trapped in the ion trap.

A method of mass spectral analysis in an analytical electrostatic trap (14) is disclosed. The electrostatic trap (14) defines an electrostatic field volume and includes trap electrodes having static and non-ramped potentials. The method comprises injecting a continuous ion beam into the electrostatic field volume.