Thermo Fisher Scientific (bremen) Gmbh

Christian Hock

Hamish Stewart

Alexander Alekseevich Makarov

Dmitry E Grinfeld

Anastassios Giannakopulos

Nicolaie Eugen Damoc

Richard Heming

Alexander Kholomeev

Jan-Peter Hauschild

Alexander Wagner

Matthias Biel

Aivaras Venckus

A mass spectrometer comprises: a first ion optical device in a relatively low gas pressure region; a second ion optical device in a relatively high gas pressure region, the first and second ion optical devices receiving respective RF voltages from respective RF power supplies for generating respective RF fields that confine ions in respective trapping regions of the ion optical devices; and a gas conductance restriction, restricting gas flow from the relatively high gas pressure region to the relatively low gas pressure region, the gas conductance restriction having an aperture to allow ions to pass from the second to the first ion optical device. The first and second RF power supplies are independent to allow the RF voltages for generating the first RF field to have a different amplitude from the RF voltages for generating the second RF field.

Ion transport between ion optical devices at different gas pressures

An interface for receiving ions in a carrier gas from an atmospheric pressure ion source at a spectrometer that is configured to analyse the received ions at a lower pressure includes an interface vacuum chamber having a downstream aperture; a support assembly defining an axial bore arranged to allow a removable capillary tube to extend therethrough; ions being received from the atmospheric pressure ion source through the capillary tube and directed towards the downstream aperture; and a jet disruptor, positioned downstream from the axial bore and configured to disrupt gas flow between the axial bore and the downstream aperture only when the capillary tube is not fully inserted through the axial bore.

Atmospheric pressure ion source interface

Correction of an angle of tilt of an ion beam front in a Time of Flight (TOF) mass spectrometer is described. In one aspect, an ion beam front tilt corrector can include an electrode that, when applied with a voltage, defines an equipotential channel of particular dimensions to allow for ions in different transverse positions along a transverse axis of the equipotential channel to have different traversal times.

Ion front tilt correction for time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometer

A method of injecting ions into an ion storage device, comprising: providing an RF trapping field in the ion storage device that defines a trapping volume in the ion storage device by applying one or more RF voltages to one or more trapping electrodes; providing a gas in the trapping volume; injecting ions into the trapping volume through an aperture in an end electrode located at a first end of the ion storage device, the end electrode having a DC voltage applied thereto; reflecting the injected ions at a second end of the ion storage device, opposite to the first end, thereby returning the ions to the first end; and ramping the DC voltage applied to the end electrode during the period between injecting the ions through the aperture and the return of the ions to the first end, such that by the time the ions return to the first end for a first time a potential barrier is established by the ramped DC voltage that prevents returning ions from striking the end electrode. Also an apparatus for injecting ions into an ion storage device, which comprises a controller for ramping a first DC voltage applied to an end electrode of the device having an entrance aperture during a period between injection of ions through the entrance aperture and a return of the injected ions to the aperture so as to establish a potential barrier that prevents returning ions from striking the end electrode.

Injection of ions into an ion storage device

A data independent acquisition method of mass spectrometry for analyzing a sample within a mass range of interest as it elutes from a chromatography system. The method comprises selecting precursor ions within a mass range of interest to be analyzed, performing at least one MS1 scan of the precursor ions using a first, high-resolution mass analyzer and performing a set of MS2 scans by segmenting the precursor ions into a plurality of precursor mass segments, each precursor mass segment having a mass range of no greater than 5 amu, and for each precursor mass segment fragmenting the precursor ions within that precursor mass segment and performing an MS2 scan of the fragmented ions using a time of flight mass analyzer.

Hybrid mass spectrometer

A data independent acquisition method of mass spectrometry for analyzing a sample within a mass range of interest as it elutes from a chromatography system. The method comprises selecting precursor ions within a mass range of interest to be analyzed, performing at least one MS1 scan of the precursor ions using a Fourier Transform mass analyser and performing a set of MS2 scans by segmenting the precursor ions into a plurality of precursor mass segments, each precursor mass segment having a mass range of no greater than 5 amu, and for each precursor mass segment fragmenting the precursor ions within that precursor mass segment and performing an MS2 scan of the fragmented ions.

A method of calibrating a TOF-MS mass spectrum, to account for temperature changes, is disclosed. Ions are introduced into a Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometer and their mass to charge ratios are determined. Ions, including calibrant ions, are also introduced into a time of flight mass spectrometer and the mass to charge ratios of the calibrant ions at least are also determined. Specific peaks representative of calibrant ions are selected and matched between the TOF MS and FTMS spectra. The relative position of matched peaks in each spectrum is then used to determine a temperature correction factor for the TOF MS data, based upon the relative independence of the FTMS spectrum with respect to temperature.

Mass error correction due to thermal drift in a time of flight mass spectrometer

A method of ejecting ions to be analyzed from a quadrupole ion trap in which a trapping field is created by one or more RF voltages applied to one or more electrodes of the trap, the method comprising the steps of cooling the ions to be analyzed within the quadrupole ion trap until the ions are thermalized, reducing the amplitude of one or more RF voltages applied to the quadrupole ion trap and applying the reduced amplitude RF voltages for one half cycle after the one or more RF voltages have reached a zero crossing point, turning off the RF voltages applied to the quadrupole ion trap, and ejecting the ions to be analyzed from the quadrupole ion trap.

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Bremen, Germany

Christian Hock