Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Hewlett-packard Company

Bruker Daltonik Gmbh

John Christian Fjeldsted

August Jon Hidalgo

William Daniel Frazer

Carolyn C Broadbent

Jochen Franzen

Carl A Myerholtz

Stuart Carl Hansen

Alexander Mordehai

Michael Schubert

Jerry T Dowell

Ruwan T Kurulugama

Christian Klein

The collision cross section (CCS) of a sample ion may be calculated by measuring a total drift time taken by the sample ion to travel through an ion mobility spectrometry drift cell to an ion detector. The CCS may be calculated based on the total drift time measured, and on a proportionality coefficient that defines the time taken by the sample ion to travel through a mobility dominated region between the drift cell and the detector. The proportionality coefficient may be determined from measuring the total drift times of reference ions. Calculation of the CCS of the sample ion may also be based on a proportionality coefficient that defines the time taken by the sample ion to travel through a mobility-independent region where the velocity of the ion depends on the electrostatic field strength, mass and the charge state of the ion.

Fast method for measuring collision cross section of ions utilizing ion mobility spectrometry

A mass spectrometer comprises an ion detector, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, a sample adjuster, and an adder. The A/D converter is configured to generate digital samples representing an analog signal received from the ion detector during a mass scan. The adder is configured to sum the samples with corresponding unsuppressed samples representing analog signals received from the ion detector during previous mass scans, the summed samples defining a mass spectrum. The sample adjuster is configured to identify a peak defined by the samples and to suppress all but one of the samples defining the identified peak to enhance resolution of a peak in the mass spectrum.

Mass spectrometer and method for enhancing resolution of mass spectra

A mass spectrum is generated by a process in which, from a mass scan signal comprising original samples defining a peak, a subset of the original samples defining the peak is selected. One or more synthesized samples are synthesized from the subset of the original samples. The one or more synthesized samples provide a temporal resolution greater than the temporal resolution of the original samples. The one or more synthesized samples are summed with respective temporally-aligned accumulated samples to produce the mass spectrum. The accumulated samples are obtained from mass scan signals generated during respective previously-performed mass scan operations.

Enhanced resolution mass spectrometer and mass spectrometry method

A mass spectrometer includes an ion detector, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, and a decimator. The analog-to-digital (A/D) converter is configured to receive and sample an analog signal from the ion detector thereby providing a first plurality of samples at a first rate. The decimator is configured to receive the first plurality of samples and to transmit, at a second rate, a second plurality of samples that are based on the first plurality of samples. The decimator is further configured to dynamically adjust the second rate so that memory requirements for the mass spectrometer are reduced.

Systems and methods for dynamically adjusting sampling rates of mass spectrometers

A mass spectrometer comprises an ion detector, a first amplifier, a second amplifier, and a spectra combiner. The ion detector is configured to generate an analog signal indicative of ions detected by the ion detector. The first amplifier is configured to amplify the analog signal to provide a first amplified signal having a first gain relative to the analog signal. The second amplifier is configured to amplify the analog signal to provide a second amplified signal having a second gain relative to the analog signal, and the first gain is different than the second gain. The spectra combiner is configured to combine first summed digital samples of the first amplified signal with second summed digital samples of the second amplified signal.

Mass spectrometer and method for enhancing dynamic range

A mass spectrometer comprises an ion detector, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, a sample adjuster, and an adder. The A/D converter is configured to receive and sample an analog signal from the ion detector thereby providing a plurality of samples. The adder is configured to sum the samples, and the summed samples define a mass spectrum. The sample adjuster is configured to identify a peak defined by the samples and to suppress at least one of the samples of the peak such that a resolution of a peak within the mass spectrum is enhanced.

In a tandem mass spectrometer means are provided for molecular activation of ions prior to fragmentation. An embodiment of a tandem mass spectrometer comprises a first collision cell receiving analyte ions having an internal energy and a second collision cell situated downstream from the first collision cell wherein the first collision cell increases the internal energy of the analyte ions prior to entry of the ions into the second collision cell, the increase in internal energy imparted in the first collision cell alone being insufficient to fragment a substantial portion of the analyte ions. Another embodiment includes a collision cell with a heating device situated adjacent to the collision cell for controlling the temperature within the collision cell.

Molecular activation for tandem mass spectroscopy

The invention referres to analytic methods, the accuracy of which is increased by relating signals of analyte ions to those of reference ions, or by relating ion signals from measuring methods under special conditions to those of reference methods. If such 'comparative' analysis procedures are performed in ion trap mass spectrometers, problems arise with the low dynamic measuring range covered by one spectrum in such mass spectrometers and, if different spectra are compared, with the control of the space charge within the ion trap. The invention consists in acquiring analyte spectra and reference spectra in different acquisition procedures, alternating between both types of spectrum acquisitions as fast as possible, whereby control of the space charge in the ion trap proceeds separately for the spectra of both types, the control being related to previously acquired spectra of the same type. A similar procedure can be set up, if measuring results of two different sets of measurement conditions have to be compared. The control variable for the space charge control is derived from the last respective individual spectra scanned under the same conditions. Due to this fast interchanging of individual spectra, time-saving control of the space charge is achieved on the one hand, and a large dynamic measurement range is available on the other.

Methods of comparative analysis using ion trap mass spectrometers

A quartz quadrupole comprises a quartz substrate, conductive strips and low-conductivity strips. The substrate includes hyperbolic inner surfaces which provide the geometry for the conformed conductive strips to produce an appropriate electric field for mass filter operation. The use of quartz as a substrate material provides the thermal and electrical characteristics required by high performance mass filtering operations, including scanning mode operation to 800 amu and above. During such operation, potential field distortions by accumulated charge in cusp sections of the substrate are minimized by the low-conductivity strips, which are arranged to overlap longitudinal edges of the conductive strips. Formation of the quartz substrate is made possible by high precision machining, grinding and polishing of a refractory metal mandrel. The actual step of forming the substrate is simplified by the low thermal coefficient of expansion of the quartz. The conductive strips are applied by firing metal-glass frit tape. The low-conductivity strips are applied by firing a metal-oxide slurry including a bonding agent.

Quartz quadrupole for mass filter

In a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) instrument, an improved heating system includes an interface between the gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer portions of the instrument, a radiator located within a vacuum chamber of the mass spectrometer, a thermal coupler attaching the interface to the radiator, and a heat source which directly heats the interface and indirectly heats the radiator via conduction through the thermal coupler. The heating system uses a single heating element located externally to the vacuum system of the mass spectrometer to produce a multiplicity of temperatures for the interface and various portions of the mass spectrometer.

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

John Christian Fjeldsted