Thermo Finnigan LLC

Johnathan Wayne Smith

Scott T Quarmby

Alan E Schoen

Michael W Senko

Dustin J Kreft

Edward B McCauley

Oleg Silivra

Berg A Tehlirian

Lawrence G Baldwin

A mass spectrometer support apparatus includes a deconvolution logic and a centroider logic. The deconvolution logic is configured to deconvolve a mass spectrum measured by a mass spectrometer using an approximate peak shape. The centroider logic is configured to integrate the deconvolved spectrum and populate a sparse vector of peak locations.

Sparsity based data centroider

A mass spectrometer support apparatus includes a peak shape logic to determine one or more peak shapes using a calibration mass spectrum and known peak locations; and a tuning logic to adjust instrument parameters to achieve a selected peak width. A method for tuning a quadrupole-based mass spectrometer includes determining one or more peak shapes using a calibration mass spectrum and known peak locations; and adjusting instrument parameters to achieve a selected peak width.

Method for tuning with unresolved peaks on quadrupole mass spectrometers

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for a mass spectrometer having a multipole configured to pass an ion stream, and a detector configured to detect the properties of the abundance of ions represented by data points. The mass spectrometer also includes a processing system that is configured to obtain a plurality of paired data points (e.g., detector data points and RF amplitude data points), and identify, based on centroiding a portion of the plurality of paired data points, at least one characteristic of a peak and determine, based on the at least one characteristic of the peak, a preferred peak shape.

Quadrupole mass spectrometer data to enable new hardware operating regimes

A mass spectrometer includes an ion source configured to produce ions from a sample; a set of quadrupole rods configured to select ions based on a mass-to-charge ratio; a DC rod driver configured to produce a voltage; a DC rod driver filter configured to filter RF frequency interference; and a controller. The controller is configured to utilize the results of the constrained convex optimization to cause a DC rod drive to produce the DC filter input and provide a required voltage to the set of quadrupole rods, the constrained convex utilizing a impulse response curve of the DC rod driver filter to determine a DC filter input to achieve the required voltage on the set of quadrupole rods; select ions passing through the set of quadrupole rods based on the mass-to-charge ratio; and measure the intensity of the ions.

Device control to maximize system utilization

Control of an amplitude of a signal applied to rods of a quadrupole is described. In one aspect, a mass spectrometer includes an amplifier circuit that causes a radio frequency (RF) signal to be applied to the rods of the quadrupole. A controller circuit can determine that the actual amplitude of the RF signal differs than the expected amplitude and, in response, identify current and past environmental and performance parameters to adjust the amplitude.

Amplifier amplitude digital control for a mass spectrometer

A metal-channel conversion dynode comprises: a wafer comprising a first face and a second face parallel to the first face and having a thickness less than 1000 μm; and a plurality of channels passing through the wafer from the first face to the second face at an angle to a plane of the first face and a plane of the second face. In some embodiments, each inter-channel distance may be substantially the same as the wafer thickness. In some embodiments, the wafer is fabricated from tungsten. In some other embodiments, the wafer comprises a non-electrically conductive material that is fabricated by three-dimensional (3D) printing or other means and that is coated, on its faces and within its channels, with a metal or suitably conductive coating that produces secondary electrons upon impact by either positive or negative ions.

Ion-to-electron conversion dynode for ion imaging applications

Control of an amplitude of a signal applied to a component of a mass spectrometer is described. In one aspect, a mass spectrometer includes a component and a resonant circuit to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal applied to the component. An amplitude control circuit can be inductively coupled with inductors of the resonant circuit to selectively discharge energy from the resonant circuit and, therefore, adjust the amplitude of the signal in particular situations.

Amplifier amplitude control for a mass spectrometer

Control of an amplitude of a signal applied to rods of a quadrupole is described. In one aspect, a mass spectrometer includes an amplifier circuit that causes a radio frequency (RF) signal to be applied to the rods of the quadrupole based on an amplifier RF input signal. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) can generate a digital representation of the RF signal. A controller circuit can receive the digital representation and adjust an amplitude of the amplifier RF input signal based on differences between an amplitude of a fundamental frequency of the RF signal being different than an expected amplitude.

An ion source assembly is described that includes an electron source configured to inject electrons into an ion volume to ionize an atom or molecule in the ion volume, wherein the electron source includes a filament. A lens electrode is positioned adjacent the electron source and includes an opening configured to pass electrons therethrough from the electron source into the ion volume. A supply voltage source is coupled to the filament and configured to supply a first voltage to the filament, wherein the first voltage is operable to ionize the molecules in the ion volume. Further, a bias voltage source is coupled to the supply voltage source and configured to supply a bias voltage to the lens electrode. Electrons striking the lens electrode are thereafter returned to the filament.

Emission current measurement for superior instrument-to-instrument repeatability

Control of an amplitude of a signal applied to rods of a quadrupole is described. In one aspect, a mass spectrometer includes a quadrupole mass analyzer and a resonant circuit to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal applied to rods of the quadrupole mass analyzer. An amplitude control circuit can be inductively coupled with inductors of the resonant circuit to selectively discharge energy from the resonant circuit and, therefore, adjust the amplitude of the signal in particular situations.

A mass spectrometer is described that includes a multipole configured to pass an ion stream, the ion stream comprising an abundance of one or more ion species within stability boundaries defined by (a, q) values. A detector formed by a plurality of dynodes is configured to detect the spatial and temporal properties of the abundance of ions, where each dynode arranged such that it is struck by ions in a known spatial relationship with the ion stream. The detector also includes a plurality of charged particle detectors, each associated with one or more of the plurality of dynodes. A processing system is configured to record and store a pattern of detection of ions in the abundance of ions by the dynodes in the detector.

Multidimensional dynode detector

An ion detection system for a detecting a quantity of ions exiting from a mass analyzer of a mass spectrometer comprises: (a) photon generating means configured to receive the quantity of ions and to generate a quantity of photons that is proportional to the quantity of ions; (b) a linear array of photo-detectors configured along a line for detecting a variation of a portion of the quantity of generated photons along the line; and (c) an optical system for directing the portion of the quantity of photons from the photon generating means to the linear array of photo-detectors comprising: (c1) a first cylindrical lens having a first lens axis disposed parallel to the line; (c2) a second cylindrical lens or rod lens having a second lens axis disposed parallel to the line; and a doublet lens.

System for recording spatial and temporal properties of ions emitted from a quadrupole mass filter

A method of mass analysis comprises: generating ions from the sample; delivering the ions to a quadrupole; applying a radio frequency voltage, V, to rods of the quadrupole such that the instantaneous electrical potential of each rod is out of phase with each adjacent rod and a non-oscillatory voltage, U, across each pair of adjacent rods such that a subset of the ions having a range of mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios are selectively transmitted through the quadrupole; varying at least one of voltage U and voltage V such that the range of selectively transmitted m/z ratios is caused to vary and varying at least one additional operational parameter; acquiring a data set comprising a series of temporally-resolved images of spatial distribution patterns of transmitted ions at each combination of U, V and the at least one additional operating parameter; and mathematically deconvolving the data set to generate mass spectra.

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Round Rock, TX, United States of America

Johnathan Wayne Smith