Tofwerk Ag

University of California

Marc Gonin

Felipe Lopez-Hilfiker

Christian Tanner

Urs Rohner

Martin Tanner

Katrin Fuhrer

Manuel Hutterli

Carsten Stoermer

Kimberly A Prather

Joseph E Mayer

Michael Kamrath

Steffen Bräkling

Marc Pfander

Joel Kimmel

Mike Cubison

Matthias Erb

Sonja Klee

Viatcheslav Ivanovich Kozlovski

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 (). Thereby, repeatedly, a first assay is obtained from the sample and transferred past any chromatography column to a first ion source () and ionised by the first ion source () to the first sample ions, wherein the first sample ions obtained from the respective first assay are transferred to the mass analyser (), wherein at least one first mass spectrum is obtained with the mass analyser () from the first sample ions obtained from the respective first assay and ionised by and transferred from the first ion source (). 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 () to at least one second ion source () in that after being chromatographically separated, the respective second assay eluting from the chromatography column () is transferred to the at least one second ion source () and ionised by the at least one second ion source () to the second sample ions, wherein the second sample ions obtained from the respective second assay are transferred to the mass analyser (), wherein at least one second mass spectrum is obtained with the mass analyser () 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 (). 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 () 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 () for mass analysing a sample with the method according to the invention.

Method and apparatus for mass analysing a sample

An ion molecule reactor for generating analyte ions from analytes comprises: a) a reaction volume in which reagent ions can interact with the analytes in order to form analyte ions; b) at least one analyte inlet for introducing the analytes along an inlet path into the reaction volume whereby, preferably, the inlet path runs essentially along at least a first section of the predefined transit path in the reaction volume; c) at least one reagent ion source and/or at least one reagent ion inlet for providing reagent ions into the reaction volume; d) optionally, at least one ion guide comprising an electrode arrangement which is configured for producing an alternating electrical, magnetic and/or electromagnetic field, that allows for guiding the reagent ions and/or the analyte ions at least along a section of the predefined transit path, preferably along the whole transit path, through the reaction volume. There is also provided a sampler comprising one or more chambers, wherein each chamber is configured for receiving an individual sample and comprises an inlet and an outlet, such that a gaseous fluid flow can pass through each of the chambers.

Ion molecule reactor and setup for analyzing complex mixtures

An autosampler for obtaining mass spectra from a plurality of fluid samples, in particular gaseous samples including a plurality of containers including sample sources providing the samples, wherein each one of the containers provides a docking port for being connected with a connector for enabling access to an inside of the respective container via the connector in order to obtain the respective sample from the respective container via said connector. The autosampler further includes an ionisation source for ionising at least a part of the samples, and a mass analyser for obtaining the mass spectra from the ions. The ionisation source is moveable within the autosampler sequentially to each of the containers for connecting the connector to the docking port of the respective container for collecting the sample from the respective container for ionising at least a part of the sample and obtaining the mass spectra from the ions.

Autosampler

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for analysing a chemical composition of aerosol particles. The apparatus comprises an extractive electrospray ionisation source for extracting components, in particular organic compounds, from the aerosol particles and for ionising the components to ions, and a mass analyser, in particular a time of flight mass analyser, for analysing the ions, the mass analyser fluidly coupled to the extractive electrospray ionisation source. The method includes the steps of extracting components, in particular organic compounds, from the aerosol particles with an extractive electrospray ionisation source and ionising the components with the extractive electrospray ionisation source to ions, transferring the ions to a mass analyser, in particular a time of flight mass analyser, the mass analyser being fluidly coupled to the extractive electrospray ionisation source, and analysing the ions with the mass analyser.

Apparatus and method for analysing a chemical composition of aerosol particles

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining a spectrum of a sample comprising one or more constituent parts on the basis of a time the one or more constituent parts require to undergo a physical process or chemical process. The spectrum is determined by dividing the sample by a modulation unit into assays for which the physical process or chemical process is initiated successively, timed according to a modulation pattern which is a function composed of N consecutive modulation functions with N being 2 or larger, by measuring with a detector in N consecutive cycles a time when the constituent parts of the sample have completed the physical process or chemical process, wherein in succession of the cycles, each cycle is assigned to a consecutive one of the modulation functions within the modulation pattern, wherein each cycle is started with an offset in time as compared to a start of the modulation function it is assigned to, wherein for each cycle, the offset is different, wherein the detector provides a detector signal providing information on when what number of constituent parts have completed the physical process or chemical process and wherein the detector signal has a detection time resolution, wherein at least one of the offsets has an absolute value different from zero, different from the detection time resolution and different from multiples of the detection time resolution, and by calculating a correlation of the detector signal and the modulation pattern with a calculation unit.

Method and an apparatus for determining a spectrum

An apparatus for mass spectrometry comprises a portion generator () for creating localized analyte portions in synchronization with trigger pulses, a transfer system () coupled to the portion generator () for transporting the localized analyte portions, a plasma ionizer unit () coupled to the transfer system () for atomizing, vaporizing and ionizing received analyte portions with plasma, a mass analyzer () coupled to the plasma ionizer unit () for analyzing received analyte portions, the mass analyzer () comprising at least one detector, and a data acquisition electronics () connected to the at least one detector for acquiring signals () generated by the at least one detector. The apparatus further includes a signal delay device () for receiving the trigger pulses () and delivering delayed signals () corresponding to the trigger pulses to account for a delay experienced by the particles to be analyzed between portion generation and detection.

Apparatus and method for mass spectrometry

A device for mass spectrometry comprises an ionization source, a mass analyzer fluidly coupled to the ionization source and an electronic data acquisition system for processing signals provided by the mass analyzer. The electronic data acquisition system comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter () producing digitized data from the signals obtained from the mass analyzer and a fast processing unit () receiving the digitized data from said analog-to-digital converter (). The fast processing () unit is programmed to continuously, in real time inspect the digitized data for events of interest measured by the mass spectrometer; and the electronic data acquisition system is programmed to forward () the digitized data representing mass spectra relating to events of interest for further analysis and to reject the digitized data representing mass spectra not relating to events of interest. The device allows for maintaining efficiency at high speed by eliminating all processing times (idle time in acquisition) for data segments that do not contain information about events.

Device for mass spectrometry

Among other things, methods, systems, apparatus for performing on-the-fly apportionment are described. In particular, a mass spectrometry apparatus includes an ionization laser to produce a deionization laser beam. The apparatus also includes a particle beam path that receives aerosol particles and intersects the ionization laser beam at a location where aerosol particles are desorbed and ionized by the laser beam. The apparatus also includes an ion extractor located at or near the ionization location to separate positive ions and negative ions desorbed from the aerosol particles and to direct the positive ions along a first direction of an ion path and the negative ions along a second, opposite direction of the ion path. The apparatus also includes a first reflectron located at a first side of the ion extractor, on the ion path, to reflect the positive ions along a first reflection path that deviates from the ion path.

Compact aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer

An ion guide chamber comprising a gas-tight elongate chamber, at least one first electrode for generating a field for transporting ions along the elongate chamber and at least one second electrode for generating a field for focusing ions within the elongate chamber. The elongate chamber, e. g. constituted by a glass tube, comprises a resistive structure extending substantially along a main axis of the chamber, whereas the first electrode is constituted by the resistive structure. Furthermore, the second electrode is arranged outside the elongate chamber. Having the RF electrodes arranged outside the vacuum chamber, provides a mechanically simple solution as well as insuring that contamination of the RF electrodes to the analyte gas cannot occur. This allows for a cost-saving design of the RF electrodes and with the corresponding voltages outside the chamber, preferably at atmospheric pressure or high vacuum, avoids discharges within the tube.

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Thun, Switzerland

Marc Gonin