Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Michael Ugarov

James L Bertsch

Harvey D Loucks, Jr

Yevgeny Kaplun

William E Barry

A time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS) system includes an ion deflector, ion extractor, a flight tube, and a detector. The deflector may be disposed in the flight tube or outside the flight tube upstream of the extractor. The deflector deflects ions away from a main flight path such that the defected ions are not detected.

Ion deflection in time-of-flight mass spectrometry

An atmospheric pressure (AP) interface for a spectrometer includes wall for separating an ionization chamber from a reduced-pressure region of the spectrometer, an ion inlet defining an ion path from the ionization chamber to the reduced-pressure region, and a passage defining a gas path from the ionization chamber to a gas outlet external to the reduced-pressure region. The passage may have a greater gas conductance than the ion inlet such that most gas into the passage and not the ion inlet. The interface device is configured for applying a static electric field effective for focusing ions in the ionization chamber preferentially into the ion inlet.

Atmospheric pressure interface with improved ion transfer for spectrometry, and related systems and methods

Methods, apparatus and systems for acquiring spectrometric data from analyte ions implement transient-level data acquisition and peak correction in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Transient spectra including analyte peaks and reference mass peaks are recorded, from which a set of averaged peak centroids of the reference masses is generated. The peaks of reference masses in each transient spectrum are compared to the averaged peak centroids. From this comparison, an appropriate correction function is applied to each transient spectrum to correct the positions of the analyte peaks in each transient spectrum. The corrected transient spectra are then summed to obtain a corrected averaged spectrum.

Transient level data acquisition and peak correction for time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Methods, apparatus and systems for acquiring spectrometric data from analyte ions implement a combination of drift-type ion mobility (IM) separation and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF MS). Both separation techniques are carried out in tandem while applying mass filtering with a wide window of ion isolation. One mode of operation entails utilizing a mass filter to limit ion packets to ions in a selected m/z range that remains constant over the entire course of data acquisition. Another mode entails utilizing the mass filter to limit ion packets to an m/z range that varies over the course of data acquisition.

Data acquisition modes for ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Described herein is an ion slicer that: a) accelerates an ion beam towards a first electrode comprising an ion entrance slit, where the first electrode blocks a portion of ions with high displacement from the axis of the ion beam, thereby slicing the ion beam; and then b) decelerates the ion beam after it is sliced.

Ion slicer with accelleration and decelleration optics

A mass spectrometer and method for operating the same. The mass spectrometer includes a vacuum chamber and an input port that receives ions to be analyzed in the mass spectrometer. The chamber is adapted to operate at a pressure less than a first pressure, and includes a wall that separates the chamber from an environment outside the chamber at atmospheric pressure. The input port provides a pressure drop between the outside environment at a second pressure and the chamber. The input port includes a plurality of channels, each channel having first and second electrodes arranged on opposing surfaces of that channel and having first and second ends. The first end of each channel is at a pressure equal to the first pressure and the second end is at a pressure less than the second pressure.

Input port for mass spectrometers that is adapted for use with ion sources that operate at atmospheric pressure

A multipole ion guide comprises rods disposed about an axis, each of the rods having a first end and a second end remote from the first end. Each of the rods is disposed at a respective greater distance from the axis at the first end than at the second end. The multipole ion guide comprises means for applying a radio frequency (RF) voltage between adjacent pairs of rods, wherein the RF voltage creates a multipole field in a region between the rods; and means for applying a direct current (DC) voltage drop along a length of each of the rods. A mass spectroscopy system is also disclosed.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Michael Ugarov