Thermo Finnigan LLC

Thermo Fisher Scientific (bremen) Gmbh

Other

Thermo Fisher Scientific Gmbh

Mikhail V Ugarov

Alexander Alekseevich Makarov

Viatcheslav V Kovtoun

Dmitry E Grinfeld

Qingyu Song

Pablo Nieto Ramos

Harald Oser

Oleg Silivra

Vladimir Gurevich

Dimitry E Grinfeld

A system for analyzing a sample includes a source configured to generate ions from constituent components of the sample; a mobility separator configured to separate ions received from the source based on the mobility in a gas; a ion storage array configured to store ions from the mobility separator as a plurality of mobility fractions; a mass filter configured to select ions within a mass-to-charge window; a mass analyzer configured to determine the mass-to-charge ratio of the ions; and a controller. The controller is configured to identify an ion mobility fraction and a mass-to-charge window to select for a charge state or ion class; utilize the mass filter to select ions from the ion storage array within the mass-to-charge window corresponding to a charge state or ion class; and analyze the selected ions with the mass analyzer.

Ion mobility enhanced qualitative and quantitative methods

It is proposed to improve transmission of ions along the curved path of an ion guide by changing the separation between adjacent multipole rods in the plane of curvature. As the separation increases along the length of the device, the ion confinement in the plane of curvature decreases. At the same time, the external field penetration from the electrodes outside of the main ion guide increases which can be used to create additional DC field gradients to facilitate ion confinement and motion through the ion guide.

Ion guide geometry improvements

An ion mobility analyser is disclosed having a gas flow directed along the ion travel axis and a set of electrodes to which DC voltages are applied to establish a DC field. The opposing forces of the gas flow and DC field cause ions to be trapped within a separation region in axial regions determined by their ion mobilities. A gas recirculator, having inlet and outlet ends respectively located downstream and upstream of the separation region, supplies at least fifty percent of the gas flow within the separation region, thereby reducing vacuum pumping requirements.

Flow recirculation for mobility separation improvement

A mass spectrometry method comprises: receiving a stream of ions at an inlet end of an ion transport device; accumulating a first portion of the ion stream at a first electrical potential well at a first position within the ion transport device between the inlet and outlet ends; creating a generally descending potential profile within the ion transport apparatus between a second position and the outlet end and, simultaneously, creating a second potential well at a third position within the ion transport apparatus, the second position disposed between the first position and the inlet end, the third position disposed between the second position and the inlet end; and transporting the accumulated first portion of the ion stream from the first position to the outlet end under the impetus of the generally descending potential profile and, simultaneously, accumulating a second portion of the ion stream at the second potential well.

Methods and apparatus for ion transfer by ion bunching

A system for analyzing a sample includes a source; a mobility separator configured to separate ions based on a mobility in a gas; a plurality of ion channels; and a mass analyzer. The mobility separator includes a two-dimensional grid of electrodes spanning a passage between first and second walls. The first and second walls include an inlet aperture and a plurality of exit apertures, respectively. The two-dimensional grid of electrodes configured to generate an electric field within the passage. The plurality of ion channels arranged adjacent to the plurality of exit apertures. Movement of ions between the inlet aperture and the plurality of exit apertures are governed by the electric field and a gas flow through the passage between to the first and second walls such that the ions are sorted and directed to different channels based on their respective mobility.

Systems and methods for ion mobility separation using a lens array

A mass spectrometer includes an ion source configured to ionize a sample to produce ions; a mass analyzer configured to separate the ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio; a detector configured to detect ions; an ion optics component configured to direct ions along at least part of the path from the ion source to the mass analyzer to the detector; and a controller. The controller is configured to switch the source at a first time from a first polarity source voltage to a second polarity source voltage; and switch the detector or the ion optics component at a second time from a first voltage to a second voltage, the second time being offset from the first time, the first voltage being the first polarity detector voltage or the first polarity ion optics voltage and the second voltage being the second polarity detector voltage or the second polarity ion optics voltage.

Dual polarity ion management

A mass spectrometer includes an ion source, an ion guide, a first gate, first and second mass filters, a fragmentation cell, a detector, and a controller. The ion source is configured to produce an ion beam from a sample. The first and second mass filters are configured to selectively transmit ions within a mass-to-charge range and reject ions outside of the mass-to-charge range. The detector is configured to measure the intensity of the transmitted ion beam. The controller is configured to close the first ion gate to prevent ions from entering the first mass filter, switch a first quadrupole voltage of the first mass filter to a voltage of a first transition, and open the first ion gate to allow ions to enter the first mass filter, the opening offset from the switching by at least the time required to adjust the voltage of the first mass filter.

Fast continuous SRM acquisitions with or without ion trapping

A method of analyzing a sample includes setting initial dwells time for a plurality of transitions; monitoring the transitions during a mass spectrometry analysis; detecting a signal intensity above a first threshold for a first transition of the plurality of transitions; increasing a dwell time for the first transition in response to the signal intensity being above the first threshold; detecting the signal intensity for the first transition falling below a second threshold; and decreasing the dwell time for the first transition in response to the signal intensity falling below the second threshold.

Adjustable dwell time for SRM acquisition

A method of operating a quadrupole mass filter is disclosed. A first set of RF and resolving DC voltages are applied to electrodes of a quadrupole mass filter to selectively transmit first ions having a first mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). A second set of RF and resolving DC voltages are applied to electrodes of the quadrupole mass filter to selectively transmit second ions having a second m/z. Detection of the second ions is initiated after completion of a settling time. The settling time is determined in accordance with the relationship: Eq. 1, where tis the settling time, (m/z)is the first mass-to-charge ratio, (m/z)is the second mass-to-charge ratio and A, B and C are empirically derived coefficients.

Method and apparatus for improved mass spectrometer operation

A system for analyzing a sample includes a source configured to generate ions from constituent components of the sample; a mobility separator configured to separate ions received from the source based on the mobility in a gas; a plurality of ion channels arranged adjacent to the plurality of exit apertures of the mobility separator such that ions from the mobility separator are directed to different channels according to their respective mobility; a mass analyzer configured to determine the mass-to-charge ratio of the ions; and a controller. The controller is configured to identify retention time windows with minimum overlap of ions with similar mobility and sets of ions within the retention time windows; adjust mobility separation parameters for specific sets of ions to optimize separation of compounds; and quantify a plurality of target analytes.

Quantitation throughput enhancement by differential mobility based pre-separation

Systems and methods for ion separation using IMS-MS with multiple ion exits

An apparatus for separating ions includes an electrode arrangement having a length extending between first and second ends. The first end is configured to introduce a beam of ions into an ion transmission space of the arrangement. An electronic controller applies an RF potential and a DC potential to an electrode of the electrode arrangement, for generating a ponderomotive RF electric field and a mass-independent DC electric field. The application of the potentials is controlled such that a ratio of the strength of the ponderomotive RF electric field to the strength of the mass-independent DC electric field varies along the length of the electrode arrangement. The generated electric field supports extraction of ions having different m/z values at respective different positions along the length of the electrode arrangement. Ions are extracted in one of increasing and decreasing sequential order of m/z ratio with increasing distance from the first end.

Ion beam mass pre-separator

A system for analyzing a sample includes a source configured to generate ions from constituent components of the sample; a mobility separation device, a plurality of ion channels, and a mass analyzer configured to determine the mass-to-charge ratio of the ions. The mobility device is configured to separate ions received from the source based on the mobility in a gas. The mobility separation device provides a gas flow in a first direction and an electric field gradient along a second direction such that ions move in the first direction and drift according to their mobility in the second direction and are sorted based on their respective mobility. The ion channels are arranged adjacent to the mobility separation device such that ions from the mobility separation device are directed to different channels according to their respective mobility.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Mikhail V Ugarov