Abstract: A method of mass spectral analysis in an analytical electrostatic trap (14) is disclosed. The electrostatic trap (14) defines an electrostatic field volume and includes trap electrodes having static and non-ramped potentials. The method comprises injecting a continuous ion beam into the electrostatic field volume.

Abstract: A resistance furnace provides an improved upper and lower electrode construction with significantly increased coolant flow. The lower electrode has a tip design that significantly lowers the electrode tip temperature during an analysis. The upper and lower electrodes also cooperate with an improved crucible design to significantly reduce the power required to fuse a specimen contained in the crucible. The furnace uniformly heats the floor and lower side walls of a crucible, which lowers the power requirement for specimen fusion and provides higher structural benefits to provide consistent analysis and manufacturing yields. The crucible has a cylindrical body and pedestal base with an annular smoothly curved concave indentation therebetween.

Abstract: Implementations of methods and apparatuses are disclosed for decoding multiplexed information in a chromatographic system. Implementations may include the method of pulsing ions from an ion source through an analyzer according to a predetermined multiplexing scheme, each pulse including one or more ions corresponding to a sample, detecting a plurality of ion strikes at a detector, determining a data point for each ion strike, wherein each data point includes an intensity of a detected ion strike and a time of the detected ion strike, maintaining a multiplexed spectrum of the data points, the multiplexed spectrum including the data points, and demultiplexing the time shifted spectrum using the data points of the multiplexed spectrum.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer including an ion source, an ion guide, a pulsed converter, and an electrostatic analyzer is disclosed, along with a method of mass spectrometry and an ion injector. The ion source generates ions, such as ions within a continuous or a quasi-continuous ion beam. The ion guide receives a portion of the ions generated by the ion source. The pulsed converter, which receives ions from the ion guide, includes at least one electrode connected to a RF signal. The pulsed converter may include a means for ejecting the ions in the form of ion packets. The electrostatic analyzer forms a two-dimensional electrostatic field in an X-Y plane. The electrostatic field is substantially extended in a Z-direction that is locally orthogonal to the X-Y plane and may be curved or linear. Ions undergo isochronous ion oscillations in the electrostatic field. The pulsed converter and electrostatic analyzer are Z-directionally elongated.

Abstract: A method of data independent MS-MS analysis is disclosed. The method comprises ramping or stepping in small steps of a wide (at least 10 amu) parent mass window in a first parent selecting mass spectrometer (MS1), arranging rapid ion transfer through a collisional cell, either by axial gas flow or by an axial DC field or by a travelling RF wave, frequently pulsing an orthogonal accelerator with a string of time-encoded pulses, analyzing fragment ions in a multi-reflecting time-flight mass spectrometer, acquiring data in a data logging format, and decoding signal strings corresponding to the entire scan of parent masses, such that fragment spectra are formed based on time correlation between fragment and parent masses. Frequent pulsing is expected to recover parent and fragment time correlation with an accuracy of approximately 1 Th, in spite of using much wider mass window in the first MS.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure provides a method of mass spectrometric analysis that includes producing either glow discharge within a noble gas between 3-100 mBar pressure, sampling and conditioning glow discharge products within a gas flow through a conductive channel, removing charged particles while transferring excited Ridberg atoms, and mixing conditioned discharge products with analyte flow within an enclosed chamber at elevated temperatures above 150° Celsius for producing a Penning reaction between analyte molecules and Ridberg atoms. The method further includes sampling, by a gas flow, said analyte ions for mass spectrometric analysis, and at least one of the following steps: (i) removing charge within said conditioning channel; (ii) coaxially mixing of analyte flow with the flow of conditioned plasma; and (iii) cooling of the mixed flow within a sonic or supersonic jet for reducing the region of Penning ionization to cold jet.

Abstract: An ion trap mass spectrometer including an ion trap analyzer, an ion packet injector, and an ion detector is disclosed, along with a method of mass spectrometry. The ion packet injector injects packets of ions into a field of the ion trap analyzer. The ion packets move along isochronous oscillations according to their mass-to-charge ration. The ion detector may be implemented as a novel image current detector, a novel time-of-flight detector, or a combination of the two. The novel image current detector may comprise segments along an X-axis or a Z-axis of the mass spectrometer. The novel time-of-flight detector may sample a portion of ions of the ion packet per each isochronous oscillation.

Abstract: A novel MS-MS apparatus utilizing electrostatic traps is disclosed, along with an associated method of analysis. The apparatus may include a chromatograph, an ion source, a first mass spectrometer, a fragmentation cell, an ion guide, a pulsed converter, and a Z-directional elongated electrostatic trap. The electrostatic trap, which may be Z-elongated into a cylindrical electrostatic trap, includes at least one of an image current detector and a time-of-flight detector. The pulsed converter is Z-directionally elongated to match the electrostatic trap. Ion selection from electrostatic traps may be accomplished with an electrode that ejects ion from an oscillation space to a time-of-flight detector, a fragmentation surface, or a passage between E-trap regions.

Abstract: A method of adjusting a baseline value in data received from a mass spectrometer includes generating a plurality of data signal values with a converter. The method also includes categorizing the plurality of data signal values relative to a plurality of threshold values. The plurality of threshold values include a high value, a mid-high value, a mid-low value, and a low value. The method further includes determining (i) a first quantity of data signal values categorized between the high value and the mid-high values, (ii) a second quantity of data signal values categorized between the mid-high value and the mid-low value, and (iii) a third quantity of data signal values categorized between the mid-low value and the low value. The method also includes generating a table of the first quantity of data signal values, the second quantity of data signal values, and the third quantity of data signal values.

Abstract: An analytical instrument includes a data acquisition system that produces data. The analytical instrument includes a data compression system/process that utilizes a lossless data compression technique that can be implemented using minimal hardware and software resources. The process may be implemented in such a way that it can be split into many parallel operations. The process can be implemented utilizing software and/or processing devices such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) or Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).

Abstract: A method of mass spectral analysis in an analytical electrostatic trap (14) is disclosed. The electrostatic trap (14) defines an electrostatic field volume and includes trap electrodes having static and non-ramped potentials. The method comprises injecting a continuous ion beam into the electrostatic field volume.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for improving ion mobility spectrometry by using a fast and spatially wide ion gate based on local RF field barrier opposed to a switching DC field. Alternatively, the speed and charge throughput of ion mobility separator are improved by arranging coaxial mobility cell followed by conical coaxial ion channel. The improvement accelerates the ion mobility analysis and improves charge throughput and dynamic range of the IMS. The invention is particularly suited for rapid dual gas chromatography, fast CE. Preferably, the accelerated and wide bore IMS is coupled to a multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a fast encoded orthogonal acceleration. Speed and sensitivity of IMS with fast pulsing MR-TOF make it practical to arrange analytical methods of comprehensive and orthogonal separation in multiple analytical dimensions.

Abstract: For improving sensitivity, dynamic range, and specificity of GC-MS analysis there are disclosed embodiments of novel apparatuses based on improved characteristics of semi-open source with electron impact ionization, providing much higher brightness compared to known open EI sources. In an implementation, the source becomes compatible with multi-reflecting TOF analyzers for higher resolution analysis for improving detection limit. With improved schemes of spatial and temporal refocusing there are proposed various tandem TOF-TOF spectrometers with PSD, CID, and SID fragmentation and using either singly reflecting TOF or MR-TOF analyzers.

Abstract: An open electrostatic trap mass spectrometer is disclosed for operation with wide and diverging ion packets. Signal on detector is composed of signals corresponding to multiplicity of ion cycles, called multiplets. Using reproducible distribution of relative intensity within multiplets, the signal can be unscrambled for relatively sparse spectra, such as spectra past fragmentation cell of tandem mass spectrometer, past ion mobility and differential ion mobility separators. Various embodiments are provided for particular pulsed ion sources and pulsed converters such as orthogonal accelerators, ion guides, and ion traps. The method and apparatus enhance the duty cycle of pulsed converters, improve space charge tolerance of the open trap analyzer and extends the dynamic range of time-of-flight detectors.

Abstract: Implementations of methods and apparatuses are disclosed for decoding multiplexed information in a chromatographic system. Implementations may include the method of pulsing ions from an ion source through an analyzer according to a predetermined multiplexing scheme, each pulse including one or more ions corresponding to a sample, detecting a plurality of ion strikes at a detector, determining a data point for each ion strike, wherein each data point includes an intensity of a detected ion strike and a time of the detected ion strike, maintaining a multiplexed spectrum of the data points, the multiplexed spectrum including the data points, and demultiplexing the time shifted spectrum using the data points of the multiplexed spectrum.

Abstract: An electrostatic analyzer including at least one first set of electrodes, at least one second set of electrodes, and a field free space separating the two sets of electrodes is disclosed. The two sets of electrodes form two-dimensional electrostatic fields of ion mirrors and are arranged to provide isochronous ion oscillations in an x-y plane. Both sets of electrodes are curves at a constant curvature radius R along a third locally orthogonal Z-direction to form a torroidal field region. A related method is also disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatuses (41, 91, 111, 115, 121, 151) and methods (31) for time-of-flight mass spectrometry providing effective pulsed conversion of continuous ion beams into pulsed ion packets is disclosed. Bunching of energetic continuous ion beams forms ion packets, which are filtered by a subsequent isochronous energy filter (49, 79, 81-84, 110). The bunching method is particularly suitable for ion sources with relatively large spatial emittance, otherwise unable to fir the acceptance of orthogonal accelerators. The method is particularly suitable for multi-reflecting TOF MS, which accommodates small size ion packets and where the duty cycle advantage of orthogonal accelerators is minor.

Abstract: There is proposed a right angle time-of-flight detector (41, 117, 124, 143, 144, 145) comprising a conductive converter (46) for emitting and accelerating secondary electrons, a magnetic field formed by at least one magnet (47) for deflecting the secondary electrons at a right angle and a sealed photo-multiplier (26). The detector is expected to provide an extended resource and dynamic range and may be fit into tight assemblies, such as MR-TOF MS.

Abstract: A method of targeted mass spectrometric analysis is provided for analyzing trace compounds at sub-ppb level compared to sample matrix. Sample is chromatographically separated at standard conditions to employ a map of target mass (M) versus retention time (RT). Small mass ions under M(RT) are rejected by RF field, and remaining ions are accumulated for pulsed injection into a multi-reflecting TOF MS, either directly from EI source, or from linear RF trap or via a heated RF only quadrupole with axial ion trapping. In combination with EI source the method provides sub femtogram sensitivity at matrices loads in microgram range.

Abstract: An automatic cleaning assembly for an analytical furnace is detachable from the filter chamber above the combustion tube. The cleaning assembly includes a rotating brush which is lowered through the filter chamber and into the combustion tube while a vacuum is drawn through the lower seal of the combustion tube. This results in a higher vacuum pressure differential and improved flow rate for removing dust from the filter of the furnace and the combustion tube.