Abstract: The invention relates to devices and methods for the storage of ions in mass spectrometers. The invention proposes the generation and superposition of two multipole fields of different order, independent of each other, in an RF multipole rod system. In an embodiment with eight pole rods, for example, it is thus possible to jointly store low-energy electrons in a central RF quadrupole field, which effectively acts only on electrons and holds them together radially, on the one hand, and multiply charged heavy positive ions in an RF octopole field, which effectively acts only on the ions, on the other hand, in order to fragment the positive ions by electron capture dissociation (ECD).

Abstract: Presented is a mass spectrometer comprising an ion path along which ions are transported between different sections of the mass spectrometer, and further comprising an arrangement with a receptacle being located along the ion path in the mass spectrometer and a complementary mount for carrying a removable ion-optical assembly, such as a carrier of electrodes for a MALDI ion source, wherein the mount can be removed from and reinserted into the receptacle in a plane approximately perpendicular to an ion path axis.

Abstract: The invention relates to devices and methods for the storage of ions in mass spectrometers. The invention proposes the generation and superposition of two multipole fields of different order, independent of each other, in an RF multipole rod system. In an embodiment with eight pole rods, for example, it is thus possible to jointly store low-energy electrons in a central RF quadrupole field, which effectively acts only on electrons and holds them together radially, on the one hand, and multiply charged heavy positive ions in an RF octopole field, which effectively acts only on the ions, on the other hand, in order to fragment the positive ions by electron capture dissociation (ECD).

Abstract: The invention relates to identifying substances in a sample by similarity comparisons between series of ion mobility spectra of the sample and series of ion mobility spectra of reference samples. The collection of series of spectra of reference samples, termed reference library, are divided into classes, with the class assignment of a series of spectra being calculated from the measured values themselves, and limiting the similarity comparisons to series of spectra with the same class assignment. First and second moments of the spectra have proven to be particularly favorable characteristics for the class assignment.

Abstract: The invention relates to devices and methods for the storage of ions in mass spectrometers. The invention proposes the generation and superposition of two multipole fields of different order, independent of each other, in an RF multipole rod system. In an embodiment with eight pole rods, for example, it is thus possible to jointly store low-energy electrons in a central RF quadrupole field, which effectively acts only on electrons and holds them together radially, on the one hand, and multiply charged heavy positive ions in an RF octopole field, which effectively acts only on the ions, on the other hand, in order to fragment the positive ions by electron capture dissociation (ECD).

Abstract: A method is provided for identifying a hyphal fungus in a sample by similarity comparisons between a mass spectrum of the fungus and reference spectra. The method includes growing fresh hyphae without any adhering contact to surfaces as to form a mycelium with undifferentiated hyphae cells. A sample is prepared from the hyphae cells, and a mass spectrum is acquired of the hyphae cell sample. The mass spectrum is matched with at least one reference spectrum.

Abstract: In a mass spectrometer that uses a space-restricted magnetic field, such as an ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, ions with a wide mass range generated in an ion supply located outside the magnetic field are transported in the direction of the magnetic field lines to an ion storage device located inside the magnetic field without losing ions by guiding the ions through the region in which the magnetic field strength increases with a special ion guide. This ion guide consists of an arrangement of coaxial ring diaphragms which are alternately supplied with the phases of an RF voltage. In an alternative embodiment, the ion guide uses two wires wound in a double helix where each wire is supplied with one phase of a two-phase RF voltage.

Abstract: The geometry of a Kingdon ion trap, in which harmonic ion oscillation in a potential well in a longitudinal direction is completely decoupled from ion oscillation in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, is arranged so that the oscillating ions introduced through the entrance tube cannot return to the entrance tube until they have performed several longitudinal oscillations during which time heavier ions can be introduced into the trap. In one embodiment, ions enter the trap via an entrance tube extending through, but electrically insulated from, one of the Kingdon trap housing electrodes and located outside the minimum of the potential well in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: Ions with a predetermined ion mobility range are produced by filtering ions entrained in a stream of moving gas with two ion mobility low pass filters located consecutively in the gas stream. Each filter is formed by applying a DC electric field to the gas stream which causes the ions to move in a direction opposite to the gas flow. Ions are collected between the two filters and transferred to a detector or analyzing device. In one embodiment, the maximum field strength of the electric field barrier in the first ion mobility low pass filter is continued as a plateau of essentially constant field strength up to the electric field barrier in the second ion mobility low pass filter, which has a maximum field strength higher that the maximum field strength of the electric field barrier in the first ion mobility low pass filter.

Abstract: The invention relates to ions guided by gas flows in mass spectrometers, particularly in RF multipole systems, and to RF quadrupole mass filters and their operation with gas flows in tandem mass spectrometers. The invention provides a tandem mass spectrometer in which the RF quadrupole mass filter is operated at vacuum pressures in the medium vacuum pressure regime, utilizing a gas flow to drive the ions are through the mass filter. Vacuum pressures between 0.5 to 10 pascal are maintained in the mass filter. The mass filter may be enclosed by a narrow enclosure to guide the gas flow. The quadrupole mass filter may be followed by an RF multipole system, operated at the same vacuum pressure, serving as fragmentation cell to fragment the selected parent ions.

Abstract: Ions with a predetermined range of ion mobilities are produced by filtering input ions with at least two consecutive ion mobility high pass and/or low pass filters. Each ion mobility filter is formed by entraining ions in a moving gas and applying a DC electric field to the ions which causes the ions to move in a direction opposite to the gas flow. An ion mobility high pass filter is formed when the DC electric field drives the ions against the flow of gas, whereas an ion mobility low pass filter is formed when a the gas flow drives entrained ions against an DC electric field barrier.

Abstract: Methods are provided for acquiring sum spectra in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer with orthogonal pulsed acceleration, where each of the sum spectra is obtained from a plurality of summed individual spectra. The mass spectrometer has an ion storage device that collects the ions temporarily before they are transferred to an ion pulser, which pulses out the ions orthogonally. Acquisition conditions such as, for example, delay times between opening the ion storage device and the pulsed ejection in the ion pulser are varied for the individual spectra, which are added together to form the sum spectrum of ions with light masses and high masses.

Abstract: The invention relates to acquisition techniques for time-of-flight mass spectra with ionization of the analyte substances by matrix assisted laser desorption. Generally speaking, these acquisition techniques involve adding together a large number of individual time-of-flight spectra, each with restricted dynamic measuring range, to form a sum spectrum. The invention provides a method that improves, in particular, the reproducibility, the concentration accuracy and therefore the ability to quantify the mass spectra. Particular embodiments also increase the dynamic range of measurement. For this purpose, multiple series of mass spectra are acquired, whereby the energy density in the laser spot is increased in discrete steps. As a result, many ion signals saturate the detector and can therefore no longer be evaluated.

Abstract: Ions are introduced into a Kingdon ion trap in which the ions can oscillate harmonically in a potential well in the longitudinal direction, essentially decoupled from their transverse motion by a Kingdon ion guide, which can consist of a drill-hole through the wall of the ion trap housing electrodes and a central wire. An injection potential is first applied to the wire, but once the heaviest ions of interest have been injected into the trap, the potential of the wire is switched to the potential of the housing electrodes, to trap the ions in the trap. The ions introduced into the Kingdon ion trap may come from a small ion cloud, located in a Paul trap.

Abstract: The invention proposes a method for the collective ejection of ions from a 3D RF ion trap with a ring electrode and two end cap electrodes, which comprises the following steps: (a) the RF voltage of a high-quality resonant circuit applied to the ring electrode is replaced with a second RF voltage at the two end cap electrodes which can be changed or switched faster than the high voltage at the ring electrode, keeping the ions stored, (b) the second RF voltage at the end cap electrodes is then switched down or off abruptly, releasing the ions, and (c) the released ions are ejected through an opening in one of the end cap electrodes by switching on a DC voltage on at least one of the end cap electrodes.

Abstract: Identification of infectious pathogens, particularly viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms is effected with a method whereby pathogens of acute infections can be identified, without first culturing them in external nutrient media, by mass spectrometric measurement of their protein profiles obtained from pathogens directly precipitated from body fluid into pellets by centrifuging. With this method, pathogens which cause acute infections can be identified in less than one hour.

Abstract: Mass spectrometers ionize samples by matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALDI). The samples are located on a moveable support plate, and irradiated by a pulsed laser. A fast positional control of laser spots is provided via a system of rotatable mirrors to relieve strain on a support plate motion drive. If the spot position is finely adjusted by the mirror system and follows the movement of the sample support plate, the intermittent movement of the sample support can be replaced with a continuous uniform motion. The fast positional control allows more uniform ablation of a sample area. Galvo mirrors with low inertia may be used between the beam generation and a Kepler telescope in the housing of the laser. The positional control can also provide a fully automatic adjustment of MALDI time-of-flight mass spectrometers, at least if the ion-optical elements are equipped with movement devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for optimization of electric fields in measurement cells of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometers. The invention is based on the rationale that asymmetric electric fields with uniformly or non-uniformly perturbed field axes can appear in ion cyclotron resonance cells and therefore the axis of the magnetron orbit can become radially displaced. Shifted magnetron orbits negatively affect the cyclotron excitation, deteriorate the FT-ICR signal, increase the intensity of an even-numbered harmonics peak, lead to stronger side bands of the FT-ICR signal, and in extreme cases, cause loss of ions. The present invention helps in probing the shift of the magnetron motion, detecting parameters indicative of the offset of the electric field axis and/or correcting it by trimming it back to the geometric axis of the cell.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the detection of incorrect deposition on a MALDI sample support with several separate sample sites, where after the preparation on the sample support, an area located between two sample sites is sampled with a desorption laser, and a signal of an ion detector in a mass spectrometer is acquired in temporal relation to the sampling. The signal is examined for the presence of a signal which indicates incorrect deposition. An advantage of the method is particularly that it can be carried out using a MALDI ion source and a connected mass analyzer, and that it requires little procedural effort.

Abstract: The invention relates to the cell disruption of microbes and the preparation of the microbe proteins for mass spectrometric analysis. The cells of microbes from microcolonies are disrupted by physical or chemical means directly on the nutrient medium. The released proteins are then transferred to sample supports by direct contact with their contact surfaces; electrophoresis can be used for assistance. Once the proteins are firmly adsorbed on the contact surfaces, they can be washed with water in order to remove substances which interfere with the ionization process. For analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALDI), the proteins are prepared on the contact surfaces of the sample supports with matrix substances to form MALDI samples; the sample supports are then introduced into a MALDI mass spectrometer for the acquisition of mass spectra. The microbes are identified by similarity comparisons between the mass spectra of the microbe proteins and similarly obtained reference spectra.