Abstract: Apparatuses for trapping ions comprise an array of electrodes extending along a surface and one or more further electrodes that are distinct from the array of electrodes. A trapping region for receiving the ions is defined by the array of electrodes and the one or more further electrodes. A control circuit is configured to apply a set of oscillatory voltages to the array of electrodes to repel the ions, wherein each electrode in the array has a different phase to each adjacent electrode. A trapping voltage is applied to at least one of the one or more further electrodes to force the ions towards the array of electrodes, the set of oscillatory voltages and the trapping voltage thereby trapping the ions within the trapping region, wherein the trapping voltage is a time-varying direct current, DC, voltage that increases in magnitude over time.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning electrodes of an ion optical multipole device comprises at least one substantially longitudinal cleaning section, at least one handling section extending axially from the at least one cleaning section and at least one direction section extending axially from the at least one cleaning section. The at least one cleaning section has a larger cross section than the at least one handling section. The at least one direction section is capable of allowing a longitudinal movement of the cleaning device in a first axial direction and resisting a longitudinal movement of the cleaning device in a second, opposite axial direction.

Abstract: A gas supply system for a flame module of a spectrometer and a method of controlling a flame module. The gas supply system comprises an oxidant gas supply line for providing a supply of oxidant gas, an oxidant gas flow valve for varying a gas flow rate of an oxidant gas in the oxidant gas supply line, an oxidant gas safety controller configured to control the oxidant gas flow valve, a fuel gas supply line for providing a supply of fuel gas, a fuel gas flow valve configured to control a gas flow rate of a fuel gas on the fuel gas supply line, and a fuel gas safety controller configured to control the fuel gas flow valve. During normal operation, the oxidant gas safety controller is configured to charge an energy storage circuit of the oxidant gas safety controller.

Abstract: An ion guide is provided for a spectrometer. The ion guide comprises a first electrode assembly, comprising a plurality of guide electrodes aligned along a central axis. Each guide electrode comprises an aperture. The apertures define an ion channel from a first end of the first electrode assembly to a second end of the first electrode assembly. The ion channel is configured to receive an ion beam at the first end. The guide electrodes are configured to receive RF voltages to define a confinement volume for the ion beam, wherein the confinement volume is centred about the central axis. The ion guide comprises a second electrode assembly adjacent to the first electrode assembly, wherein the second electrode assembly is configured to receive a DC voltage, such that a centre of the ion beam is deflected to be off the central axis.

Abstract: A method of tuning a static field mass filter of a mass spectrometer, the static field mass filter having a first Wien filter and a second Wien filter. The method comprises injecting a beam of ions into the static field mass filter, applying a magnetic and an electric field in the first and second Wien filters, adjusting a second lens of the filter.

Abstract: A method of analysing a field of a mass spectrometer comprising a mass analyser and a static field mass filter having a first Wien filter and a second Wien filter is provided. The method includes, for each of a plurality of predetermined strengths of one of an electric field or a magnetic field of the first and second Wien filters: setting the one of the electric field or the magnetic field of the first and second Wien filters to the predetermined strength; causing a beam of ions comprising one or more ion species to be injected through the static field mass filter; and measuring, using the mass analyser, a respective intensity of ions of each of the one or more ion species in the beam.

Abstract: An analytical instrument comprises a mass analyser and first and second ion traps coupled to the mass analyser. A method of operating the instrument comprises operating the first ion trap in a mode of operation in which the first ion trap confines ions within a first mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) range, storing first ions in the first ion trap, operating the second ion trap in a mode of operation in which the second ion trap confines ions within a second different mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) range, and storing second ions in the second ion trap. The method further comprises ejecting the first ions from the first ion trap into the mass analyser, ejecting the second ions from the second ion trap into the mass analyser, and mass analysing the first ions and the second ions.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of simulating a mass filter, which has a bandpass characteristic, of a mass spectrometer includes: receiving a first candidate magnetic field strength and a first candidate electric field strength of the mass filter; based on the received first candidate magnetic and electric field strengths, determining a corresponding centre mass of the mass filter; based on the received first candidate magnetic and electric field strengths, determining the width of a passband of the bandpass characteristic; and determining at least one of a lower or an upper bound of the passband of the bandpass characteristic of the mass filter, the determining of the upper bound including adding a first predetermined fraction of the determined width of the passband to the determined centre mass and the determining of the lower bound comprising subtracting a second predetermined fraction of the determined width of the passband from the determined centre mass.

Abstract: A method of determining an expected response to injecting a beam of ions of a species of interest into a static field mass filter of a mass spectrometer including a mass analyser is provided. The method includes: measuring an intensity of ions injected into the static field mass filter for various combinations of test ion species, test magnetic field strengths, and test electric field strengths; determining electric field strengths corresponding to an intensity equal to a first and a second fraction of the measured peak intensity; based on a predetermined relationship between magnetic field strength, electric field strength and centre mass of the static field mass filter, determining mass values corresponding to the determined electric field strengths; and interpolating, from said mass values and for each ion species and for at least one of the test magnetic field strengths, expected mass values for an ion species of interest.

Abstract: Methods for acquiring mass spectral data comprise determining first and second sets of m/z sub-ranges comprising respective first and second m/z sub-ranges. A sample is mass filtered to isolate ions in the first and second sets of m/z sub-ranges using respective mass filters. Mass analysis is performed to obtain first and second partial mass spectral data sets, the first and second mass filters having first and second response profiles having respective relatively high transmission regions and one or more relatively low transmission regions. The first and second sets of m/z sub-ranges are determined such that relatively high transmission regions of the first response profile and the second response profile at least partially overlap.

Abstract: Methods for acquiring mass spectral data of a sample across at least a portion of an m/z range comprise receiving mass spectral data across the m/z range and partitioning the m/z range into one or more sets of m/z sub-ranges, each set comprising one or more m/z sub-ranges, by dividing the m/z range into a plurality of m/z bins, determining an indication of ion abundance for each m/z bin, based on the mass spectral data, and forming an m/z sub-range of the one or more sets of m/z sub-ranges by assigning m/z bins having ion abundances that correspond to at least a threshold degree to the formed m/z sub-range. A mass analysis is performed on the sample for each set of m/z sub-ranges, thereby acquiring one or more partial mass spectral data sets.

Abstract: A Time of Flight (TOF) mass analyser comprises an ion source, a detector, an electrode, and a resistive divider comprising first and second resistors. The ion source and the detector define an ion flight path from the ion source to the detector. The electrode is arranged along the ion flight path and receives an output voltage. Thermal expansion produces a first mass shift/Kelvin of detected ions. The resistive divider is thermally coupled to the TOF mass analyser to receive an input voltage and output an output voltage to the electrode. The first and second resistors have respective first and second temperature coefficients that provide a voltage shift/Kelvin to the output voltage to the electrode producing a second mass shift/Kelvin of detected ions, compensating for the first mass shift/Kelvin.

Abstract: Methods for acquiring mass spectral data of a sample across at least a portion of an m/z range include receiving mass spectral data of the sample across the m/z range. The m/z range is partitioned into one or more sets of m/z sub-ranges, each set comprising one or more m/z sub-ranges, by dividing the m/z range into a plurality of m/z bins, determining an indication of ion abundance for each m/z bin, based on the mass spectral data, and forming an m/z sub-range of the one or more sets of m/z sub-ranges by assigning m/z bins having ion abundances that correspond to at least a threshold degree to the formed m/z sub-range. A mass analysis is performed on the sample for each set of m/z sub-ranges, thereby acquiring one or more partial mass spectral data sets.

Abstract: A method of optical spectroscopy for analysing a sample using an optical spectrometer is provided. The method comprises obtaining a sample spectrum of the sample using the optical spectrometer and obtaining a blank spectrum using the optical spectrometer. The blank spectrum comprises structured background radiation which is correlated with the sample spectrum. A cross-correlation of the sample spectrum and the blank spectrum is determined. A mapped blank spectrum is generated by mapping the blank spectrum to the sample spectrum based on the cross-correlation, and the mapped blank spectrum is subtracted from the sample spectrum to generate a background corrected sample spectrum.

Abstract: An isotope ratio mass spectrometer has an ion source, a static field mass filter, a reaction cell to induce a mass shift reaction, and a sector field mass analyser for spatially separating ions from the reaction cell according to their m/z. A detector platform detects a plurality of different ion species separated by the sector field mass analyser. The static field mass filter has a first Wien filter that deflects ions away from a longitudinal symmetry axis of the spectrometer in accordance with the ions' m/z, and a second Wien filter that deflects ions back towards the longitudinal symmetry axis in accordance with the ions' m/z. An inverting lens is positioned along the longitudinal axis between the Wien filters to invert the direction of deflection of the ions from the first Wien filter. The static field mass filter provides high transmission and improved spectrometer sensitivity. The first and second Wien filters permit simple tuning.

Abstract: A conversion circuit is arranged for converting an ion detection current (id) produced by an ion detector into an ion detection signal (P). The conversion circuit comprises an input stage for converting the ion detection current (id) into an ion detection voltage (Vd), an output stage for converting the ion detection voltage into the detection signal (P), the output stage being arranged for drawing a first current dependent on the ion detection voltage, and a supplementary stage for providing a second current (is) dependent on the ion detection voltage to the output stage. The second current may be substantially equal to the first current.

Abstract: A method of analysing a signal generated by a mass analyser comprises receiving a signal generated by the mass analyser, determining the area of a first ion peak of one or more ion peaks in the signal, and estimating the number of ions that contributed to the first ion peak. The number of ions that contributed to the first ion peak is estimated by determining a correction to be applied to the area of the first ion peak from a correction function, and applying the correction to the area of the first ion peak. The correction function describes a relationship between average single ion area and ion mass, mass-to-charge ratio and/or charge for the mass analyser.

Abstract: An ion guide with a switchable ion path for a spectrometer includes a first ion transport aperture configured to receive an ion beam. A radio frequency surface comprises a plurality of radio frequency electrodes arranged on a first surface, such that the radio frequency electrodes are parallel. A radio frequency voltage source is configured to apply an alternating radio frequency phase to each radio frequency electrode. A DC potential source is configured to apply a DC gradient across the radio frequency surface. The DC gradient is configured to guide an ion beam via either a first ion path or a second ion path. Ions travelling in the first ion path are directed between the first ion transport aperture and a second ion transport aperture. Ions travelling in the second ion path are directed between the first ion transport aperture and a third ion transport aperture.

Abstract: An ion optical arrangement (1) for use in a mass spectrometer comprises a collision cell defining an ion optical axis along which ions may pass, electrodes comprising a set of parallel poles (11A, 11B, 11C) arranged in the collision cell, and a voltage source for providing voltages to the electrodes to produce electric fields. The ion optical arrangement is arranged for switching between a first operation mode in which the collision cell is pressurized and a second operation mode in which the collision cell is substantially evacuated. The ion optical arrangement is further arranged for producing a radio frequency electric focusing field in the first operation mode and a static electric focusing field in the second operation mode.

Abstract: A method of analysing labelled analyte ions comprises fragmenting labelled analyte ions to produce analyte fragment ions and reporter ions or complementary ions, analysing the analyte fragment ions using a time-of-flight mass analyser operating in a first mode of operation, and analysing the reporter ions or the complementary ions using the time-of-flight mass analyser operating in a second mode of operation. In the first mode of operation, ions are caused to travel along a flight path having a first length, and in the second mode of operation, ions are caused to travel along a flight path having a second length, wherein the second length is greater than the first length.