Abstract: An ion molecule reactor for generating analyte ions from analytes comprises: a) a reaction volume in which reagent ions can interact with the analytes in order to form analyte ions; b) at least one analyte inlet for introducing the analytes along an inlet path into the reaction volume whereby, preferably, the inlet path runs essentially along at least a first section of the predefined transit path in the reaction volume; c) at least one reagent ion source and/or at least one reagent ion inlet for providing reagent ions into the reaction volume; d) optionally, at least one ion guide comprising an electrode arrangement which is configured for producing an alternating electrical, magnetic and/or electromagnetic field, that allows for guiding the reagent ions and/or the analyte ions at least along a section of the predefined transit path, preferably along the whole transit path, through the reaction volume.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating a layout of electrodes for an ion guide for transporting ions along an ion path, the ion guide comprising electrodes arranged in the layout of electrodes along the ion path for transporting the ions along the ion path. For generating the layout of electrodes, a layout path corresponding to said the path is assumed and the layout of electrodes is generated along the layout path. The layout of electrodes and the layout path are in reference to a global reference system, wherein the layout of electrodes includes at least two layout subunits which are arranged in succession along the layout path, wherein each one of the at least two layout subunits is of one of at least one layout subunit type. The method includes defining the at least one layout subunit type, wherein each one of the at least one layout subunit type includes type information, the type information being adopted by each layout subunit of the respective one of the at least one layout subunit type.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for mass analysing positively charged ions and negatively charged ions with a mass analyser arrangement (10). The method includes inserting the positively charged ions and the negatively charged ions via an intake (13) of the mass analyser arrangement (10) into a mass analysis chamber (14) of the mass analyser arrangement (10). Furthermore, the method includes transferring inside the mass analysis chamber (14) the positively charged ions from the intake (13) to a first mass analyser (11) of the mass analyser arrangement (10) and mass analysing the positively charged ions with the first mass analyser (11) and transferring inside the mass analysis chamber (14) the negatively charged ions from the intake (13) to a second mass analyser (12) of the mass analyser arrangement (10) and mass analysing the negatively charged ions with the second mass analyser (12).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for, in an ion guide (10), modulating a stream of ions according to a modulation function, wherein the stream of ions includes at least N different ion species, wherein N is at least 1. This ion guide (10) forms an ion guide path, wherein the ions of the stream of ions are conveyed along the ion guide path in a conveying direction to form the stream of ions. The ion guide (10) includes an ion gate (12) arranged at an ion gate position on the ion guide path, wherein the ion gate (12) is adapted to provide an open state for allowing the ions passing the ion gate position when being conveyed along the ion guide path and a closed state for preventing the ions from passing the ion gate position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for, in an ion guide (10), modulating a stream of ions according to a modulation function, wherein the stream of ions includes at least N different ion species, wherein N is at least 1. This ion guide (10) forms an ion guide path, wherein the ions of the stream of ions are conveyed along the ion guide path in a conveying direction to form the stream of ions. The ion guide (10) includes an ion gate (12) arranged at an ion gate position on the ion guide path, wherein the ion gate (12) is adapted to provide an open state for allowing the ions passing the ion gate position when being conveyed along the ion guide path and a closed state for preventing the ions from passing the ion gate position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a chemical ionisation method, in particular an adduct ionisation method, for ionising a sample including analytes to be ionised, wherein ligand compound ions formed from reactant ions and a dopant substance are made available in a reaction volume (2), wherein said sample with said analytes is introduced into said reaction volume (2) to react with said ligand compound ions to form adduct ions and a neutral byproduct, said adduct ions including ionised analytes being adducts of said reactant ions and the respective said analytes, wherein said reactant ions and said dopant substance provide a higher binding energy when binding together to said ligand compound ions than a binding energy said reactant ions and a ligand forming substance provide when binding together, wherein said ligand forming substance is present at least in traces in said reaction volume (2) when said sample with said analytes react with said ligand compound ions to form said adduct ions and said neutral byproduct.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for mass analysing a sample by ionising the sample to first sample ions and to second sample ions and by obtaining mass spectra from the first sample ions and the second sample ions with a mass analyser (5). Thereby, repeatedly, a first assay is obtained from the sample and transferred past any chromatography column to a first ion source (2) and ionised by the first ion source (2) to the first sample ions, wherein the first sample ions obtained from the respective first assay are transferred to the mass analyser (5), wherein at least one first mass spectrum is obtained with the mass analyser (5) from the first sample ions obtained from the respective first assay and ionised by and transferred from the first ion source (2).

Abstract: An autosampler for obtaining mass spectra from a plurality of fluid samples, in particular gaseous samples including a plurality of containers including sample sources providing the samples, wherein each one of the containers provides a docking port for being connected with a connector for enabling access to an inside of the respective container via the connector in order to obtain the respective sample from the respective container via said connector. The autosampler further includes an ionisation source for ionising at least a part of the samples, and a mass analyser for obtaining the mass spectra from the ions. The ionisation source is moveable within the autosampler sequentially to each of the containers for connecting the connector to the docking port of the respective container for collecting the sample from the respective container for ionising at least a part of the sample and obtaining the mass spectra from the ions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating a layout of electrodes for an ion guide for transporting ions along an ion path, the ion guide comprising electrodes arranged in the layout of electrodes along the ion path for transporting the ions along the ion path. For generating the layout of electrodes, a layout path corresponding to said the path is assumed and the layout of electrodes is generated along the layout path. The layout of electrodes and the layout path are in reference to a global reference system, wherein the layout of electrodes includes at least two layout subunits which are arranged in succession along the layout path, wherein each one of the at least two layout subunits is of one of at least one layout subunit type. The method includes defining the at least one layout subunit type, wherein each one of the at least one layout subunit type includes type information, the type information being adopted by each layout subunit of the respective one of the at least one layout subunit type.

Abstract: The invention relates to an autosampler (1) for obtaining mass spectra from a plurality of fluid samples, in particular gaseous samples. This autosampler (1) comprises a plurality of containers (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6) comprising sample sources (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6) providing the samples, wherein each one of the containers (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6) provides a docking port (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6) for being connected with a connector (5) for enabling access to an inside of the respective container (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6) via the connector (5) when the connector (5) is connected to the respective docking port (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6) in order to obtain the respective sample from the respective container (2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6) via said connector (5). Thereby, the connector (5) is connectable to and detachable from each docking port (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6).

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for analysing a chemical composition of aerosol particles. The apparatus comprises an extractive electrospray ionisation source for extracting components, in particular organic compounds, from the aerosol particles and for ionising the components to ions, and a mass analyser, in particular a time of flight mass analyser, for analysing the ions, the mass analyser fluidly coupled to the extractive electrospray ionisation source. The method includes the steps of extracting components, in particular organic compounds, from the aerosol particles with an extractive electrospray ionisation source and ionising the components with the extractive electrospray ionisation source to ions, transferring the ions to a mass analyser, in particular a time of flight mass analyser, the mass analyser being fluidly coupled to the extractive electrospray ionisation source, and analysing the ions with the mass analyser.

Abstract: An ion molecule reactor for generating analyte ions from analytes comprises: a) a reaction volume in which reagent ions can interact with the analytes in order to form analyte ions; b) at least one analyte inlet for introducing the analytes along an inlet path into the reaction volume whereby, preferably, the inlet path runs essentially along at least a first section of the predefined transit path in the reaction volume; c) at least one reagent ion source and/or at least one reagent ion inlet for providing reagent ions into the reaction volume; d) optionally, at least one ion guide comprising an electrode arrangement which is configured for producing an alternating electrical, magnetic and/or electromagnetic field, that allows for guiding the reagent ions and/or the analyte ions at least along a section of the predefined transit path, preferably along the whole transit path, through the reaction volume.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining a spectrum of a sample comprising one or more constituent parts on the basis of a time the one or more constituent parts require to undergo a physical process or chemical process.

Abstract: An apparatus for mass spectrometry comprises a portion generator (10) for creating localized analyte portions in synchronization with trigger pulses, a transfer system (20) coupled to the portion generator (10) for transporting the localized analyte portions, a plasma ionizer unit (30) coupled to the transfer system (20) for atomizing, vaporizing and ionizing received analyte portions with plasma, a mass analyzer (41) coupled to the plasma ionizer unit (30) for analyzing received analyte portions, the mass analyzer (41) comprising at least one detector, and a data acquisition electronics (50) connected to the at least one detector for acquiring signals (43) generated by the at least one detector. The apparatus further includes a signal delay device (60) for receiving the trigger pulses (11) and delivering delayed signals (61) corresponding to the trigger pulses to account for a delay experienced by the particles to be analyzed between portion generation and detection.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for analysing a chemical composition of aerosol particles. The apparatus comprises an extractive electrospray ionisation source for extracting components, in particular organic compounds, from the aerosol particles and for ionising the components to ions, and a mass analyser, in particular a time of flight mass analyser, for analysing the ions, the mass analyser fluidly coupled to the extractive electrospray ionisation source. The method includes the steps of extracting components, in particular organic compounds, from the aerosol particles with an extractive electrospray ionisation source and ionising the components with the extractive electrospray ionisation source to ions, transferring the ions to a mass analyser, in particular a time of flight mass analyser, the mass analyser being fluidly coupled to the extractive electrospray ionisation source, and analysing the ions with the mass analyser.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining a chromatogram. The method includes a first step where a sample is inserted in two separation columns (2.1, 2.2, 2.3), wherein for each separation column (2.1, 2.2, 2.3), a corresponding part of the sample is inserted in the respective separation column (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) with a corresponding insertion device (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) which is controlled by a corresponding modulation function for generating a corresponding modulated part of the sample in the respective separation column (2.1, 2.2, 2.3), wherein the modulation functions with which the parts of the sample are modulated in the separation columns (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) differ from each other. Furthermore, the method includes a second step where each modulated part of the sample is guided through the respective separation column (2.1, 2.2, 2.3), a third step where a signal of each modulated part of the sample is measured with a same detector (4) after having passed the respective separation column (2.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ion source (50) for generating elemental ions and/or ionized metal oxides from aerosol particles, comprising: a reduced pressure chamber (61) having an inside; an inlet (56) and a flow restricting device (60) for inserting the aerosol particles in a dispersion comprising the aerosol particles dispersed in a gas, in particular in air, into the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61), the inlet (60) fluidly coupling an outside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) via the flow restricting device (60) with the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (60); a laser (62) for inducing in a plasma region (63) in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a plasma in the dispersion for atomizing and ionizing the aerosol particles to elemental ions and/or ionized metal oxides; wherein the reduced pressure chamber (61) is adapted for achieving and maintaining in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a pressure in a range from 0.01 mbar to 100 mbar.

Abstract: A device for mass spectrometry comprises an ionization source, a mass analyzer fluidly coupled to the ionization source and an electronic data acquisition system for processing signals provided by the mass analyzer. The electronic data acquisition system comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter (10) producing digitized data from the signals obtained from the mass analyzer and a fast processing unit (47) receiving the digitized data from said analog-to-digital converter (10). The fast processing (47) unit is programmed to continuously, in real time inspect the digitized data for events of interest measured by the mass spectrometer; and the electronic data acquisition system is programmed to forward (23) the digitized data representing mass spectra relating to events of interest for further analysis and to reject the digitized data representing mass spectra not relating to events of interest.

Abstract: The invention relates to an ion source (50) for generating elemental ions and/or ionised metal oxides from aerosol particles, comprising: a reduced pressure chamber (61) having an inside; an inlet (56) and a flow restricting device (60) for inserting the aerosol particles in a dispersion comprising the aerosol particles dispersed in a gas, in particular in air, into the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61), the inlet (60) fluidly coupling an outside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) via the flow restricting device (60) with the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (60); a laser (62) for inducing in a plasma region (63) in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a plasma in the dispersion for atomising and ionising the aerosol particles to elemental ions and/or ionised metal oxides; wherein the reduced pressure chamber (61) is adapted for achieving and maintaining in the inside of the reduced pressure chamber (61) a pressure in a range from 0.01 mbar to 100 mbar.

Abstract: An apparatus for mass spectrometry comprises a portion generator (10) for creating localized analyte portions in synchronization with trigger pulses, a transfer system (20) coupled to the portion generator (10) for transporting the localized analyte portions, a plasma ionizer unit (30) coupled to the transfer system (20) for atomizing, vaporizing and ionizing received analyte portions with plasma, a mass analyzer (41) coupled to the plasma ionizer unit (30) for analyzing received analyte portions, the mass analyzer (41) comprising at least one detector, and a data acquisition electronics (50) connected to the at least one detector for acquiring signals (43) generated by the at least one detector. The apparatus further includes a signal delay device (60) for receiving the trigger pulses (11) and delivering delayed signals (61) corresponding to the trigger pulses to account for a delay experienced by the particles to be analyzed between portion generation and detection.