Abstract: An inner tube moves axially between an outer tube and a support, all of which are concentrically arranged, to a desired telescopic position, relative to the outer tube and the support, and can be locked in the desired telescopic position by applying radial force between the support and the inner surface of the inner tube. The radial force generates a frictional force acting on the inner surface of the inner tube, which resists longitudinal movement of the inner tube. A bicycle actuator cable is coupled to an actuation connector for a tension-controlled actuator by a bicycle cable connector which has a fixed longitudinal position on the bicycle actuator cable. The bicycle cable connector is longitudinally consistently removably repeatably interengageable with the actuation connector to maintain longitudinal alignment of the bicycle actuator cable with the actuator through repeated engagement and disengagement of the bicycle cable connector and the actuation connector.

Abstract: The invention proposes a mass spectrometer comprising two ion mobility analyzers in tandem arrangement, of which at least one is a trapped ion mobility spectrometer (TIMS), and an ion gate which is located between the two ion mobility analyzers, and use thereof wherein ions are selectively transferred between the two ion mobility analyzers by adjusting the transmission of the ion gate while ions are separated in time according to ion mobility in the first ion mobility analyzer.

Abstract: An inner tube moves axially between an outer tube and a support, all of which are concentrically arranged, to a desired telescopic position, relative to the outer tube and the support, and can be locked in the desired telescopic position by applying radial force between the support and the inner surface of the inner tube. The radial force generates a frictional force acting on the inner surface of the inner tube, which resists longitudinal movement of the inner tube. A bicycle actuator cable is coupled to an actuator connector for a tension-controlled actuator by a bicycle cable connector which has a fixed longitudinal position on the bicycle actuator cable. The bicycle cable connector is longitudinally consistently removably repeatably interengageable with the actuator connector to maintain longitudinal alignment of the bicycle actuator cable with the actuator through repeated engagement and disengagement of the bicycle cable connector and the actuation connector.

Abstract: The invention proposes a mass spectrometer comprising two ion mobility analyzers in tandem arrangement, of which at least one is a trapped ion mobility spectrometer (TIMS), and an ion gate which is located between the two ion mobility analyzers, and use thereof wherein ions are selectively transferred between the two ion mobility analyzers by adjusting the transmission of the ion gate while ions are separated in time according to ion mobility in the first ion mobility analyzer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a composite membrane, includes the steps of: forming a first solution comprising a charged polymer and a first uncharged polymer having a repeat unit of a formula of: where each of X and Y is a non-hydroxyl group; forming a second solution comprising a second uncharged polymer; electrospinning, separately and simultaneously, the first solution and the second solution to form a dual fiber mat; and processing the dual fiber mat to form the composite membrane.

Abstract: The invention relates to the operation of ion mobility spectrometers based on gases pushing the ions over electrical field barriers, preferably in combination with mass spectrometers, and relates to trapped ion mobility spectrometers (“TIMS”). The invention proposes to accumulate and to scan the ions of a selected range of mobilities by using a long and flat electric field ramp created by additional voltages. By a voltage supplied at the beginning of the flat ramp, the lowest mobility of the mobility range of ions to be collected can be selected. By the difference of the voltages at the beginning and the end, the width of the mobility range is determined. The spatial zoom advantageously can collect considerable more ions of interest than a temporal zoom without severe losses by space charge effects, and more ions can be detected in the mass-mobility map.

Abstract: The invention relates to the linear dynamic range of ion abundance measurement devices in mass spectrometers, such as time-of-flight mass spectrometers. The invention solves the problem of ion current peak saturation by producing a second ion measurement signal at an intermediate stage of amplification in a secondary electron multiplier, e.g. a signal generated between the two multichannel plates in chevron arrangement. Because saturation effects are observed only in later stages of amplification, the signal from the intermediate stage of amplification will remain linear even at high ion intensities and will remain outside saturation. In the case of a discrete dynode detector this could encompass, for example, placement of a detection grid between two dynodes near the middle of the amplification chain. The invention uses detection of the image current generated by the passing electrons.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for acquiring fragment ion spectra of substances in complex substance mixtures wherein a trapped ion mobility spectrometer (“TIMS”) is used as the ion mobility separator separation device. The fragment ion spectra may be used for the identification of high numbers of proteins in complex mixtures, or for a safe quantification of some substances, by their fragment ion mass spectra in a mass spectrometer with up-front substance separator. TIMS with parallel accumulation provides the unique possibility to prolong the ion accumulation duration to find more detectable ion species without decreasing the measuring capacity for fragment ion mass spectra. The high measurement capacity for fragment ion mass spectra permits the repeated measurement of low abundance ion species to improve the quality of the fragment ion spectra.

Abstract: A method may include receiving, by a switching engine, an optical signal. The optical signal may carry a super-channel that includes a plurality of sub-carriers to be directed toward respective output ports. The switching engine may have a plurality of regions of pixels on which respective sub-carriers, of the plurality of sub-carriers, are incident. The method may include applying, by the switching engine, respective single beam steering gratings to first, overlapping, areas of the plurality of regions of pixels. The method may include applying, by the switching engine, one or more respective pluralities of beam steering gratings to second, overlapping areas of the plurality of regions of pixels. The method may include directing, based on the single beam steering gratings and the one or more pluralities of beam steering gratings, parts of the optical signal toward the respective output ports.

Abstract: The invention is related to a trapped ion mobility spectrometer (TIMS device) and proposes to use higher order (order N>2) linear multipole RF systems to accumulate and analyze ions at an electric DC field barrier, either pure higher order RF multipole systems or multipole RF systems with transitions from higher order towards lower order, e.g. from a linear octopolar RF system (N=4) to a linear quadrupole RF system (N=2) in front of the apex of the electric DC field barrier.

Abstract: An inner tube moves axially between an outer tube and a support, all of which are concentrically arranged, to a desired telescopic position, relative to the outer tube and the support, and can be locked in the desired telescopic position by applying radial force between the support and the inner surface of the inner tube. The radial force generates a frictional force acting on the inner surface of the inner tube, which resists longitudinal movement of the inner tube. A bicycle actuator cable is coupled to an actuator connector for a tension-controlled actuator by a bicycle cable connector which has a fixed longitudinal position on the bicycle actuator cable. The bicycle cable connector is longitudinally consistently removably repeatably interengageable with the actuator connector to maintain longitudinal alignment of the bicycle actuator cable with the actuator through repeated engagement and disengagement of the bicycle cable connector and the actuation connector.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for acquiring fragment ion spectra of substances in complex substance mixtures wherein a trapped ion mobility spectrometer (“TIMS”) is used as the ion mobility separation device coupled to a triple quadrupole mass filter assembly. The fragment ion spectra may be used for the identification of high numbers of proteins in complex mixtures, or for a safe quantification of some substances, by their fragment ion mass spectra in a mass spectrometer with upstream substance separator. TIMS, in particular equipped with parallel accumulation, provides the unique possibility to prolong the ion accumulation duration to find more detectable ion species without decreasing the measuring capacity for fragment ion mass spectra. The high measurement capacity for fragment ion mass spectra permits the repeated measurement of low abundance ion species such as to improve the quality of the fragment ion spectra.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for acquiring fragment ion spectra of substances in complex substance mixtures wherein a trapped ion mobility spectrometer (“TIMS”) is used as the ion mobility separation device coupled to a triple quadrupole mass filter assembly. The fragment ion spectra may be used for the identification of high numbers of proteins in complex mixtures, or for a safe quantification of some substances, by their fragment ion mass spectra in a mass spectrometer with upstream substance separator. TIMS, in particular equipped with parallel accumulation, provides the unique possibility to prolong the ion accumulation duration to find more detectable ion species without decreasing the measuring capacity for fragment ion mass spectra. The high measurement capacity for fragment ion mass spectra permits the repeated measurement of low abundance ion species such as to improve the quality of the fragment ion spectra.

Abstract: The invention relates to the operation of trapping ion mobility spectrometers based on pushing ions by a gas flow against a counter-acting electric DC field barrier, preferably in combination with a mass analyzer as ion detector. The invention provides an additional RF ion trap upstream of the trapping ion mobility spectrometer, wherein the RF ion trap is operated as an accumulation unit in parallel with the trapping ion mobility spectrometer such that a first group of ions can be analyzed in the trapping ion mobility spectrometer while a second group of ions from an ion source are simultaneously collected in accumulation unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to the operation of ion mobility spectrometers based on gases pushing the ions over electrical field barriers, preferably in combination with mass spectrometers, and relates to trapped ion mobility spectrometers (“TIMS”). The invention proposes to accumulate and to scan the ions of a selected range of mobilities by using a long and flat electric field ramp created by additional voltages. By a voltage supplied at the beginning of the flat ramp, the lowest mobility of the mobility range of ions to be collected can be selected. By the difference of the voltages at the beginning and the end, the width of the mobility range is determined. The spatial zoom advantageously can collect considerable more ions of interest than a temporal zoom without severe losses by space charge effects, and more ions can be detected in the mass-mobility map.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for acquiring fragment ion spectra of substances in complex substance mixtures wherein a trapped ion mobility spectrometer (“TIMS”) is used as the ion mobility separator separation device. The fragment ion spectra may be used for the identification of high numbers of proteins in complex mixtures, or for a safe quantification of some substances, by their fragment ion mass spectra in a mass spectrometer with up-front substance separator. TIMS with parallel accumulation provides the unique possibility to prolong the ion accumulation duration to find more detectable ion species without decreasing the measuring capacity for fragment ion mass spectra. The high measurement capacity for fragment ion mass spectra permits the repeated measurement of low abundance ion species to improve the quality of the fragment ion spectra.

Abstract: The invention relates to the operation of ion mobility spectrometers based on gases pushing the ions over electrical field barriers, preferably in combination with mass spectrometers, and relates to trapped ion mobility spectrometers (“TIMS”). The invention proposes to accumulate and to scan the ions of a selected range of mobilities by using a long and flat electric field ramp created by additional voltages. By a voltage supplied at the beginning of the flat ramp, the lowest mobility of the mobility range of ions to be collected can be selected. By the difference of the voltages at the beginning and the end, the width of the mobility range is determined. The spatial zoom advantageously can collect considerable more ions of interest than a temporal zoom without severe losses by space charge effects, and more ions can be detected in the mass-mobility map.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a composite membrane, includes the steps of: forming a first solution comprising a charged polymer and a first uncharged polymer having a repeat unit of a formula of: where each of X and Y is a non-hydroxyl group; forming a second solution comprising a second uncharged polymer; electrospinning, separately and simultaneously, the first solution and the second solution to form a dual fiber mat; and processing the dual fiber mat to form the composite membrane.

Abstract: A method may include receiving, by a switching engine, an optical signal. The optical signal may carry a super-channel that includes a plurality of sub-carriers to be directed toward respective output ports. The switching engine may have a plurality of regions of pixels on which respective sub-carriers, of the plurality of sub-carriers, are incident. The method may include applying, by the switching engine, respective single beam steering gratings to first, overlapping, areas of the plurality of regions of pixels. The method may include applying, by the switching engine, one or more respective pluralities of beam steering gratings to second, overlapping areas of the plurality of regions of pixels. The method may include directing, based on the single beam steering gratings and the one or more pluralities of beam steering gratings, parts of the optical signal toward the respective output ports.

Abstract: A method of extracting data from a formulary document is provided, the formulary document in a non-text format, and the formulary document including a grouping of data, the method including: determining if the formulary document is different compared to a previously stored version of the formulary document; if the formulary document is different compared to the previously stored formulary document: converting the formulary document to a text based format while maintaining the data grouping; comparing the text based formulary document with a version of the previously stored formulary document in the text based format; and generating a report showing the differences between the formulary document and the previously stored formulary document.