Abstract: A method for analyzing charged particles may include generating, in or into an ion source region, charged particles from a sample of particles, causing the charged particles to enter a mass spectrometer from the ion source region at each of a plurality of differing physical and/or chemical conditions in a range of physical and/or chemical conditions in which the sample particles undergo structural changes, controlling the mass spectrometer to measure at least the charge magnitudes of the generated charged particles at each of the plurality of differing physical and/or chemical conditions, determining, with a processor, an average charge magnitude of the generated charged particles at each of the plurality of differing physical and/or chemical conditions based on the measured charge magnitudes, and determining, with the processor, an average charge magnitude profile over the range of physical and/or chemical conditions based on the determined average charge magnitudes.

Abstract: A method for purifying particles generates charged particles from a sample, measures at least at least one of masses, charge magnitudes and mobilities of the generated charged particles, and selectively passes to a particle collection target each of the measured charged particles having at least one of (a) a measured mass equal to a selected mass or within a selected range of particle masses, (b) a measured charge magnitude equal to a selected charge magnitude or within a selected range of charge magnitudes, (c) a mass-to-charge ratio equal to a selected mass-to-charge ratio or within a selected range of mass-to-charge ratios, and (d) a measured mobility equal to a selected mobility or within a selected range of mobilities. In some embodiments, the collected particles may be harvested and amplified.

Abstract: A method for reducing heterogeneity of a virus preparation may include generating virus ions from the virus preparation, repeatedly increasing at least one of a temperature and an incubation period at the increased temperature of at least one of the virus preparation and the generated virus ions, measuring mass-to-charge ratios and charge magnitudes of at least some of the generated virus ions at each increase of the at least one of the temperature and the incubation period, determining a mass spectrum at each increase of the at least one of the temperature and the incubation period based on values of the respective mass-to-charge ratios and charge magnitudes, and determining, based on the mass spectrums, optimum ones of the temperature and the incubation period which together minimize, or at least reduce, a heterogeneity of the virus preparation without aggregation of virus capsids in the virus preparation.

Abstract: A charge filter instrument includes a field-free drift region, a plurality of charge detection cylinders in the drift region through which ions drifting axially therethrough pass, a plurality of charge sensitive amplifiers each coupled to at least one charge detection cylinder and configured to produce a charge detection signal corresponding to a charge of one or more of ions passing therethrough, a single inlet, single outlet charge deflector or a single inlet, multiple outlet charge steering device coupled to the outlet end of the drift region, means for determining charge magnitudes or charge states of ions drifting axially through the drift region based on the charge detection signals, and means for controlling the charge deflector or the charge steering device to pass through the single outlet or through a specified one of the multiple outlets only ions having a specified charge magnitude or charge state.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer may have an ion source region including an ion generator configured to generate ions from a sample, an ion detector configured to detect ions and produce corresponding ion detection signals, an electric field-free drift region disposed between the ion source region and the ion detector through which the generated ions drift axially toward the ion detector, a plurality of spaced-apart charge detection cylinders disposed in the drift region and through which the ions drifting axially through the drift region pass, and a plurality of charge amplifiers each coupled to a different one of the plurality of charge detection cylinders and each configured to produce a charge detection signal corresponding to a magnitude of charge of one or more of the generated ions passing through a respective one of the plurality of charge detection cylinders.

Abstract: An instrument for energizing molecules contained in a sample solution may include a droplet generator configured to generate droplets of the sample solution. The droplet generator illustratively has an elongated nozzle defining an orifice at one end thereof from which the droplets exit the droplet generator, and the orifice illustratively defines a first longitudinal axis centrally therethrough. A molecule energizing source is configured to produce a molecule energizing field, and is positioned relative to the nozzle orifice such that the molecule energizing field extends into at least some of the generated droplets along a direction non-parallel with the first longitudinal axis. The molecule energizing field illustratively carries energy which heats at least one of the generated droplets sufficiently to induce structural changes in at least one molecule contained in the at least one of the generated droplets.

Abstract: A method for analyzing charged particles may include generating, in or into an ion source region, charged particles from a sample of particles, causing the charged particles to enter a mass spectrometer from the ion source region at each of a plurality of differing physical and/or chemical conditions in a range of physical and/or chemical conditions in which the sample particles undergo structural changes, controlling the mass spectrometer to measure at least the charge magnitudes of the generated charged particles at each of the plurality of differing physical and/or chemical conditions, determining, with a processor, an average charge magnitude of the generated charged particles at each of the plurality of differing physical and/or chemical conditions based on the measured charge magnitudes, and determining, with the processor, an average charge magnitude profile over the range of physical and/or chemical conditions based on the determined average charge magnitudes.

Abstract: An instrument for energizing molecules contained in a sample solution may include a droplet generator configured to generate droplets of the sample solution. The droplet generator illustratively has an elongated nozzle defining an orifice at one end thereof from which the droplets exit the droplet generator, and the orifice illustratively defines a first longitudinal axis centrally therethrough. A molecule energizing source is configured to produce a molecule energizing field, and is positioned relative to the nozzle orifice such that the molecule energizing field extends into at least some of the generated droplets along a direction non-parallel with the first longitudinal axis. The molecule energizing field illustratively carries energy which heats at least one of the generated droplets sufficiently to induce structural changes in at least one molecule contained in the at least one of the generated droplets.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer includes a drift tube responsive to application of at least a first voltage to establish a first electric field therein configured to cause ions within the drift tube to move along and about the drift tube while separating from one another as a function of ion mobility, and a transition region coupled to opposed ends of the first drift tube such that the drift tube and the transition region together define a closed path. The transition region is responsive to application of at least a second voltage to cause the ions to move along and about the closed path, to application of at least a third voltage to selectively pass ions into the drift tube and to application of at least a fourth voltage to selectively pass ions out of the drift tube.

Abstract: A hybrid ion mobility spectrometer includes a single-pass drift tube having an ion inlet and an ion outlet, a multiple-pass drift tube having an ion inlet and an ion outlet each coupled to the single pass drift tube between the ion inlet and the ion outlet thereof, and at least one ion steering channel controllable to selectively pass ions traveling through the single-pass drift tube into the multiple-pass drift tube via the ion inlet of the multiple-pass drift tube and to selectively pass ions traveling through the multiple-pass drift tube into the single-pass drift tube via the ion outlet of the multiple-pass drift tube. The single-pass drift tube separates in time ions traveling therethrough according to a first function of ion mobility, and the multiple-pass drift tube separates in time ions traveling one or more times therethrough according to the first or a second function of ion mobility.

Abstract: A hybrid ion mobility spectrometer includes a single-pass drift tube having an ion inlet and an ion outlet, a multiple-pass drift tube having an ion inlet and an ion outlet each coupled to the single pass drift tube between the ion inlet and the ion outlet thereof, and at least one ion steering channel controllable to selectively pass ions traveling through the single-pass drift tube into the multiple-pass drift tube via the ion inlet of the multiple-pass drift tube and to selectively pass ions traveling through the multiple-pass drift tube into the single-pass drift tube via the ion outlet of the multiple-pass drift tube. The single-pass drift tube separates in time ions traveling therethrough according to a first function of ion mobility, and the multiple-pass drift tube separates in time ions traveling one or more times therethrough according to the first or a second function of ion mobility.

Abstract: A hybrid ion mobility spectrometer includes a single-pass drift tube having an ion inlet and an ion outlet, a multiple-pass drift tube having an ion inlet and an ion outlet each coupled to the single pass drift tube between the ion inlet and the ion outlet thereof, and at least one ion steering channel controllable to selectively pass ions traveling through the single-pass drift tube into the multiple-pass drift tube via the ion inlet of the multiple-pass drift tube and to selectively pass ions traveling through the multiple-pass drift tube into the single-pass drift tube via the ion outlet of the multiple-pass drift tube. The single-pass drift tube separates in time ions traveling therethrough according to a first function of ion mobility, and the multiple-pass drift tube separates in time ions traveling one or more times therethrough according to the first or a second function of ion mobility.

Abstract: A hybrid ion mobility spectrometer includes a single-pass drift tube having an ion inlet at one end and an ion outlet at an opposite end, a multiple-pass drift tube having an ion inlet and an ion outlet each coupled to the single pass drift tube between the ion inlet and the ion outlet thereof, and a set of ion gates each controllable between an open position to pass ions therethrough and a closed position to block ions from passing therethrough. The set of ion gates may be controlled to pass at least some ions traveling through the single-pass drift tube into the multiple-pass drift tube via the ion inlet of the multiple-pass drift tube and to pass at least some ions traveling through the multiple-pass drift tube into the single-pass drift tube via the ion outlet of the multiple-pass drift tube.

Abstract: A hybrid ion mobility spectrometer includes a single-pass drift tube having an ion inlet at one end and an ion outlet at an opposite end, a multiple-pass drift tube having an ion inlet and an ion outlet each coupled to the single pass drift tube between the ion inlet and the ion outlet thereof, and a set of ion gates each controllable between an open position to pass ions therethrough and a closed position to block ions from passing therethrough. The set of ion gates may be controlled to pass at least some ions traveling through the single-pass drift tube into the multiple-pass drift tube via the ion inlet of the multiple-pass drift tube and to pass at least some ions traveling through the multiple-pass drift tube into the single-pass drift tube via the ion outlet of the multiple-pass drift tube.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer comprises a drift tube defining a drift tube inlet configured to receive ions and a drift tube outlet. The drift tube is configured to separate ions in time as a function of ion mobility. The drift tube defines a first ion activation region between the drift tube inlet and the drift tube outlet. The first ion activation region is configured to selectively induce structural changes in at least some of the ions.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer instrument has a drift tube that is partitioned into a plurality of cascaded drift tube segments. A number of electric field activation sources may each be coupled to one or more of the plurality of drift tube segments. A control circuit is configured to control operation of the number of electric field activation sources in a manner that sequentially applies electric fields to the drift tube segments to allow only ions having a predefined ion mobility or range of ion mobilities to travel through the drift tube. The drift tube segments may define a linear drift tube or a closed drift tube with a continuous ion travel path. Techniques are disclosed for operating the ion mobility spectrometer to produce highly resolved ion mobility spectra.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for separating Ions based on ion mobility includes a conduit (12) defining a closed path. The conduit is configured such that a uniform electric field is produced about the closed path upon application of a voltage causing ions within the conduit (12) to move about the closed path and to separate the ions based upon ion mobility. A method of separating a plurality of ions is also disclosed.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer comprises a drift tube defining a drift tube inlet configured to receive ions and a drift tube outlet. The drift tube is configured to separate ions in time as a function of ion mobility. The drift tube defines a first ion activation region between the drift tube inlet and the drift tube outlet. The first ion activation region is configured to selectively induce structural changes in at least some of the ions.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer instrument has a drift tube that is partitioned into a plurality of cascaded drift tube segments. A number of electric field activation sources may each be coupled to one or more of the plurality of drift tube segments. A control circuit is configured to control operation of the number of electric field activation sources in a manner that sequentially applies electric fields to the drift tube segments to allow only ions having a predefined ion mobility or range of ion mobilities to travel through the drift tube. The drift tube segments may define a linear drift tube or a closed drift tube with a continuous ion travel path. Techniques are disclosed for operating the ion mobility spectrometer to produce highly resolved ion mobility spectra.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer instrument has a drift tube that is partitioned into a plurality of cascaded drift tube segments. A number of electric field activation sources may each be coupled to one or more of the plurality of drift tube segments. A control circuit is configured to control operation of the number of electric field activation sources in a manner that applies switched electric fields at a specified switching rate to the drift tube segments to thereby produce at the ion outlet only ions having a predefined ion mobility or range of ion mobilities.