Abstract: A method of separating ions is disclosed comprising: providing an ion separation device comprising a plurality of electrodes; providing a gas flow (5) so as to urge ions in a first direction along the device; applying voltages to said electrodes so that a plurality of travelling potentials (4) urge the ions in a second opposite direction; and varying at least one operational parameter of the travelling potentials (4) as a function of position along the device such that ions of different mobility or mass to charge ratio become trapped at different locations along the device.

Abstract: A method of analysing a sample comprises analysing a sample in a first mode of operation so as to produce a spatially resolved data set representative of the sample, and analysing the data set so as to identify one or more regions of the sample. For each of one or more identified regions of the sample, a tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) data set is produced for that region by determining a path through the region, and analysing the sample along the path using Desorption Electrospray Ionisation (“DESI”) in a tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) mode of operation.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed in which one or more AC excitation voltage waveforms are applied to electrodes of an ion guide to radially excite and thereby attenuate ions having mass to charge ratios within respective mass to charge ratio windows. The AC excitation voltage waveforms are varied with time such that ions having different mass to charge ratios are attenuated with different attenuation time profiles. Plural AC excitation voltage waveforms may be varied with time to provide unique mass to charge ratio encoding.

Abstract: A method of ion mobility and/or mass spectrometry is disclosed in which the ion mobility and/or mass to charge ratio of an ion is determined using an algorithm or relationship that relates the transit time or average ion velocity of the ion through an ion separation device in which one or more time-varying electric field is used to separate ions passing therethrough to one or more parameters for the device, the mass to charge ratio of the ion and the ion mobility of the ion.

Abstract: A method of controlling the operation of an ion mobility separation device is disclosed. The method comprises displaying to a user via a user interface a pool of modes of operation of the ion mobility separation device, wherein each one of the modes is selectable by the user for inclusion in an experiment, and the modes are displayed in a first area 202 of the user interface. The method comprises receiving, via the user interface, an indication from the user of a selection of one or more instance of each one of a plurality of the modes from the pool to be included in an experiment, and an indication from the user of a set of one or more parameters for controlling the ion mobility separation device in respect of one or more selected instances of a mode. The selected instances of modes are displayed in a sequence in a second area 204 of the user interface. The operation of the ion mobility separation device is controlled in accordance with the received indications.

Abstract: A method of mass and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed that includes ionising analyte from a sample so as to generate a plurality of ions, separating precursor ions from first fragment and/or other ions of the plurality of ions, fragmenting or reacting at least some of the precursor ions using a fragmentation, reaction or collision device so as to generate second fragment ions, and then analysing at least some ions that emerge from the fragmentation, reaction or collision device. The sample is classified and/or identified based on the analysis of the second fragment ions.

Abstract: A method of correcting mass spectral data comprises making calibration measurements of first intrinsic components (A, B, C) at one or more calibration times (t1) using calibrants which have known mass to charge ratio (m/z) values or previously mass measured mass to charge ratio (m/z) values, making a list of second intrinsic components (D, E, F) which are present during more than one acquisition periods, wherein the second intrinsic components have mass to charge ratio (m/z) values that were not present or observed during or close to the one or more calibration times (t1) but which do overlap in time with the first intrinsic components (A, B, C), and utilising the list to calculate a mass or mass to charge ratio (m/z) correction factor for one or more acquisition periods which are not close or adjacent in time to an acquisition period containing a directly calibrated mass to charge ratio (m/z) value.

Abstract: A method of controlling the operation of an ion mobility separation device is disclosed. The method comprises displaying to a user via a user interface a pool of modes of operation of the ion mobility separation device, wherein each one of the modes is selectable by the user for inclusion in an experiment, and the modes are displayed in a first area 202 of the user interface. The method comprises receiving, via the user interface, an indication from the user of a selection of one or more instance of each one of a plurality of the modes from the pool to be included in an experiment, and an indication from the user of a set of one or more parameters for controlling the ion mobility separation device in respect of one or more selected instances of a mode. The selected instances of modes are displayed in a sequence in a second area 204 of the user interface. The operation of the ion mobility separation device is controlled in accordance with the received indications.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed wherein one or more relatively abundant or intense species of ions in a first population of ions are selectively attenuated so as to form a second population of ions. The total ion current of the second population of ions is then adjusted so that the ion current corresponding to ions which are onwardly transmitted to a mass analyser comprising an ion detector is within the dynamic range of the ion detector.

Abstract: A method of mass or mobility spectrometry comprising obtaining one or more sample spectra for a sample. The one or more sample spectra are subjected to pre-processing and then multivariate and/or library based analysis so as to classify the sample. Before the sample spectra are acquired, a library of background spectra, each background spectrum relating to a certain class of sample material, is constructed. The background spectra in this library are used to subtract the background from a sample spectrum during the pre-processing of this sample spectrum.

Abstract: A method of spectrometric analysis comprises obtaining one or more sample spectra for a sample. The one or more sample spectra are subjected to pre-processing and then multivariate and/or library based analysis so as to classify the sample. The pre-processing involves deisotoping the sample spectra.

Abstract: A method of ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed comprising: transmitting a plurality of ions to an ion mobility separator 6; modulating the introduction of the ions into the ion mobility separator 6 at a first modulation frequency; separating the ions that enter the ion mobility separator 6 according to ion mobility; detecting ions that have exited the ion mobility separator with a detector of a time of flight mass analyser 8; varying the first modulation frequency with time; recording the intensity of the ion signal output from the detector to produce recorded data; modulating the recorded data as a function of the time that the data was recorded and at a second modulation frequency, wherein the second modulation frequency is varied as a function of the time that the data was recorded; and determining, from the variation in intensity of the ion signal in the modulated data as a function of the second modulation frequency, the ion mobilities of the ions that have been detected.

Abstract: A method of mass or mobility spectrometry comprising obtaining one or more sample spectra for a sample. The one or more sample spectra are subjected to pre-processing and then multivariate and/or library based analysis so as to classify the sample. Before the sample spectra are acquired, a library of background spectra, each background spectrum relating to a certain class of sample material, is constructed. The background spectra in this library are used to subtract the background from a sample spectrum during the pre-processing of this sample spectrum.

Abstract: A method of mass and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed that comprises ionising analyte from a sample so as to generate a plurality of ions, separating precursor ions from first fragment and/or other ions of the plurality of ions, fragmenting or reacting at least some of the precursor ions using a fragmentation, reaction or collision device so as to generate second fragment ions, and then analysing at least some ions that emerge from the fragmentation, reaction or collision device. The sample is classified and/or identified based on the analysis of the second fragment ions.

Abstract: A method of analysing a sample mass spectrum comprises comparing a sample mass spectrum of a sample with each reference mass spectrum of plural reference mass spectra. A similarity index is assigned to each reference mass spectrum of the plural reference mass spectra based on similarity between the sample mass spectrum and the reference mass spectrum. For each group of one or more groups of the plural reference mass spectra, the similarity indexes for the reference mass spectra belonging to the group are combined so as to provide a group index for the group at a first level of a hierarchy of sample characteristics. The reference mass spectra belonging to each group are mass spectra of reference samples that have a particular characteristic in common. The method provides a way to categorise a sample as belonging to a particular group of reference samples.

Abstract: A method of Fourier Transform ion mobility mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising determining the presence of different types of ions by determining that the different types of ions have different combinations of ion mobility and mass to charge ratio.

Abstract: A method of ion mobility and/or mass spectrometry is disclosed in which the ion mobility and/or mass to charge ratio of an ion is determined using an algorithm or relationship that relates the transit time or average ion velocity of the ion through an ion separation device in which one or more time-varying electric field is used to separate ions passing therethrough to one or more parameters for the device, the mass to charge ratio of the ion and the ion mobility of the ion.

Abstract: A method of mass or mobility spectrometry comprising obtaining one or more sample spectra for a sample. The one or more sample spectra are subjected to pre-processing and then multivariate and/or library based analysis so as to classify the sample. Before the sample spectra are acquired, a library of background spectra, each background spectrum relating to a certain class of sample material, is constructed. The background spectra in this library are used to subtract the background from a sample spectrum during the pre-processing of this sample spectrum.

Abstract: A hardware module which operatively carries out a method of compressing mass spectral data, the method comprising: receiving a first signal output from an ion detector of a mass spectrometer; processing the first signal to a digital signal at an output being data frame types representative of the first signal output; temporarily storing the data frame types in a memory block and reading a data frame from the memory block and determining its data frame type and according to its data frame type compressing the data frame according to one or more compression algorithms to generate a compressed data output stream.

Abstract: A method of controlling the operation of an ion mobility separation device is disclosed. The method comprises displaying to a user via a user interface a pool of modes of operation of the ion mobility separation device, wherein each one of the modes is selectable by the user for inclusion in an experiment, and the modes are displayed in a first area 202 of the user interface. The method comprises receiving, via the user interface, an indication from the user of a selection of one or more instance of each one of a plurality of the modes from the pool to be included in an experiment, and an indication from the user of a set of one or more parameters for controlling the ion mobility separation device in respect of one or more selected instances of a mode. The selected instances of modes are displayed in a sequence in a second area 204 of the user interface. The operation of the ion mobility separation device is controlled in accordance with the received indications.