Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising comparing mass spectral data so as to identify a precursor ion in the mass spectral data that has a predetermined mass difference to a product ion in the mass spectral data; and determining whether said precursor ion is a precursor ion of interest by comparing the ion signal profile for the precursor ion with the ion signal profile for the product ion. If the profiles match then the precursor ion is determined to be an ion of interest. When a precursor ion is determined to be an ion of interest, the precursor ion is isolated from other precursor ions, fragmented or reacted so as to produce product ions, and the product ions are analysed so as to obtain product ion data that can be used to identify the precursor ion.

Abstract: A control system and method of determining a signal to noise (S/N) ratio of an ion detector system, including an ion detector, electron multiplier or photomultiplier, operates by determining an area of a noise peak, determining an area of a signal peak and determining a ratio of the area of the signal peak to the area of the noise peak. Based thereon, the signal to noise ratio can be optimized. The system has particular applicability for use in mass spectrometry.

Abstract: A method of ion imaging is disclosed comprising scanning a sample at a first resolution and acquiring first mass spectral data related to a first pixel location.

Abstract: A method of mass or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed comprising: providing an ion source for generating analyte ions and reference ions; providing a mass analyser or ion mobility separator (IMS); providing an ion trap between the ion source and the mass analyser or IMS; guiding reference ions from the ion source into the ion trap and trapping the reference ions in the ion trap; guiding the analyte ions from the ion source into the mass analyser or IMS, wherein the analyte ions bypass the ion trap; and releasing reference ions from the ion trap into the mass analyser or IMS for analysis.

Abstract: A biological microfluidics chip comprising a substrate, a microfluidic inlet port defining an opening in a surface of the substrate, and a microfluidic outlet port defining an opening in a surface of the substrate. The biological microfluidics chip also comprises a plurality of wells extending from a top surface of the substrate, wherein each well is bounded by one or more walls, and an inlet opening and an outlet opening are provided in a wall of each of the plurality of wells. An inlet microfluidic channel is provided in the substrate to connect the microfluidic inlet port to each of the inlet openings in the walls of the wells, and an outlet microfluidic channel is provided in the substrate to connect each of the outlet openings in the walls of the wells to the microfluidic outlet port.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising automatically and repeatedly performing multiple cycles of operation, wherein a cycle of operation comprises the steps of: (i) mass analyzing first ions; (ii) exposing the first ions to a first photo-dissociation device to form a plurality of second ions and mass analyzing the second ions; and (iii) exposing the first ions to a first photo-dissociation device to form a plurality of second ions, fragmenting the second ions to form a plurality of third ions and mass analyzing the third ions.

Abstract: A method of ion imaging is disclosed comprising scanning a sample at a first resolution and acquiring first mass spectral data related to a first pixel location.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising setting an attenuation factor of an attenuation device to a first value and then separating or filtering ions according to a first physico-chemical property and separating or filtering ions according to a second physico-chemical property and obtaining a multi-dimensional array of data. The most intense ion peak within one or more subsets of the multi-dimensional array of data is determined. If it is determined that the most intense ion peak would cause saturation of an ion detector or ion detection system then the method further comprises adjusting the attenuation factor of the attenuation device to a second value and obtaining mass spectral data wherein the adjustment of the attenuation factor substantially alters the intensity of all ions which are detected by the ion detector or ion detection system equally and irrespective of the mass to charge ratio of the ions.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising: performing a survey scan of a plurality of different types of parent or precursor ions, wherein said survey scan comprises analysing the ion mobilities of the ions and mass analysing the ions; determining the charge states of parent or precursor ions analysed in the survey scan based on their determined combinations of ion mobility and mass to charge ratio; selecting a parent or precursor ion for fragmentation or reaction; and fragmenting or reacting said selected ion, wherein the fragmentation or reaction conditions are selected from a plurality of different fragmentation or reaction conditions based upon the determined charge state of the selected ion.

Abstract: A method of analysing ions is disclosed comprising: (i) separating ions according to a physico-chemical property in a separator; (ii) transmitting ions which emerge from the separator through a transfer device with a first transit time t1, energising a pusher electrode or orthogonal acceleration electrode and obtaining first data; (iii) transmitting ions which subsequently emerge from the separator through the transfer device with a second greater transit time t2, energising the pusher electrode or orthogonal acceleration electrode and obtaining second data; and (iv) repeating steps (ii) and (iii) one or more times. The pusher electrode or orthogonal acceleration electrode is energised with a period t3, wherein t2-t1 is arranged to equal t3/2. The first and second data are combined to form a composite data set.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising obtaining first data at a first time and/or location and second data at a second subsequent time and/or location. A future trend or rate of change in the data is predicted from the first and second data. An attenuation factor of an attenuation device is adjusted in response to the predicted future trend or rate of change in the data so as to maintain operation of a detector or detector system within the dynamic range of the detector or detector system and/or to prevent saturation of the detector or detector system.

Abstract: A method of ion imaging is disclosed comprising scanning a sample and acquiring first mass spectral data related to a first pixel location at a first spatial resolution and determining whether or not the first mass spectral data satisfies a condition. If it is determined that the first mass spectral data does satisfy the condition then the first mass spectral data is stored, recorded or prioritized. If it is determined that the first mass spectral data does not satisfy the condition then the first mass spectral data is discarded or downgraded. Scanning of the sample then continues at the first spatial resolution and further mass spectral data related to further pixel locations is acquired.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising separating ions according to one or more physico-chemical properties. Ions which are onwardly transmitted to a Time of Flight mass analyser are controlled by attenuating ions which would otherwise be transmitted to the Time of Flight mass analyser and cause saturation of an ion detector and which have been determined or which are predicted to have a relatively high intensity.

Abstract: An ion source for a mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ionisation device which emits a stream of droplets and one or more ultrasonic transmitters which create one or more acoustic standing waves. The acoustic standing waves may be used to further nebulise the stream of droplets and induce internal mixing of the droplets.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising separating ions according to one or more physico-chemical properties. Ions which are onwardly transmitted to a Time of Flight mass analyzer are controlled by attenuating ions which would otherwise be transmitted to the Time of Flight mass analyzer and cause saturation of an ion detector and which have been determined or which are predicted to have a relatively high intensity.

Abstract: A control system and method of determining a signal to noise (S/N) ratio of an ion detector system, including an ion detector, electron multiplier or photomultiplier, operates by determining an area of a noise peak, determining an area of a signal peak and determining a ratio of the area of the signal peak to the area of the noise peak. Based thereon, the signal to noise ratio can be optimised. The system has particular applicability for use in mass spectrometry.

Abstract: An ion source for a mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ionization device which emits a stream of droplets and one or more ultrasonic transmitters which create one or more acoustic standing waves. The acoustic standing waves may be used to further nebulize the stream of droplets and induce internal mixing of the droplets.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a liquid chromatography device for separating ions. A gas phase ion-neutral reaction device is arranged downstream to perform a gas phase ion-neutral reaction such as Hydrogen-Deuterium exchange. A control system is arranged to automatically and repeatedly switch the reaction device back and forth between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation, wherein in the first mode of operation at least some parent or precursor ions are caused to react within the reaction device and wherein in the second mode of operation substantially fewer or no parent or precursor ions are caused to react.

Abstract: An ion source for a mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ionisation device which emits a stream of droplets and one or more ultrasonic transmitters which create one or more acoustic standing waves. The acoustic standing waves may be used to further nebulise the stream of droplets and induce internal mixing of the droplets.

Abstract: A method of encoding a parent or precursor ion beam to aid product ion assignment is disclosed. According to an embodiment the energy of parent ions entering a collision cell is progressively increased. Different species of parent ions fragment at different collision energies. Fragment ion intensity profiles are matched with parent ion intensity profiles to correlate fragment ions with corresponding parent ions.