Abstract: A method of introducing and ejecting ions from an ion entry/exit device (4) is disclosed. The ion entry/exit device (4) has at least two arrays of electrodes (20,22). The device is operated in a first mode wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays ((20,22) in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the first direction. The device is also operated in a second mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays (20,22) in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the array in the second direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the second direction. The device provides a single, relatively simple device for manipulating ions in multiple directions.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a multi-pole charged particle transmission device having rods spaced apart radially about a central axis extending from a particle inlet at one end of the device to a particle outlet at an opposite end. An AC voltage source is controlled to apply an AC voltage having a frequency, a peak amplitude, and a waveform shape to the charged particle transmission device, and a set of charged particles is passed through the device under such conditions. The AC voltage source is then controlled to change at least one of the frequency, peak amplitude or shape of the AC, and another set of the charged particles is then passed through the charged particle transmission device under such conditions.

Abstract: A method of analysing high-mass (>1 MDa) particles comprises ionising particles to as to produce ions, separating the ions according to mass to charge ratio by passing the ions through an ion separation device in which one or more time-varying electric fields is used to urge ions through a gas such that ions are separated according to mass to charge ratio, measuring the transit time of the ions through the ion separation device, and determining a drift time or mass to charge ratio distribution of the ions therefrom. The method further comprises identifying one or more charge envelopes in the drift time or mass to charge ratio distribution, and using the one or more charge envelopes to characterise the particles.

Abstract: A method of analysing ions comprises separating ions according to a first physico-chemical property by passing the ions through an ion separation device, and measuring the transit time of an ion through the ion separation device. The method further comprises detecting the ion using a charge-resolving ion detector so as to determine the charge of the ion, and using the transit time and the charge of the ion to determine a second physico-chemical property of the ion.

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 3 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.

Abstract: An instrument for analysing ions is disclosed comprising: a first device (4) configured to onwardly transmit ions having a restricted range of physicochemical property values at any given time, and to change said range with time such that the first device (4) is capable of transmitting ions having different physicochemical property values at different times; and an ion mobility separator (6) arranged to receive ions transmitted by the first device (4); wherein the instrument is configured such that the time that any given ion enters the ion mobility separator (6) and begins to be separated from other ions is defined by its time of transmission by the first device.

Abstract: A method of identifying and/or characterising ions comprises separating analyte ions according to a first physico-chemical property (ion-mobility), selecting first ions of the analyte ions, and activating, fragmenting or reacting the first ions to produce first product ions, separating the first product ions according to the first physico-chemical property, and determining a pattern of the first product ions. The first ions are identified and/or characterised using the pattern of the first product ions.

Abstract: There is provided a method of operating a charge detection mass spectrometer (CDMS), the CDMS comprising an electrostatic ion trap, the electrostatic ion trap comprising a plurality of electrodes, the method comprising: a) introducing a first ion into the electrostatic ion trap at a first ion energy, b) setting the voltage of the plurality of electrodes to a first voltage map, c) obtaining first CDMS data indicative of a first ion oscillation frequency, d) obtaining an acceptable range or ranges of ion oscillation frequencies, e) changing the first ion energy to a second ion energy and/or changing the first voltage map to a second voltage map, and f) obtaining second CDMS data indicative of a second ion oscillation frequency.

Abstract: A method of introducing and ejecting ions from an ion entry/exit device (4) is disclosed. The ion entry/exit device (4) has at least two arrays of electrodes (20,22). The device is operated in a first mode wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays ((20,22) in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the first direction. The device is also operated in a second mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays (20,22) in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the array in the second direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the second direction. The device provides a single, relatively simple device for manipulating ions in multiple directions.

Abstract: A method of mass and/or ion mobility spectrometry comprising: providing an ion guide comprising a plurality of electrodes and having a background gas therein; applying an RF voltage to electrodes of the ion guide for radially confining ions therein; transmitting clusters of analyte ions and adduct species into the ion guide; applying, in a first mode, one or more AC voltage to the ion guide so as to oscillate the clusters such that they collide with molecules of the background gas and cause adduct species in the clusters to detach from the analyte ions, wherein the one or more AC voltage has a different amplitude and/or frequency to that of said RF voltage; and (i) varying the speed with which the clusters are urged along the ion guide during the first mode; and/or (ii) varying he amplitude and/or frequency of the one or more AC voltage as the clusters travel along the ion guide.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating ions according to a physicochemical property, such as ion mobility or mass-to-charge-ratio, is disclosed, comprising: repeatedly travelling a transient DC voltage along an ion guide; wherein the transient DC voltage has a first amplitude and first speed whilst it travels along a first region of the ion guide so as to urge ions having different values of said physicochemical property through said first region of the ion guide with different average speeds; and wherein, in a first mode, the transient DC voltage is travelled along a second region of the ion guide that is adjacent to said first region: (i) whilst having a second different amplitude; and/or (ii) at a second different non-zero speed; and/or (iii) at a substantially constant speed but with a different frequency to which it is repeatedly travelled along the first region; so that ions having a given value of said physicochemical property are urged through said second region of the ion guide at a different average

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 introducing and ejecting ions from an ion entry/exit device (4) is disclosed. The ion entry/exit device (4) has at least two arrays of electrodes (20,22). The device is operated in a first mode wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays ((20,22) in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the first direction. The device is also operated in a second mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays (20,22) in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the array in the second direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the second direction. The device provides a single, relatively simple device for manipulating ions in multiple directions.

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 filtering ions according to their ion mobility using a device is disclosed, the method comprising a plurality of electrodes and one or more voltage source(s) arranged and adapted to apply voltages to the plurality of electrodes, the method comprising, generating using the one or more voltage source(s) one or more local separation region(s), wherein ions can be separated within each local separation region according to their ion mobility, and moving each local separation region axially along the device with a certain velocity such that, for each local separation region, ions having a value of their ion mobility falling within a selected range are transmitted axially along the device with that local separation region whereas ions having higher and/or lower ion mobility falling outside that range escape the local separation region, wherein any ions that escape the local separation region(s) are removed from within the device and/or otherwise kept apart from those ions falling within the selected rang

Abstract: There is provided a method comprising separating a first population of ions according to a first physico-chemical property in a first separation device, and separating one or more groups of ions emerging from the first separation device in a drift tube and sampling each group of ions using the drift tube to determine the collision cross section of ions in each group of ions, wherein each group of ions corresponds to a range of the first physico-chemical property. The drift tube is configured such that multiple groups of ions in the first population of ions can be sampled by the drift tube in a single cycle of separation of the first separation device. The step of sampling each group of ions comprises determining the mobility of ions in each group of ions by measuring their drift time through the drift tube, and determining the collision cross section of the ions in each group of ions using the determined mobility.

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 mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ion mobility spectrometer or separator and an ion guide arranged downstream of the ion mobility spectrometer or separator. A plurality of axial potential wells are created in the ion guide so that ions received from the ion mobility spectrometer or separator become confined in separate axial potential wells. The potential wells maintain the fidelity and/or composition of ions received from the ion mobility spectrometer or separator. The potential wells are translated along the length of the ion guide.

Abstract: An ion guide or ion trap that comprises a plurality of electrodes (102) is disclosed. The ion guide or ion trap includes a detector (205) that can detect light or particles (114) emitted from the ion guide or ion trap due to electrical breakdown, and a control circuit (111) that can control the ion guide or ion trap in response to the detector (205) detecting light or particles (114) emitted from the ion guide or ion trap.