Abstract: A method of operating a quadrupole device is disclosed that comprises operating the quadrupole device in a first mode of operation, and operating the quadrupole device in a second mode of operation. Operating the quadrupole device in the first mode of operation comprises applying one or more first voltages to the quadrupole device such that the quadrupole device is operated in an initial stability region and such that at least some ions are stable within the quadrupole device. Operating the quadrupole device in the second mode of operation comprises applying one or more second voltages to the quadrupole device such that the quadrupole device is operated in a different stability region and such that at least some of the ions that were stable within the quadrupole device in the first mode of operation are stable within the quadrupole device in the second mode of operation.

Abstract: A method of mass and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed that comprises accumulating ions for a first period of time (T1) one or more times so as to form one or more first groups of ions, accumulating ions for a second period of time (T2) one or more times so as to form one or more second groups of ions, wherein the second period of time (T2) is less that the first period of time (T1), analysing the one or more first groups of ions to generate one or more first data sets, analysing the one or more second groups of ions to generate one or more second data sets, and determining whether the one or more first data sets comprise saturated and/or distorted data. If it is determined that the one or more first data sets comprise saturated and/or distorted data, then the method further comprises replacing the saturated and/or distorted data from the one or more first data sets with corresponding data from the one or more second data sets.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a method of separating ions according to their ion mobility, comprising (i) accumulating a first population of ions in a first region of an ion mobility separator, (ii) separating said first population of ions according to their ion mobility in said first region of said ion mobility separator, and (iii) accumulating a second population of ions in said first region of said ion mobility separator whilst said first population of ions are being separated according to their ion mobility in said ion mobility separator.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method comprising providing a sample to be analysed, separating successive populations of ions from said sample in a separator, wherein said populations of ions are introduced into said separator at regular intervals, and the intervals are timed such that at least some ions in a subsequent population of ions overlap ions in a preceding population of ions, varying one or more parameters of said separator such that different populations of ions experience different separation conditions, detecting ions from said populations of ions and obtaining a convolved data set, and deconvolving said convolved data set using the known variance of the parameters and outputting data corresponding to the successive populations of ions.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising: applying voltages to a mass filter or ion trap such that it is capable of transmitting or ejecting ions having mass to charge ratios within separate first and second mass to charge ratio windows; varying said voltages with time such that the first and second windows are moved simultaneously across different ranges of mass to charge ratio; detecting ions transmitted or ejected in the windows, or ions derived therefrom, with an ion detector; and deconvolving the resulting ion signal, wherein said deconvolving comprises: a) modelling an ion signal expected to be detected at the detector; b) comparing the model signal to the ion signal from the detector; and c) determining if the model signal matches the ion signal from the detector.

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: A mass spectrometer or ion mobility spectrometer is disclosed comprising: a first device for separating ions or molecules according to a physicochemical property; an ion mobility separation device for receiving and separating at least some of said ions or ions derived from said molecules according to their ion mobility; a gas supply connected to said ion mobility separation device for supplying gas into said ion mobility separation device; and a control system configured to adjust said gas supply so as to change the composition of gas within the ion mobility separation device as a function of time.

Abstract: A method of mass and/or ion mobility spectrometry is disclosed that comprises accumulating ions for a first period of time (T1) one or more times so as to form one or more first groups of ions, accumulating ions for a second period of time (T2) one or more times so as to form one or more second groups of ions, wherein the second period of time (T2) is less that the first period of time (T1), analysing the one or more first groups of ions to generate one or more first data sets, analysing the one or more second groups of ions to generate one or more second data sets, and determining whether the one or more first data sets comprise saturated and/or distorted data. If it is determined that the one or more first data sets comprise saturated and/or distorted data, then the method further comprises replacing the saturated and/or distorted data from the one or more first data sets with corresponding data from the one or more second data sets.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ion analysis instrument combining a chromatographic or other separation device for separating gaseous analyte material according to retention time with an ultra-violet (“UV”) spectrometer or detector for obtaining ultra-violet spectral data of at least a portion of the analyte material separated in said chromatographic or other separation device and a mass and/or ion mobility spectrometer for obtaining mass and/or ion mobility spectral data of ions generated from at least a portion of the analyte material separated in said chromatographic or other separation device. This instrument is able to provide highly orthogonal multidimensional data sets.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a method of separating ions according to their ion mobility, comprising (i) accumulating a first population of ions in a first region of an ion mobility separator, (ii) separating said first population of ions according to their ion mobility in said first region of said ion mobility separator, and (iii) accumulating a second population of ions in said first region of said ion mobility separator while said first population of ions are being separated according to their ion mobility in said ion mobility separator.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising calculating an ion mobility value, collision cross section or interaction cross section of a plurality of different analyte ions under one or more different analytical conditions, and setting one or more operational parameters of a mass spectrometer in response to the calculated ion mobility values, collision cross sections or the calculated interaction cross sections so as to maximize or enhance a subsequent ion mobility separation of a plurality of different analyte ions.

Abstract: An ion detection system is disclosed that comprises one or more first devices (11) configured to produce secondary electrons in response to incident ions. The one or more first devices (11) comprise a first ion collection region and a second ion collection region and are configured to produce first secondary electrons in response to one or more ions incident at the first ion collection region and to produce second secondary electrons in response to one or more ions incident at the second ion collection region. The ion detection system also comprises a first output device (14) configured to output a first signal in response to first secondary electrons produced by the one or more first devices (11) and a second output device (15) configured to output a second signal in response to second secondary electrons produced by the one or more first devices (11).

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising digitising a signal output from a detector to provide a first digitised signal. A finite impulse response (“FIR”) filter, a digital filter or an echo cancellation filter is applied to the first digitised signal in order to reduce the effect of baseline perturbations, echoes or ringing effects. Alternatively, an analogue signal output from a detector is passed to one or more first power splitters or dividers, wherein one or more first transmission lines are attached to one or more ports of one more said first power splitters or dividers in order to reduce the effect of baseline perturbations, echoes or ringing effects.

Abstract: A method of ionizing a sample is disclosed comprising performing an initial experiment comprising: (i) adding one or more reagents to an analyte sample; (ii) varying the composition and/or concentration of the one or more reagents; (iii) ionizing the analyte sample including the one or more reagents; (iv) determining the composition and/or concentration of the one or more reagents which results in a desired, improved or optimized ionization or other condition or parameter for one or more analytes of interest; and (v) determining one or more first retention times or one or more first retention time windows for the one or more analytes of interest. The method then further comprises separating an analyte sample using a first separation device and during the course of a single experimental run or acquisition varying the composition and/or concentration of one or more reagents which are added to an eluent which emerges from the first separation device.

Abstract: A data acquisition system for a TOF mass spectrometer comprises a processing module and a data collection module. The processing module generates a stream of data comprising, for each respective transient of a first scan, a set of time-intensity related parameter pairs. For each new set of data, the data collection module reads out a previous set of data from a previous memory bank, merges that previous set of data with the new set of data, and writes that latest merged set of data into a memory bank other than the previous memory bank. The data acquisition system provides a convenient way to merge sequential sets of time-intensity related parameter pairs for respective transients as a stream of data for a first scan is generated.

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.

Abstract: An ion trapping system is disclosed comprising an ion urging system for urging ions to spread out within an ion trapping region. Alternatively, the ion trapping system may deflect ions such that ions enter the ion trapping region at different locations. Alternatively, an ion deflector may be arranged upstream of, or at the entrance to, the ion trapping region, for deflecting ions such that ions enter the ion trapping region with different speeds so that the ions spread out within the ion trapping region.

Abstract: A method of identifying ions or confirming the identity of ions is disclosed comprising determining a physico-chemical or other property of first ions under first conditions, determining the physico-chemical or other property of the first ions or second ions derived from the first ions under second different conditions, and identifying or confirming the identity of the first ions or determining a class of the first or the second ions on the basis of the physico-chemical or other property of the first ions as determined under the first conditions and on the basis of the physico-chemical or other property of the first ions or second ions derived from the first ions as determined under the second conditions.

Abstract: A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising separating a first population of ions according to their ion mobility and selectively attenuating ions in the first population of ions in one or more ion mobility and/or drift time ranges so as to form a second population of ions. The step of selectively attenuating ions comprises applying a varying, increasing or decreasing attenuation factor to ions in different ion mobility and/or drift time ranges. The method further comprises separating the second population of ions according to their ion mobility.

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.