Abstract: A mixed solution in which a compound which forms a nonvolatile membrane at a gas-liquid interface through self-aggregation is dispersed in a volatile liquid, is ejected and atomized in a gas or in a vacuum to produce a droplet particle, and a nonvolatile membrane is then formed at the gas-liquid interface by aligning the compound on a surface of the droplet particle having a reduced diameter due to evaporation of the volatile liquid in the gas or in the vacuum to stabilize the droplet particle. The method produces a novel droplet particle which stably exists in a gas or in a vacuum without collapsing or without evaporation of the volatile liquid inside the droplet particle.

Abstract: An ion source is provided with a push-out electrode, a pull-out electrode, and a pull-in electrode all for ionizing a sample and accelerating generated ions in a pulsed manner, wherein the push-out electrode and/or the pull-in electrode has a curved surface shape having a depression curved in the direction opposite to the direction of travel of the ions. As a result, a compact ion source capable of temporally and spatially focusing ions and outputting the ions, and a compact time-of-flight mass spectroscope with good detection resolution and detection sensitivity which is provided with the compact ion source can be provided.

Abstract: An alkali metal introduction apparatus (1) includes: a dedicated fracture chamber (10) and a vacuum chamber (20); vacuum pumps (60a) and (60b) for evacuating the insides of the dedicated fracture chamber (10) and the vacuum chamber (20); an ampul fracturing section for causing, in the dedicated fracture chamber (10), an alkali metal encapsulated in an ampul (16) to be exposed out of the ampul (16) by deforming the ampul (16); a collision cell (40) configured to allow the ampul (16) to be introduced therein, the collision room (40) being provided inside the vacuum chamber (20); and an ampul introducing section (12) for moving the ampul (16) between an exposure position where the alkali metal encapsulated in the ampul (16) is to be exposed out of the ampul (16) thus deformed and an introduction position where the ampul (16) is to be introduced into the collision cell (40).

Abstract: Provided is a small-sized mass analysis system capable of analyzing an analysis target system being under atmospheric pressure. The mass analysis system (7) has a cyclone separator (1) including a hollow shaft motor (19) for rotationally driving a turbo blade (17). Combining a mass analysis device with the cyclone separator makes it possible to remove dust and introduce into the mass analysis device a gas present in a region where the pressure in the cyclone separator is sufficiently reduced.

Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus comprises: an edge specifying part 101 for specifying the edge of a probe 6 in a secondary portrait appearing on the surface of a work 9 and an image of the probe 6; a straight line inserting part 102 for inserting a straight line along the outer edge of the secondary portrait onto an image, and an overlap determining part 103 for determining an overlap of the edge and the straight line, wherein one or more LED lamps 7, and calculating part for calculating the distance wherein the imaging device and the probe 6 are movably held integrally for the surface of the work 9.

Abstract: An alkali metal introduction apparatus (1) includes: a dedicated fracture chamber (10) and a vacuum chamber (20); vacuum pumps (60a) and (60b) for evacuating the insides of the dedicated fracture chamber (10) and the vacuum chamber (20); an ampul fracturing section for causing, in the dedicated fracture chamber (10), an alkali metal encapsulated in an ampul (16) to be exposed out of the ampul (16) by deforming the ampul (16); a collision cell (40) configured to allow the ampul (16) to be introduced therein, the collision room (40) being provided inside the vacuum chamber (20); and an ampul introducing section (12) for moving the ampul (16) between an exposure position where the alkali metal encapsulated in the ampul (16) is to be exposed out of the ampul (16) thus deformed and an introduction position where the ampul (16) is to be introduced into the collision cell (40).

Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus comprises: an edge specifying part 101 for specifying the edge of a probe 6 in a secondary portrait appearing on the surface of a work 9 and an image of the probe 6; a straight line inserting part 102 for inserting a straight line along the outer edge of the secondary portrait onto an image, and an overlap determining part 103 for determining an overlap of the edge and the straight line, wherein one or more LED lamps 7, and calculating part for calculating the distance wherein the imaging device and the probe 6 are movably held integrally for the surface of the work 9.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. The apparatus improves the ion focusing properties in an orthogonal direction and permits connection with an orthogonal-acceleration ion source for improvement of sensitivity. The apparatus comprises an ion source for emitting ions in a pulsed manner, an analyzer for realizing a helical trajectory, and a detector for detecting the ions. The analyzer is composed of plural laminated toroidal electric fields to realize the helical trajectory.

Abstract: An ion source is provided with a push-out electrode, a pull-out electrode, and a pull-in electrode all for ionizing a sample and accelerating generated ions in a pulsed manner, wherein the push-out electrode and/or the pull-in electrode has a curved surface shape having a depression curved in the direction opposite to the direction of travel of the ions. As a result, a compact ion source capable of temporally and spatially focusing ions and outputting the ions, and a compact time-of-flight mass spectroscope with good detection resolution and detection sensitivity which is provided with the compact ion source can be provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. The apparatus improves the ion focusing properties in an orthogonal direction and permits connection with an orthogonal-acceleration ion source for improvement of sensitivity. The apparatus comprises an ion source for emitting ions in a pulsed manner, an analyzer for realizing a helical trajectory, and a detector for detecting the ions. The analyzer is composed of plural laminated toroidal electric fields to realize the helical trajectory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. The apparatus improves the ion focusing properties in an orthogonal direction and permits connection with an orthogonal-acceleration ion source for improvement of sensitivity. The apparatus comprises an ion source for emitting ions in a pulsed manner, an analyzer for realizing a helical trajectory, and a detector for detecting the ions. The analyzer is composed of plural laminated toroidal electric fields to realize the helical trajectory.

Abstract: An ion optical system to form a loop orbit is provided to sufficiently ensure required performance such as ion transmission efficiency while making it easy to design the system by alleviating a space-focusing condition. The loop orbit of the ion optical system is realized so as to satisfy (t|x)=(t|?)=(t|?)=0 as the time-focusing condition and to satisfy ?2<(x|x)+(?|?)<2, and ?2<(y|y)+(?|?)<2 as the space-focusing condition. (x|x) and other similar terms are constants determined by the elements indicated in the parenthesis in a general expression format of the ion optical system. The conditions are substantially alleviated as opposed to the conventional space-focusing condition where each of (x|x), (?|?), (y|y) and (?|?) needs to be ±1. Thus, the parameters to decide the shape of electrodes by which the ion optical system is configured have higher degree of freedom.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. The apparatus improves the ion focusing properties in an orthogonal direction and permits connection with an orthogonal-acceleration ion source for improvement of sensitivity. The apparatus comprises an ion source for emitting ions in a pulsed manner, an analyzer for realizing a helical trajectory, and a detector for detecting the ions. The analyzer is composed of plural laminated toroidal electric fields to realize the helical trajectory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. The apparatus improves the ion focusing properties in an orthogonal direction and permits connection with an orthogonal-acceleration ion source for improvement of sensitivity. The apparatus comprises an ion source for emitting ions in a pulsed manner, an analyzer for realizing a helical trajectory, and a detector for detecting the ions. The analyzer is composed of plural laminated toroidal electric fields to realize the helical trajectory.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laser irradiation mass spectrometer capable of analyzing components of living tissue or living cells with high accuracy. It includes a laser unit for irradiating a sample with a beam of laser light and controlling the irradiation spot of the laser beam on the sample; and a mass analyzer for performing a mass analysis of the ions generated at the irradiation spot, where the mass analyzer uses a frequency-driven ion trap and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer to carry out the mass analysis. The ion trap of this system assuredly traps ions having large mass to charge ratios, and enables the system to carry out analyses on samples of large molecules. Preferably, a digital driving method is used to drive the aforementioned frequency-driven ion trap. Also, a multi-turn time-of-flight mass spectrometer may preferably be used as the aforementioned time-of-flight mass spectrometer.

Abstract: An ion optical system to form a loop orbit is provided to sufficiently ensure required performance such as ion transmission efficiency while making it easy to design the system by alleviating a space-focusing condition. The loop orbit of the ion optical system is realized so as to satisfy (t|x)=(t|?)=(t|?)=0 as the time-focusing condition and to satisfy ?2<(x|x)+(?|?)<2, and ?2<(y|y)+(?|?)<2 as the space-focusing condition. (x|x) and other similar terms are constants determined by the elements indicated in the parenthesis in a general expression format of the ion optical system. The conditions are substantially alleviated as opposed to the conventional space-focusing condition where each of (x|x), (?|?), (y|y) and (?|?) needs to be ±1. Thus, the parameters to decide the shape of electrodes by which the ion optical system is configured have higher degree of freedom.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. The apparatus improves the ion focusing properties in an orthogonal direction and permits connection with an orthogonal-acceleration ion source for improvement of sensitivity. The apparatus comprises an ion source for emitting ions in a pulsed manner, an analyzer for realizing a helical trajectory, and a detector for detecting the ions. The analyzer is composed of plural laminated toroidal electric fields to realize the helical trajectory.

Abstract: A time of flight type mass spectrometer (TOF-MS) of the present invention includes: a flight space containing a loop orbit on which ions fly once or more than once; a flight controller for making ions of a same mass to charge ratio fly the loop orbit at several values of number of turns; a flight time measurer for measuring a length of flight time of the ions; and a processor for determining the mass to charge ratio of the ions based on a relationship between the value of number of turns and the length of flight time of the ions. The speed of ions flying a loop orbit depends on their mass to charge ratios. For ions of the same mass to charge ratio, the difference between the lengths of flight time of the ions flying the loop orbit N turns and of the ions flying the loop orbit N+1 turns depends on the speed of the ions, so that the difference depends on the mass to charge ratio of the ions.

Abstract: In the mass spectrometer of the present invention, a flight space is provided before the mass analyzer, and the flight space includes a loop orbit on which ions fly repeatedly. While ions fly on the loop orbit repeatedly, ion selecting electrodes placed on the loop orbit selects object ions having a specific mass to charge ratio in such a manner that, for a limited time period when the object ions are flying through the ion selecting electrodes, an appropriate voltage is applied to the ion selecting electrodes to make them continue to fly on the loop orbit, but otherwise to make or let other ions deflect from the loop orbit. If ions having various mass to charge ratios are introduced in the loop orbit almost at the same time, the object ions having the same mass to charge ratio continue to fly on the loop orbit in a band, but ions having mass to charge ratios different from that are separated from the object ions while flying on the loop orbit repeatedly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laser irradiation mass spectrometer capable of analyzing components of living tissue or living cells with high accuracy. It includes a laser unit for irradiating a sample with a beam of laser light and controlling the irradiation spot of the laser beam on the sample; and a mass analyzer for performing a mass analysis of the ions generated at the irradiation spot, where the mass analyzer uses a frequency-driven ion trap and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer to carry out the mass analysis. The ion trap of this system assuredly traps ions having large mass to charge ratios, and enables the system to carry out analyses on samples of large molecules. Preferably, a digital driving method is used to drive the aforementioned frequency-driven ion trap. Also, a multi-turn time-of-flight mass spectrometer may preferably be used as the aforementioned time-of-flight mass spectrometer.