Abstract: A large number of kinds of azo compounds which are representative hazardous substances in fiber products are divided into two groups. The compounds included in the first group are detected by an MRM measurement by a tandem mass spectrometer unit (12) in a measurement section (10) while a two-liquid gradient elution under an acidic condition is performed in a liquid chromatograph unit (11), using an aqueous ammonium acetate solution as mobile phase A, and a mixture of acetonitrile and an aqueous ammonium acetate solution as mobile phase B. On the other hand, the compounds included in the second group are detected by an MRM measurement while a two-liquid gradient elution under a neutral or weakly basic condition is performed using an aqueous ammonium bicarbonate solution as mobile phase A and acetonitrile as mobile phase B. An exhaustive quantitative analysis for major azo compounds can be achieved by performing the two analyses for the same sample.

Abstract: The following six methods included in a method package for hazardous substances in fiber products is stored beforehand in a method storage section (26): simultaneous analysis method for specific aromatic amines, simultaneous analysis method for the first group of azo dyes, simultaneous analysis method for the second group of azo dyes, simultaneous analysis method for PFCs, simultaneous analysis method for AP, and simultaneous analysis method for APEO. Each analysis method includes analysis conditions and parameters which are suitable for a simultaneous analysis of a specific category of hazardous substances, e.g. azo dyes. An analysis condition setter (25) lists the six analysis methods on a display unit (28), from which an operator selects one analysis method to be executed. The operator also prepares mobile phases and a column specified for each analysis method.

Abstract: When an optimal value of collision energy (CE) corresponding to an MRM transition is automatically determined, a tuning CE value determining unit (31) determines multiple CE values to be subjected to MRM measurement so that the rate of change in CE value is approximately constant within a predetermined CE value variation range, and a tuning control unit (32) performs MRM measurement using the determined CE values. Conventionally, the step width of the CE value in tuning is constant; however, in the present invention, the step width is increased to be wider in a range in which the CE value is relatively large than a range in which the CE value is small.

Abstract: In a mass spectrometer according to the present invention, when MRM measurements for a plurality of MRM transitions need to be performed within one cycle, a measurement order rearranger determines an analysis sequence by sorting the measurement in ascending order of the absolute value of an optimum application voltage (an application voltage which gives the highest ionization efficiency) to the nozzle of the ESI probe. An analysis controller performs the analysis by controlling the high-voltage power source and other relevant units according to the determined analysis sequence. Since the voltage applied to the nozzle within one cycle has no period in which the voltage is changed in the decreasing direction with the same polarity, the cycle time becomes shorter than in a conventional device.

Abstract: In a mass spectrometer according to the present invention, when MRM measurements for a plurality of MRM transitions need to be performed within one cycle, a measurement order rearranger determines an analysis sequence by sorting the measurement in ascending order of the absolute value of an optimum application voltage (an application voltage which gives the highest ionization efficiency) to the nozzle of the ESI probe. An analysis controller performs the analysis by controlling the high-voltage power source and other relevant units according to the determined analysis sequence. Since the voltage applied to the nozzle within one cycle has no period in which the voltage is changed in the decreasing direction with the same polarity, the cycle time becomes shorter than in a conventional device.

Abstract: The degree of ion dissociation which occurs within a first intermediate vacuum chamber (212) maintained at a comparatively low degree of vacuum depends not only on the amount of energy of the ion but also on the size and other properties of the ion. Accordingly, a predetermined optimum level of DC bias voltage is applied to an ion guide (24) so as to create, within the first intermediate vacuum chamber (212), a DC electric field which barely induces the dissociation of an ion originating from a target compound in a sample while promoting the dissociation of an ion originating from a foreign substance which will form a noise signal in the observation of the target compound. The optimum DC bias voltage is previously determined by creating extracted ion chromatograms based on data collected under various DC bias voltages and evaluating the SN ratio using the chromatograms.

Abstract: The degree of ion dissociation which occurs within a first intermediate vacuum chamber (212) maintained at a comparatively low degree of vacuum depends not only on the amount of energy of the ion but also on the size and other properties of the ion. Accordingly, a predetermined optimum level of DC bias voltage is applied to an ion guide (24) so as to create, within the first intermediate vacuum chamber (212), a DC electric field which barely induces the dissociation of an ion originating from a target compound in a sample while promoting the dissociation of an ion originating from a foreign substance which will form a noise signal in the observation of the target compound. The optimum DC bias voltage is previously determined by creating extracted ion chromatograms based on data collected under various DC bias voltages and evaluating the SN ratio using the chromatograms.

Abstract: An equation expressing a previously and experimentally determined relationship between the number of ions and a CV value is stored in a reference CV value calculation data memory. When mass spectrometry is performed for a target sample under measurement conditions including a loop time Tp and a dwell time Td, a chromatogram creator creates a chromatogram based on the analysis result and calculates a peak area value A. A CV-value-related information calculator computes the number X of ions by X=A×(Td/Tp), and based on the equation stored in the memory, calculates a CV value corresponding to the calculated number of ions. This is a reference CV value containing only statistical dispersion factors for data. This CV value is displayed in such a manner that it can be compared with an actual CV value calculated based on the variance of actually measured peak area values corresponding to a plurality of measurements.

Abstract: An equation expressing a previously and experimentally determined relationship between the number of ions and a CV value is stored in a reference CV value calculation data memory. When mass spectrometry is performed for a target sample under measurement conditions including a loop time Tp and a dwell time Td, a chromatogram creator creates a chromatogram based on the analysis result and calculates a peak area value A. A CV-value-related information calculator computes the number X of ions by X=A×(Td/Tp), and based on the equation stored in the memory, calculates a CV value corresponding to the calculated number of ions. This is a reference CV value containing only statistical dispersion factors for data. This CV value is displayed in such a manner that it can be compared with an actual CV value calculated based on the variance of actually measured peak area values corresponding to a plurality of measurements.

Abstract: After a first sample injection by a flow injection method, ion intensity of each product ions is measured by varying collision energy at coarse intervals over a wide energy range in a coarse adjustment mode (S1, S2). The integrated strength values of each type of product ions are compared among different levels of collision energy, and if there is any significant difference, the energy level corresponding to the largest integrated intensity value is determined as an approximate value (S3, Y in S4). Subsequently, a narrow energy range centering around the approximate value and a small interval are determined, the mode is switched to a fine adjustment mode, and the intensity of each product ions is measured by varying collision energy as in the case of the coarse adjustment mode.

Abstract: After a first injection of a sample, amount of change between a highest intensity and each of two ion intensities before and after a voltage showing the highest intensity is calculated for each CE voltage. If the change is equal to or less than a threshold the CE voltage showing the highest intensity in the coarse control mode is selected as the optimal value, without performing a measurement in a fine control mode. If the change in the ion intensity exceeds the threshold, a narrower CE-voltage range and a smaller step size are determined from the measurement result obtained for the first injection of the sample, and after a second injection of the sample, the ion intensity is measured while the CE voltage is varied in the fine control mode.

Abstract: After a first injection of a sample, amount of change between a highest intensity and each of two ion intensities before and after a voltage showing the highest intensity is calculated for each CE voltage. If the change is equal to or less than a threshold the CE voltage showing the highest intensity in the coarse control mode is selected as the optimal value, without performing a measurement in a fine control mode. If the change in the ion intensity exceeds the threshold, a narrower CE-voltage range and a smaller step size are determined from the measurement result obtained for the first injection of the sample, and after a second injection of the sample, the ion intensity is measured while the CE voltage is varied in the fine control mode.

Abstract: After a first sample injection by a flow injection method, ion intensity of each product ions is measured by varying collision energy at coarse intervals over a wide energy range in a coarse adjustment mode (S1, S2). The integrated strength values of each type of product ions are compared among different levels of collision energy, and if there is any significant difference, the energy level corresponding to the largest integrated intensity value is determined as an approximate value (S3, Y in S4). Subsequently, a narrow energy range centering around the approximate value and a small interval are determined, the mode is switched to a fine adjustment mode, and the intensity of each product ions is measured by varying collision energy as in the case of the coarse adjustment mode.