Abstract: A system and method for cleanup of biological samples from contaminants prior to spectroscopy analysis. The system includes a support configured to hold a sample including a liquid having at least one group of biological molecules with a surface of the support binding the molecules at a surface tension angle to the liquid of less than 180 degrees. The system includes an evaporator configured to evaporate liquid from the support, a solvent applicator configured to apply a solvent for dissolution of the contaminants in the sample, and a solvent removal device configured to remove applied solvent from the sample and thereby at least partially remove the contaminants.

Abstract: A system and method for cleanup of biological samples from contaminants prior to spectroscopy analysis. The system includes a support configured to hold a sample including a liquid having at least one group of biological molecules with a surface of the support binding the molecules at a surface tension angle to the liquid of less than 180 degrees. The system includes an evaporator configured to evaporate liquid from the support, a solvent applicator configured to apply a solvent for dissolution of the contaminants in the sample, and a solvent removal device configured to remove applied solvent from the sample and thereby at least partially remove the contaminants.

Abstract: An apparatus for mass analyzing molecules includes a mass spectrometer configured to select precursor ions having a mass to charge ratio range, a metastable species generator configured to generate a metastable species for introduction into the mass spectrometer, and a mass detector configured to detect a mass of the product ions. The apparatus also includes interaction region in the mass spectrometer where the precursor ions are converted into product ions via interaction of the precursor ions with the metastable species. The mass spectrometer includes at least one of a three-dimensional ion trap, a linear ion trap, or an ion guide. The interaction region is located inside the three-dimensional ion trap, the linear trap, or the ion guide; and at least one of the precursor ions or at least one of the product ions are excited by an alternating electric field or collisionally activated to produce additional product ions.

Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing a sample material includes a desorption mechanism configured to desorb molecules from the sample material, a metastable generator separate from the desorption mechanism and configured to generate a metastable species, and an interaction region configured for metastable species ionization of the desorbed molecules so as to produce gas-phase ions of the sample material.

Abstract: A system and method for mass analysis of ions. The system includes an orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass analyzer having at least two channels configured to receive respective groups of ions from respective ion sources and having a field-free section configured to mass-separate ions during flight time. The groups of ions are directed to different ones of the channels of the mass analyzer for mass analysis of the respective groups of ions, and at least a part of the field-free section is shared between the channels. The method introduces the ions into an orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass analyzer, directs groups of ions from respective ones of the two sources into different channels of the mass analyzer, and simultaneously mass-analyzes the groups of ions from the different channels.

Abstract: A system and corresponding method for processing of biological samples prior to spectroscopy analysis. The system includes a support for an organic sample, a solution applicator configured to apply a solution for extraction of at least one biomarker protein from the organic sample. The system includes a digester-medium applicator configured to apply to the organic sample a digesting medium capable of at least partial digestion of the biomarker proteins into peptides. The system includes a heating device configured to heat at least one of the organic sample, the solution, the digesting medium, and the biomarker proteins to a temperature above room temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus for mass analyzing molecules includes a mass spectrometer configured to select precursor ions having a mass to charge ratio range, a metastable species generator configured to generate a metastable species for introduction into the mass spectrometer, and a mass detector configured to detect a mass of the product ions. The apparatus also includes interaction region in the mass spectrometer where the precursor ions fragment into product ions via interaction of the precursor ions with the metastable species.

Abstract: A method and system for producing an ion beam from an ion guide. In the method, ions are introduced into the ion guide, a radio frequency trapping field is generated in the ion guide to confine ions in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the ion guide, a DC potential is generated along the longitudinal axis to direct ion motion along the longitudinal axis, a strength of the radio frequency trapping field is reduced toward an ion guide exit of the ion guide, and the ions are transmitted from the ion guide exit to form the ion beam. In the system, an ion guide is configured to transmit ions in a longitudinal axis of the ion guide and configured to trap ions in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis via a radio frequency trapping field. The ion guide includes a segmented set of electrodes spaced along the longitudinal axis and an ion guide exit at the last of the segmented set of electrodes.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for collecting ions in which ions are produced from a sample in an ion source. An electric field is provided that is more uniform in an area adjacent the sample than in an area adjacent an inlet to the ion transfer device or that is larger in field strength at the sample than at a point removed from the sample towards the inlet of the ion transfer device. Ions are received into the electric field and transferred through the ion transfer device to a sampling orifice of the mass spectrometer. The apparatus includes an ion transfer device coupled to a sampling orifice of a mass spectrometer. The ion transfer device has an inlet with a surface that extends in a direction from an axis of the ion transfer device. The ion transfer device can extend a distance of at least 10 times an inner diameter of a sampling orifice of the mass spectrometer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating ions from an aerosol and transferring the ions into a mass analyzer. In the apparatus and method, an aerosol beam is generated, the aerosol beam is directed to a spatial volume outside the mass analyzer, particles in the aerosol beam are ionized to produce the ions, and the ions are collected into the mass analyzer. As such the apparatus includes respectively an aerosol beam generator, an ion source generator, and an ion collector.

Abstract: A system and method for mass analysis of an ion beam. The system includes a mass selector, at least one multipole ion guide, and a mass analyzer. In the system and method, precursor ions are selected with a desired mass to charge ratio. Electrons are injected into the multipole ion guide. The precursor ions are fragmented into product ions via electron capture dissociation from the injected electrons. The product ions are passed to a mass analyzer for a mass analysis.

Abstract: A system and method for mass analysis of an ion beam. The system includes a mass selector, at least one multipole ion guide, and a mass analyzer. In the system and method, precursor ions are selected with a desired mass to charge ratio. Electrons are injected into the multipole ion guide. The precursor ions are fragmented into product ions via electron capture dissociation from the injected electrons. The product ions are passed to a mass analyzer for a mass analysis.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method which produce a pulse of ions, generate a transient electric field correlated in time with a duration of the pulse of ions, receive the pulse of ions into the transient electric field, and collect the ions from an ion drift region of the transient electric field into a gas dynamic flow region of the mass analyzer. As such, an apparatus for transferring ions into a mass analyzer includes an ion source configured to generate the pulse of ions, a transient electric field device configured to receive the pulse of ions and generate the transient electric field, and an ion collector configured to collect the ions from the ion drift region and transfer the ions into the mass analyzer.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method which produce a pulse of ions, generate a transient electric field correlated in time with a duration of the pulse of ions, receive the pulse of ions into the transient electric field, and collect the ions from an ion drift region of the transient electric field into a gas dynamic flow region of the mass analyzer. As such, an apparatus for transferring ions into a mass analyzer includes an ion source configured to generate the pulse of ions, a transient electric field device configured to receive the pulse of ions and generate the transient electric field, and an ion collector configured to collect the ions from the ion drift region and transfer the ions into the mass analyzer.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer includes an ion source, an extraction device, a TOF mass analyzer, an ion trap mass analyzer, and an ion guiding optical element which guides at least one of extracted ions from the ion source and extracted ion fragments into the TOF mass analyzer in a normal mode of operation and into the IT mass analyzer in a tandem mode of operation. The apparatus operates by producing ions from a sample, extracting the ions from the ion source, selecting between the TOF mass analyzer and the IT mass analyzer, directing extracted ions to the selected mass analyzer, mass-separating the directed ions and fragments of the directed ions according to a mass-to-charge ratio, detecting mass-separated ions with the selected mass analyzer, and producing at least one of a normal mass spectrum and a tandem mass spectrum.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for mass spectroscopic analysis of an analyte solution in which a liquid volume of the analyte solution is irradiated with a light source resulting in desorption of solution-specific ions into a surrounding gas to produce gas-phase ions, the gas-phase ions are transferred to an inlet port of a mass analyzer, and the gas-phase ions are mass analyzed. More specifically, the apparatus may include a laser configured to pulse irradiate a surface of the analyte solution, a mass spectrometer configured to mass-analyze the gas-phase ions according to the mass-to-charge ratio, and a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the gas-phase ions to an inlet port of the mass spectrometer.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus for mass spectroscopic analysis of an analyte solution in which a liquid volume of the analyte solution is irradiated with a light source resulting in desorption of solution-specific ions into a surrounding gas to produce gas-phase ions, the gas-phase ions are transferred to an inlet port of a mass analyzer, and the gas-phase ions are mass analyzed. More specifically, the apparatus may include a laser configured to pulse irradiate a surface of the analyte solution, a mass spectrometer configured to mass-analyze the gas-phase ions according to the mass-to-charge ratio, and a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the gas-phase ions to an inlet port of the mass spectrometer.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer includes an ion source, an extraction device, a TOF mass analyzer, an ion trap mass analyzer, and an ion guiding optical element which guides at least one of extracted ions from the ion source and extracted ion fragments into the TOF mass analyzer in a normal mode of operation and into the IT mass analyzer in a tandem mode of operation. The apparatus operates by producing ions from a sample, extracting the ions from the ion source, selecting between the TOF mass analyzer and the IT mass analyzer, directing extracted ions to the selected mass analyzer, mass-separating the directed ions and fragments of the directed ions according to a mass-to-charge ratio, detecting mass-separated ions with the selected mass analyzer, and producing at least one of a normal mass spectrum and a tandem mass spectrum.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer in which there exists a curved field in a portion of the reflectron that takes into account acceleration and deceleration fields in upstream (from the ion source down to the reflectron) and downstream (from the reflectron down to the ion detector) regions, which are always present in any TOF-MS. The reflectron includes a decelerating section and a correcting section, with curved electric fields in the correcting and/or decelerating sections of the reflectron being considered. Moreover, analytic expressions are provided for calculating the profiles of the curved electric field in the second (correcting) section of the reflectron, which expressions are valid for arbitrary electric field distributions in the upstream and downstream regions as well as in the first (deceleration) section of the reflectron.

Abstract: A method of operation of an ion trap mass spectrometer which isolates a first group of ions having a mass-to-charge ratio range is disclosed.