Abstract: One embodiment of the invention relates to a method for adjusting the ribbon beam flux of a scanned ion beam. In this method, an ion beam is scanned at a scan rate, and a plurality of dynamic beam profiles are measured as the ion beam is scanned. A corrected scan rate is calculated based on the plurality of measured dynamic beam profiles of the scanned beam. The ion beam is scanned at the corrected scan rate to produce a corrected ribbon ion beam. Other methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: A drift tube for an ion mobility spectrometer is assembled from stacked tube segments and has electrodes that generate an electric drift field and are electrically contactable from the outside of the drift tube. Most of the tube segments have at least two separate apertures so that, when the segments are stacked, these apertures form a drift region and at least one integrated gas channel both of which run parallel to the axis of the drift tube. At least one tube segment is inserted into the stack in which the two apertures are connected to form a gas channel transverse to the axis of the drift tube so that the drift region is connected to the gas channel at that tube segment.

Abstract: The present invention provides ion sampling apparatuses that can be used in a fast polarity-switching electric field. In some embodiments, the ion sampling apparatus comprises a capillary made with an insulator, with a resistive inner or outer surface. Devices and systems comprising the ion sampling apparatuses, as well as methods of use thereof, are also provided.

Abstract: An asymmetric field ion mobility spectrometer for filtering ions via an asymmetric electric field, an ion flow generator propulsing ions to the filter via a propulsion field.

Abstract: An ion detection device, method and computer readable medium storing instructions for applying voltages to shutter elements of the detection device to compress ions in a volume defined by the shutter elements and to output the compressed ions to a collector. The ion detection device has a chamber having an inlet and receives ions through the inlet, a shutter provided in the chamber opposite the inlet and configured to allow or prevent the ions to pass the shutter, the shutter having first and second shutter elements, a collector provided in the chamber opposite the shutter and configured to collect ions passed through the shutter, and a processing unit electrically connected to the first and second shutter elements.

Abstract: An ITMS includes an inlet for receiving a sample that will be tested for a substance of interest. The inlet communicates with an ionization chamber and a drift chamber communicates with the downstream end of the ionization chamber. A first grid electrode extends across the downstream end of the ionization chamber and a second grid electrode is slightly downstream from and parallel to the first grid electrode. A slight potential bias is applied to the first grid electrode to hold the ions in the potential well between the first and second grid electrodes. However a pulse is applied periodically to the first grid electrode to accelerate ions into the drift chamber. The accumulation of the ions in the potential well prior to generation of the pulse results in a thinner band of ions ejected into the drift chamber and hence achieves higher resolution.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer may include a flow channel having an inlet end and an outlet end. A deflection electrode is positioned within the flow channel so that a non-linear electric field is created between at least a portion of the flow channel and at least a portion of the deflection electrode when an electrostatic potential is placed across the deflection electrode and the flow channel. The ion mobility spectrometer also includes means for producing ions at a position upstream from the leading edge of the deflection electrode, so that ions produced thereby are deflected by the deflection electrode into the non-linear electric field. A detector positioned within the flow channel for detects ions from the non-linear electric field.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for compensating for mass error for a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. A reference flight distance for a pulse of ions corresponding to a reference temperature of one or more components of an ion flight path assembly is determined, and the temperature of one or more components of the ion flight path assembly is measured. Correlating the thermal expansion of the flight path assembly with the temperature measurement allows the measured flight times to be adjusted to correspond with the reference flight distance to thereby compensate for the thermal expansion of the flight path assembly. A mass spectrum is obtained using the adjusted flight times. In various embodiments, the temperature signal is used with pre-determined thermal expansion correction factors for the flight path assembly to calculate a correction factor to control another component of the TOF MS, such as the voltage applied to a power supply system or a signal to control clock frequencies.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer may include an inner electrode and an outer electrode arranged so that at least a portion of the outer electrode surrounds at least a portion of the inner electrode and defines a drift space therebetween. The inner and outer electrodes are electrically insulated from one another so that a non-linear electric field is created in the drift space when an electric potential is placed on the inner and outer electrodes. An ion source operatively associated with the ion mobility spectrometer releases ions to the drift space defined between the inner and outer electrodes. A detector operatively associated with at least a portion of the outer electrode detects ions from the drift space.

Abstract: A device for transporting and focusing ions in a low vacuum or atmospheric-pressure region of a mass spectrometer is constructed from a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart electrodes to which oscillatory (e.g., radio-frequency) voltages are applied. In order to create a tapered field that focuses ions to a narrow beam near the device exit, the inter-electrode spacing or the oscillatory voltage amplitude is increased in the direction of ion travel.

Abstract: An adjustable, low mass-to-charge (m/z) filter is disclosed employing electrospray ionization to block ions associated with unwanted low m/z species from entering the mass spectrometer and contributing their space charge to down-stream ion accumulation steps. The low-mass filter is made by using an adjustable potential energy barrier from the conductance limiting terminal electrode of an electrodynamic ion funnel, which prohibits species with higher ion mobilities from being transmitted. The filter provides a linear voltage adjustment of low-mass filtering from m/z values from about 50 to about 500. Mass filtering above m/z 500 can also be performed; however, higher m/z species are attenuated. The mass filter was evaluated with a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of an albumin tryptic digest and resulted in the ability to block low-mass, “background” ions which account for 40-70% of the total ion current from the ESI source during peak elution.

Abstract: A system for inspecting wearable people footwear, comprising: a person's standing grille, an air stream chamber, whereas the grille is one of the partitions of the chamber, a plurality of blowing jets surrounding the object and a vacuum port. While said object is being under normal atmospheric conditions, the particles are being detached from the object exterior surface by said plurality of blowing jets detached particles are passing through said grille holes and are carried by near surface airfoil streams generated within the chamber and directed towards the vacuum port. An analyzer instrument analyzes the particles, collected at the particle collection area.

Abstract: A system and method of analyzing a sample is described. The system includes an ion source and a deflector for producing a plurality of ion beams each of which is detected in distinct detection regions. A detection system uses the information obtained from the detection region to analyze the sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides a radio frequency (RF) power supply in a mass spectrometer. The power supply provides an RF signal to electrodes of a storage device to create a trapping field. Such ion storage devices are often used to store ions prior to ejection to a subsequent mass analyzer. The RF field is usually collapsed prior to ion ejection. The present invention provides a RF power supply comprising: a RF signal supply, a coil arranged to receive the signal provided by the RF signal supply and to provide an output RF signal for supply to electrodes of an ion storage device, and a shunt including a switch operative to switch between a first open position and a second closed position in which the shunt including a switch operative to switch between a first open position and a second closed position in which the shunt shorts the coil output.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer is described having an ion filter in the form of multiple parallel ion channels defined by conductive layers separated by non-conductive layers. A time-varying electric potential applied to the conductive layers allows the filter to selectively admit ion species. The device may be used without a drift gas flow. Microfabrication techniques are described for producing microscale spectrometers, as are various uses of the spectrometer.

Abstract: Disclosed are a device and method for improved interfacing of differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) or field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) analyzers of substantially planar geometry to subsequent or preceding instrument stages. Interfacing is achieved using curved DMS elements, where a thick ion beam emitted by planar DMS analyzers or injected into them for ion filtering is compressed to the gap median by DMS ion focusing effect in a spatially inhomogeneous electric field. Resulting thinner beams are more effectively transmitted through necessarily constrained conductance limit apertures to subsequent instrument stages operated at a pressure lower than DMS, and/or more effectively injected into planar DMS analyzers. The technology is synergetic with slit apertures, slit aperture/ion funnels, and high-pressure ion funnel interfaces known in the art which allow for increasing cross-sectional area of MS inlets. The invention may be used in integrated analytical platforms, including, e.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer has a pair of electrodes (13A) and (13B) midway along the drift chamber (7). A high field is applied between the electrodes (13A) and (13B) sufficient to modify (e.g. fragment) ions in the region of the electrodes such that they move at a different rate towards the collector plate (8) . This is used to modify the time of flight of selected ions or ion clusters and enable identification of ambiguous peaks on the IMS spectrum.

Abstract: A detector for detecting a particle is disclosed. The detector includes a charge emitter that emits a charge in response to receipt of the particle, an anode for receiving the emitted charge, and electronics for determining whether there is received charge on the anode. The anode may include a pad for receiving the charge and a plurality of conduits (such as transmission lines) for transmitting the charge to the electronics. The anode may be designed to reduce the variance in the path length from the pad of the anode to the electronics. For example, the plurality of conduits in the anode may be constructed such that the transit time of the charge from the pad varies less than a predetermined time. Further, a capacitive element may be included in the detector in order to capacitively couple with the charge emitter. The capacitive element may include a grid that is in the same layer as the pads of the anode in order to provide a short and less variable circuit return path to the charge emitter.

Abstract: The present invention achieves a mass analysis method that can identify protein or peptide with high speed and high sensitivity. A mass spectrum is obtained from a standard sample of healthy person, an ion is selected from the mass spectrum as a precursor ion, and a mass spectrum of the precursor ion is obtained [(a) to (d)]. A mass spectrum is obtained from a sample of interest to be measured of patient, an ion other than the precursor ion of the standard sample is selected from the mass spectrum as a precursor ion, and a mass spectrum of the precursor ion is obtained [(g) to (k)]. Identifications on peptide/protein specific to the standard sample and the sample to be measured, and common to both are conducted [(r) to (q)], and based on the results, comparative analysis on peptide/protein of the sample to be measured (t).

Abstract: The content of the invention comprises a concept of multi-beam ion pre-selection from a single sample, coordinated mobility (against the gas flow) separation, cooling ions in supersonic gas flow and mass separation of thus low divergent ions by single or plural compact high-resolution orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometers both linear or reflectron type with controlled collision-induced dissociation (CID) and multi-channel data recording for the optimization of sample use in the analysis, and obtaining as much useful information about the sample as possible in a reasonably short time.

Abstract: Continuous monitoring of fluid composition, e.g. drinking water supply, with improved detection sensitivity and selectivity to varying degrees of contamination at and below the predetermined maximum contaminant levels using pyrolysis-differential mobility spectrometry.

Abstract: There is provided a pulsed flow modulation gas chromatograph mass spectrometer with supersonic molecular beams apparatus and method for improved sample analysis.

Abstract: A field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer apparatus and system including a sample preparation and introduction section, a head for delivery of ions from a sample, an ion filtering section, an output part, and an electronics part wherein the filter section includes surfaces defining a flow path, further including ion filter electrodes facing each other over the flow path that enables the flow of ions derived from the sample between the electrodes and wherein the electronics part applies controlling signals to the electrodes for generating a filter field for filtering the flow of ions in the flow path while being compensated to pass desired ion species out of the filter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to atom probe evaporation processes. For example, certain aspects are directed toward methods for controlling an evaporation process in an atom probe that includes initiating the atom probe evaporation process and monitoring a parameter associated with material being evaporated from a specimen. The method can further include controlling at least one characteristic of the atom probe evaporation process to attain a desired evaporation rate or characteristic. In selected embodiments, monitoring a parameter associated with material being evaporated can include monitoring an evaporation rate, mass-to-charge ratios of evaporated ions, a mass resolution, a composition of material being evaporated, and/or the like. In certain embodiments, controlling at least one characteristic can include controlling a pulse energy, a pulse frequency, a bias energy, and/or the like. In other embodiments, various portions of the above process can be computer implemented.

Abstract: An asymmetric field ion mobility spectrometer for filtering ions via an asyretric electric field, an ion flow generator propulsing ions to the filter via a propulsion field.

Abstract: A device is provided for testing surfaces of a card for the presence of explosives, drugs or other substances of interest. The device includes a slot for receiving the card. Thin metallic wiper blades are dispose in alignment with the slot and wipe over surfaces of the card as the card is passed through the slot. Thus, substances on the surface of the card are transferred to the wiper blade. The wiper blade then is enclosed and rapidly heated to desorb the material retrieved from the card. The enclosure then is placed in communication with a detector to test for the presence of substances of interest.

Abstract: A time-of-flight ion sensor for monitoring ion species in a plasma includes a housing. A drift tube is positioned in the housing. An extractor electrode is positioned in the housing at a first end of the drift tube so as to attract ions from the plasma. A plurality of electrodes is positioned at a first end of the drift tube proximate to the extractor electrode. The plurality of electrodes is biased so as to cause at least a portion of the attracted ions to enter the drift tube and to drift towards a second end of the drift tube. An ion detector is positioned proximate to the second end of the drift tube. The ion detector detects arrival times associated with the at least the portion of the attracted ions.

Abstract: A low-cost and high-ion-transmission-ratio ion-mobility spectrometry filter, including an ion source, a first drift region in which a gas flow direction and a DC electric-field direction are opposite to each other, a second drift region in which a gas flow direction is provided, the gas flow direction being different from the gas flow direction in the first drift region, and being opposite to a DC electric-field application direction in the second drift region, an intermediate region having an electric field for causing ions to travel between the first drift region and the second drift region, and a detector for detecting ions which have passed through the first drift region and the second drift region.

Abstract: A gas monitoring apparatus includes a sample introducing portion, a measurement portion, an ionization portion, a mass analysis portion, a data processing portion and a display. The sample introducing portion introduces a sample gas including an object material to be measured. The measurement portion measures a concentration of a predetermined coexisting material, which coexists with the object material in the sample gas. The ionization portion ionizes the sample gas. The mass analysis portion analyzes mass of an ion produced by the ionization portion. The data processing portion analyzes signals detected by the mass analysis portion to calculate a concentration of the object material. And the display displays results of analysis conducted by the data processing portion. The data processing portion includes an adjustment portion which adjusts the concentration of the object material according to the concentration of the predetermined coexisting material.

Abstract: An ion implantation apparatus according to the invention includes a park electrode as a deflecting apparatus arranged at a section of a beam line from an outlet of a mass analysis magnet apparatus to a front side of a mass analysis slit for deflecting an ion beam in a predetermined direction of being deviated from a beam trajectory line by an operation of an electric field. When the ion beam does not satisfy a desired condition, a park voltage is applied to the park electrode, thereby, the ion beam is brought into an evacuated state by being deflected from the beam trajectory line. As a result, the ion beam cannot pass through the mass analysis slit, and therefore, the ion beam which does not arrive at a wafer to prevent the ion beam which does not satisfy the condition from being irradiated to the wafer.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer system includes an inlet system having an aerodynamic lens system for collimating charged particles into a beam, and an aerodynamic kinetic energy reducing device for receiving and slowing the charged particles to near zero kinetic energy. A detection system receives and identifies a mass of the charged particles. The aerodynamic kinetic energy reducing device can be a reverse jet or a pathway through a stagnant volume of gas. Such mass spectrometer systems can operate in a mass range from 1 to 1016 DA.

Abstract: It is possible to simplify the cooling mechanism of a superconductor, significantly reduce the cost, simplify the measurement work, and reduce the time required for measurement. A beam current meter includes: a cylindrical super conductor beam current sensor arranged in a vacuum vessel in such a manner that the beam incoming into the vacuum vessel is guided to pass through a bore of the vacuum vessel and a bridge portion is formed at the outer diameter, a SQUID arranged at the bridge portion of the beam current sensor; a cylindrical superconductor magnetic shield arranged so as to surround the external diameter side of the beam current sensor in such a manner that the SQUID is positioned between the beam current sensor and the magnetic shield, so that a beam is guided to pass through the bore of the beam current sensor, thereby measuring the beam the beam current of the beam. The beam current meter uses a freezing device as cooling means for cooling the beam current sensor, the SQUID, and the magnetic shield.

Abstract: A tandem analysis system is provided for ionizing a substance, performing mass spectrometric analysis of various ion types generated, selecting and dissociating an ion type, the ion type having a specific mass-to-charge ratio, and thereby, repeating mass spectrometric analysis measurement on the ion of the ion type over n-th stages. A processing judges control content for the analysis next to MSn (the n-th stage mass spectrometric analysis) within a predetermined time, based on ion intensity being represented by an ion peak with respect to the mass-to-charge ratio of each ion in the MSn result. An ion detection unit judges isotope-peak from the measured ionized data. Assuming that the MS1 count number of a parent-ion peptide measured during a certain constant time-interval is I, a data processing unit makes the MS2 integration number-of-times or analysis time of the peptide proportional to 1/I.

Abstract: A micromechanical field asymmetric ion mobility filter for a detection system includes a pair of spaced substrates defining between them a flow path between a sample inlet and an outlet; an ion filter disposed in the path and including a pair of spaced filter electrodes, one electrode associated with each substrate; and an electrical controller for applying a bias voltage and an asymmetric periodic voltage across the ion filter electrodes for controlling the paths of ions through the filter.

Abstract: An NMR spectrometer comprising a magnet coil system disposed in the helium tank (8) of a cryostat and an NMR probe head (4) which is disposed in a room temperature bore of the cryostat and contains a cooled RF resonator (13) for receiving NMR signals from a sample to be examined, wherein the helium tank (8) and the NMR probe head (4) are cooled by a common, multi-stage, compressor-operated refrigerator, is characterized in that the common refrigerator comprises a cold head (6) and several heat exchangers (21, 24, 25, 28, 31, 33, 34) at different temperature levels, wherein the refrigerator is disposed at a spatial separation from the cryostat in a separate, evacuated and thermally insulated housing (5), and several cooling circuits (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b) having thermally insulated transfer lines (14a, 14b, 15) are provided between the housing (5) containing the heat exchangers (21, 24, 25, 28, 31, 33, 34) and the cryostat, and also between the housing (5) and the NMR probe head (4).

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to instrumentation and methodology for the characterization of chemical samples in solutions or on a surface which is based on modified ionization methods with or without adjustable pH and controllable H-D exchange in solution, in improved ion mobility spectrometer (IMS), a multi-beam ion per-selection of the initial flow, and coordinated mobility and mass ion separation and detection using a single or several independent time-of-flight mass spectrometers for different beams with methods for fragmenting ion mobility-separated ions and multi-channel data recording.

Abstract: A SIFT or SIFDT apparatus in which the upstream quadrupole and the downstream quadrupole are housed within a single evacuated chamber with the upstream quadrupole being connected to the downstream quadrupole by a curved flow tube. In a preferred form the interior of the chamber is divided into sections by an electrostatic shield which shields the upstream quadrupole and source connection from the downstream quadrupole and detector.

Abstract: A system for the stand-off detection of trace amounts of analyte materials such as explosives, chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, and the like includes an ion source that is operably connected to an ion collection means and to a sensor. The ion source employs a first gas that is passed through an electrical discharge to produce metastable gas molecules as well as charged particles of various kinds. Ions and other charged particles are removed from the first gas which is then reacted with a second gas having a lower ionization potential to obtain reactant ions of relatively uniform energy. The reactant ions are focused and accelerated into a beam that is directed upon a surface, such as luggage or clothing that is being interrogated, to produce analyte ions which are collected and passed into the sensor that is preferably a differential mobility spectrometer.

Abstract: This invention relates to mass spectrometers comprising a reaction cell and where mass spectra are collected both from unreacted ions and also from reaction product ions. In particular, although not exclusively, this invention finds use in tandem mass spectrometry where mass spectra are collected from precursor and fragment ions. The present invention provides an arrangement where ions may be sent to a reaction cell for fragmentation or other processing before onward transport to a mass analyser. Alternatively, ions may be passed directly to a mass analyser along a bypass path.

Abstract: A micromechanical field asymmetric ion mobility filter for a detection system includes a pair of spaced substrates defining between them a flow path between a sample inlet and an outlet; an ion filter disposed in the path and including a pair of spaced filter electrodes, one electrode associated with each substrate; and an electrical controller for applying a bias voltage and an asymmetric periodic voltage across the ion filter electrodes for controlling the paths of ions through the filter.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer comprises an ion detector, a first amplifier, a second amplifier, and a spectra combiner. The ion detector is configured to generate an analog signal indicative of ions detected by the ion detector. The first amplifier is configured to amplify the analog signal to provide a first amplified signal having a first gain relative to the analog signal. The second amplifier is configured to amplify the analog signal to provide a second amplified signal having a second gain relative to the analog signal, and the first gain is different than the second gain. The spectra combiner is configured to combine first summed digital samples of the first amplified signal with second summed digital samples of the second amplified signal.

Abstract: A first mass spectrum and a second mass spectrum of the same ion sample can be analyzed to determine reaction pairs. These reaction pairs are determined based on a selected neutral difference by shifting the second mass spectrum by the neutral difference relative to the first mass spectrum to provide a shifted mass spectrum. Then, the shifted mass spectrum is compared with the first mass spectrum of the ion sample to determine the reaction pairs based on the neutral difference.

Abstract: Correlation ion mobility spectrometry (CIMS) uses gating modulation and correlation signal processing to improve IMS instrument performance. Closely spaced ion peaks can be resolved by adding discriminating codes to the gate and matched filtering for the received ion current signal, thereby improving sensitivity and resolution of an ion mobility spectrometer. CIMS can be used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio even for transient chemical samples. CIMS is especially advantageous for small geometry IMS drift tubes that can otherwise have poor resolution due to their small size.

Abstract: An ion mobility spectrometer is provided with at least one ionization chamber (1) through which analyte-containing gas can flow. A radiation source (2) is provided from which ionizing radiation is suitable for ionizing the analyte-containing gas at least partially, enters the ionization space (1). A separation area is located behind the ionization space (1) in the direction of flow, into which the partially ionized gas is admitted as an ion carrier gas (4) and a nearly ion-free gas is admitted as a drift gas (5) in such a way that a flow in which predominantly ion carrier gas (4) flows through cross-sectional areas (6) and predominantly drift gas (5) flows through other cross-sectional areas (7, 7?), becomes established at least in the inlet area of the separation area (8).

Abstract: The invention includes an ion mobility spectrometer having a liquid filled drift chamber. The chamber has an ionization region partitioned from and an ion separation region by a reversible ion-migration block. An electrical field within the chamber allows ions to migrate toward the electrode collector. Passage of ions from the ionization region is triggered by reversing the block allowing ions to migrate into the ion separation region. The invention includes a method of ion mobility analysis in liquid phase. Ions are mobilized to migrate through a drift liquid and are detected at an end of a drift chamber. The invention also includes a method of generating ions in a sample. A sample containing molecules in a first solvent is introduced into a second solvent through a charged capillary where the electrically charged sample is electro-disperses to ionize the molecules.

Abstract: This invention relates to a mass spectrometer including a reaction cell and to a method of using such a mass spectrometer. In particular, although not exclusively, this invention relates to a tandem mass spectrometer and to tandem mass spectrometry. The invention provides a method of mass spectrometry using a mass spectrometer having a longitudinal axis, comprising guiding ions to travel along the longitudinal axis of the mass spectrometer in a forwards direction to pass through an intermediate ion store and then to enter a reaction cell, to process the ions within the reaction cell, to eject the processed ions to travel back along the longitudinal axis to enter the intermediate ion store once more, and to eject one or more pulses of the processed ions in an off-axis direction to a mass analyser.

Abstract: A device for dynamically biasing an ion optic element, for example, in a mass spectrometer. The device includes a voltage source, a first ion optical element coupled with the voltage source, a second ion optical element resistively coupled with the first ion optical element; and a pulse generator capacitively coupled with the second ion optical element. The pulse generator is configured to apply a series of pulses to the second ion optical element. In steady state operation, a dynamic voltage bias is generated between the first ion optical element and the second ion optical element. The dynamic voltage bias is controllable by controlling the characteristics of the applied pulses, such as the pulse width, pulse amplitude, and pulse repetition rate of the applied pulses.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer interface, having improved sensitivity and reduced chemical background, is disclosed. The mass spectrometer interface provides improved desolvation, chemical selectivity and ion transport. A flow of partially solvated ions is transported along a tortuous path into a region of disturbance of flow, where ions and neutral molecules collide and mix. Thermal energy is applied to the region of disturbance to promote liberation of at least some of the ionized particles from any attached impurities, thereby increasing the concentration of the ionized particles having the characteristic m/z ratios in the flow. Molecular reactions and low pressure ionization methods can also be performed for selective removal or enhancement of particular ions.

Abstract: Apparatus for analysing molecules, including an ablation device 1,10 for releasing molecules from a sample, and a laser device 1,2,3 for illuminating released molecules with a shaped laser pulse thereby to ionize and/or dissociate the molecules. The ablation device or laser device has at least one component which is not shared by the other device. This enables the steps of ablation and ionization/dissociation to be separated. The ablation device may be means for generating an ion or neutral beam, or an unshaped laser pulse. The laser device may be a femtosecond shaped pulse laser. The ablation device may illuminate the sample with a beam and the laser device preferably produces a pulse shaped laser beam which is spaced part from the sample.

Abstract: A time of flight mass spectrometer according to the present invention includes: a) an ion source at which an ion starts flying; b) an energizer for giving a predetermined amount of energy to the ion to let the ion start flying from the ion source; c) an ion guide for forming a time-focusing flight path on which the ion flies once or repeatedly; d) a detector for detecting the ion after flying the flight path; e) an analysis controller for giving different amounts of energy to ions of the same kind using the energizer, and for measuring the values of the flight time of the ions from the ion source to the detector for the amount of energy; and f) a mass calculator for calculating or estimating the mass to charge ratio of the ion based on the difference in the values of the flight time of the ions.