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US 10,371,665 B2Granted
Mobility selective attenuation
AssigneeMicromass UK Limited
InventorsMartin Raymond Green, Jason Lee Wildgoose
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims19
A method of mass spectrometry comprising:
- accumulating a first population of ions in a first accumulation device;
- separating the first population of ions according to their ion mobility;
- selectively attenuating ions in said first population of ions in one or more ion mobility and/or drift time ranges so as to form a second population of ions, wherein said 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, wherein the attenuation factor applied to ions in each of said ion mobility and/or drift time ranges is less than about 90%;
- accumulating said second population of ions in a second accumulation device or region;
- and
- separating said second population of ions according to their ion mobility, wherein:
- said step of separating said first population of ions is carried out in a first ion mobility separator which is downstream of said first accumulation device;
- said step of selectively attenuating ions in said first population of ions is carried out using an attenuation device, wherein the attenuation device is separate to and downstream of said first ion mobility separator;
- said second accumulation device or region is downstream of said attenuation device;
- and
- said step of separating said second population of ions is carried out in a second ion mobility separator, wherein said second ion mobility separator is separate to and downstream of said attenuation device and said second accumulation device or region;
- wherein said first ion mobility separator is a lower performance device having a first elution, cycle time or resolution and a first space charge tolerance and said second ion mobility separator is a higher performance device having a second elution, cycle time or resolution and a second space charge tolerance, wherein:
- said first resolution is lower than said second resolution and said first space charge tolerance is greater than said second space charge tolerance;
- or
- said first elution or cycle time is shorter or faster than said second elution or cycle time and said first space charge tolerance is greater than said second space charge tolerance.
12 more elements
A mass spectrometer comprising:
- a first accumulation device or region arranged and adapted to accumulate a first population of ions;
- a first ion mobility separator downstream of said first accumulation device and arranged and adapted to separate the first population of ions according to their ion mobility;
- an attenuation device separate to and downstream of said first ion mobility separator, the attenuation device being arranged and adapted to apply a varying, increasing or decreasing attenuation factor to ions in different ion mobility and/or drift time ranges, so as to attenuate ions in said first population of ions in one or more ion mobility and/or drift time ranges and to form a second population of ions, wherein the attenuation factor applied to ions in each of said ion mobility and/or drift time ranges is less than about 90%;
- a second accumulation device or region downstream of said attenuation device;
- and
- a second ion mobility separator separate to and downstream of said second accumulation device or region, the second ion mobility separator being arranged and adapted to subsequently separate said second population of ions according to their ion mobility;
- wherein said first ion mobility separator is a lower performance device having a first elution, cycle time or resolution and a first space charge tolerance and said second ion mobility separator is a higher performance device having a second elution, cycle time or resolution and a second space charge tolerance, wherein:
- said first resolution is lower than said second resolution and said first space charge tolerance is greater than said second space charge tolerance;
- or
- said first elution or cycle time is shorter or faster than said second elution or cycle time and said first space charge tolerance is greater than said second space charge tolerance.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.