Method of tandem mass spectrometry
AssigneeThermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH
InventorAlexander Alekseevich Makarov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of tandem mass spectrometry is disclosed. A quasi-continuous stream of ions from an ion source (20) and having a relatively broad range of mass to charge ratio ions is segmented temporally into a plurality of segments. Each segment is subjected to an independently selected degree of fragmentation, so that, for example, some segments of the broad mass range are fragmented whilst others are not. The resultant ion population, containing both precursor and fragment ions, is analyzed in a single acquisition cycle using a high resolution mass analyser (150). The technique allows the analysis of the initial ion population to be optimized for analytical limitations.
Claims13
A method of mass spectrometry, wherein an nth scan cycle comprises:
- generating ions in an ion source;
- selecting from the ions a plurality of mass range segments;
- controlling the number of ions in each mass range segment;
- either fragmenting or not fragmenting the ions in each mass range segment independently;
- accumulating the ions from the plurality of mass range segments together in an ion trapping device;
- ejecting the ions from the plurality of mass range segments together from the ion trapping device into a mass analyzer;
- and
- mass analyzing the ions from the plurality of mass range segments together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.