Mass spectrometric system with ion mobility analyzer at elevated pressure
OwnerMelvin Andrew Parkinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides hybrid mass spectrometric systems which comprise an ion source, a first trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) analyzer and a mass analyzer, wherein the TIMS analyzer is located and operated in a first vacuum chamber at an elevated pressure above 500 Pa, and methods for operating the hybrid mass spectrometric systems.
Claims32
A mass spectrometric system comprising an ion source, a first ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) analyzer, in which (i) ions are at first trapped along one of a non-uniform electric DC field by a counteracting gas flow and a uniform electric DC field by a counteracting gas flow which has a non-uniform axial velocity profile, in which (ii) the trapped ions are at first separated in space in the first IMS analyzer according to mobility and subsequently eluted from the first IMS analyzer over time according to their mobility by adjusting one of the gas velocity and a height of axial electric DC field, and in which (iii) ions are radially confined by an electric RF field, and further comprising a mass analyzer, wherein the first IMS analyzer is located and operated in a first vacuum chamber at an elevated pressure at or above 1000 Pa.
A method for analyzing ions, comprising the steps of:
- providing ions from an ion source to a first IMS analyzer, in which (i) ions are at first trapped along one of a non-uniform electric DC field by a counteracting gas flow and a uniform electric DC field by a counteracting gas flow which has a non-uniform axial velocity profile, in which (ii) the trapped ions are at first separated in space in the first IMS analyzer according to mobility and subsequently eluted from the first IMS analyzer over time according to their mobility by adjusting one of the gas velocity and a height of axial electric DC field, and in which (iii) ions are radially confined by an electric RF field;
- separating the ions according to mobility in the first IMS analyzer at an elevated pressure at or above 1000 Pa;
- selecting at least one ion species of interest;
- transferring the selected ions of interest to a trapping region of a second IMS analyzer;
- separating the selected ions of interest according to mobility in the second IMS analyzer;
- and
- analyzing the separated ions by one of mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry.
A method for analyzing ions, comprising the steps of:
- providing ions from an ion source to a first IMS analyzer, in which (i) ions are at first trapped along one of a non-uniform electric DC field by a counteracting gas flow and a uniform electric DC field by a counteracting gas flow which has a non-uniform axial velocity profile, in which (ii) the trapped ions are at first separated in space in the first IMS analyzer according to mobility and subsequently eluted from the first IMS analyzer over time according to their mobility by adjusting one of the gas velocity and a height of axial electric DC field, and in which (iii) ions are radially confined by an electric RF field;
- separating the ions according to mobility in the first IMS analyzer at an elevated pressure at or above 1000 Pa;
- selecting one ion species of interest from a limited mobility range;
- fragmenting or activating the selected ions of interest;
- transferring the fragment ions or activated ions to a trapping region of a second IMS analyzer;
- separating the fragment ions or activated ions according to mobility in the second IMS analyzer;
- and
- analyzing the separated ions by one of mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.