Low-power mass interrogation system and assay for determining Vitamin D levels

A process for determining Vitamin D metabolite level in a sample, comprising:

• introducing at least one antibody to the Vitamin D metabolite to the sample, wherein the at least one antibody operates to pull down the Vitamin D metabolite from the sample;
• separating the Vitamin D metabolite from the antibody and delivering the Vitamin D metabolite to a buffer solution;
• introducing the buffer solution with Vitamin D metabolite to a mass spectrometer;
• producing by an ionization component individual sample ions from the buffer solution with Vitamin D metabolite;
• receiving the sample ions at an electrostatic analyzer from the ionization component and producing a preferred set of sample ions, wherein the sample ions pass through a first slit in a first flat plate located between the ionization component and the electrostatic analyzer;
• receiving the preferred set of sample ions from the electrostatic analyzer at the ion focusing component, wherein the preferred set of sample ions pass through a second slit in a second flat plate located between the electrostatic analyzer and the ion focusing component;
• creating by a magnet assembly located at an output of the ion focusing component a permanent magnetic field region beginning at a focal point of the ion focusing component for deflecting focused sample ions using zero power to a detector located in a same plane as a focal point of the ion focusing component, wherein individual sample ions are simultaneously deflected 180 degrees to different points along the detector in accordance with an individual mass thereof, and further wherein ions having a predetermined mass are indicative of the Vitamin D metabolite.