Method and system for determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample

The method of claim 13, wherein the biomolecule is selected from nucleotidic analytes, peptidic analytes, and saccharidic analytes.

An improved method for determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample that additionally comprises a necessary non-analyte original component, the method comprising volatilizing and ionizing the fluid sample, and introducing the ionized, volatilized sample into an ionic analyte detection device that provides an analyte signal proportional in intensity to the quantity of ionized analyte detected,

• wherein the improvement comprises:
• substituting for the necessary non-analyte original component a zwitterionic compound that undergoes a reaction during volatilization of the fluid sample to yield a reaction product that functions as the original component in the fluid sample, is more volatile than the original component, the analyte, or both, and the analyte, and results in an increase in the intensity of the analyte signal and/or an increase in signal-to-noise ratio relative to the intensity of the analyte signal and signal-to-noise ratio obtained using the original component.

An improved method for determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample that additionally comprises a necessary non-analyte original component, the method comprising volatilizing and ionizing the fluid sample, and introducing the ionized, volatilized sample into an ionic analyte detection device that provides an analyte signal proportional in intensity to the quantity of ionized analyte detected,

• wherein the improvement comprises:
• substituting for the necessary non-analyte original component a partially unsaturated, pre-aromatic zwitterionic compound that undergoes a decomposition reaction during volatilization of the fluid sample to yield a volatile aromatic compound, generate carbon dioxide, and release a nitrogenous group selected from ammonia, a primary amine, a secondary amine, a tertiary amine, or nitrogen gas, and a volatile aromatic compound.

An improved system for determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid sample using a mass spectrometer, an acoustic ejector to generate droplets of fluid sample, and a means for volatilizing and ionizing the droplets prior to introduction into the mass spectrometer, the improvement which comprises replacing at least one necessary component in the fluid sample with a substitute component that serves the same function as the original component but results in an increase in intensity of analyte signal and/or an increase in signal-to-noise ratio relative to the intensity of the analyte signal and/or signal-to-noise ratio, respectively, obtained using the original component.