TOF Mass Calibration
AssigneeDH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
InventorsRobert E. Haufler, William M. Loyd, Takashi Baba
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A calibration apparatus for a mass analyzer includes an ion source device and a dual-purpose electron beam generating unit. The ion source device ionizes an analyte of a sample, producing analyte ions. The dual-purpose electron beam generating unit is positioned between the ion source device and the mass analyzer. In a first mode, the dual-purpose electron beam generating unit is used to create fragments of analyte ions of unknown mass-to-charge ratio. In a second mode, the dual-purpose electron beam generating unit is used to create ions of calibration compounds of known mass-to-charge ratio. All ions are subsequently transferred to the mass analyzer.
Claims15
A mass calibration apparatus for a mass analyzer, comprising:
- an ion source device of a mass spectrometer for ionizing an analyte of a sample, producing analyte ions;
- and
- a dual-purpose electron beam generating unit of the mass spectrometer located between the ion source device and a mass analyzer of the mass spectrometer that,
- in a first mode, when the mass spectrometer is in mass spectrometry (MS) mode, transmits the analyte ions to the mass analyzer directly or through one or more other units of the mass spectrometer for mass analysis or, when the mass spectrometer is in mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS) mode, fragments the analyte ions into product ions and transmits the product ions to the mass analyzer directly or through the one or more other units for mass analysis or transmits the analyte ions to a collision cell of the mass spectrometer for fragmentation that, in turn, transmits resulting product ions to the mass analyzer for mass analysis, and,
- in a second mode, creates ions of calibration compounds and transmits the calibration ions to the mass analyzer directly or through the one or more other units for mass analysis.
A method for calibrating a mass analyzer, comprising:
- instructing an ion source device to ionize an analyte of a sample using a processor, producing analyte ions,
- instructing a dual-purpose electron beam generating unit of the mass spectrometer located between the ion source device and a mass analyzer of the mass spectrometer, in a first mode, when the mass spectrometer is in mass spectrometry (MS) mode, to transmit the analyte ions to the mass analyzer directly or through one or more other units of the mass spectrometer for mass analysis using the processor,
- instructing the dual-purpose electron beam generating unit, in the first mode, when the mass spectrometer is in mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS) mode, to fragment the analyte ions into product ions and transmit the product ions to the mass analyzer directly or through the one or more other units for mass analysis or to transmit the analyte ions to a collision cell of the mass spectrometer for fragmentation that, in turn, transmits resulting product ions to the mass analyzer for mass analysis using the processor, and
- instructing the dual-purpose electron beam generating unit, in a second mode, to create ions of calibration compounds and transmit the calibration ions to the mass analyzer directly or through the one or more other units for mass analysis using the processor.
A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium whose contents include a program with instructions being executed on a processor so as to perform a method for calibrating a mass analyzer, comprising:
- providing a system, wherein the system comprises one or more distinct software modules, and wherein the distinct software modules comprise a control module;
- instructing an ion source device to ionize an analyte of a sample using the control module, producing analyte ions,
- instructing a dual-purpose electron beam generating unit of the mass spectrometer located between the ion source device and a mass analyzer of the mass spectrometer, in a first mode, when the mass spectrometer is in mass spectrometry (MS) mode, to transmit the analyte ions to the mass analyzer directly or through one or more other units of the mass spectrometer for mass analysis using the control module,
- instructing the dual-purpose electron beam generating unit, in the first mode, when the mass spectrometer is in mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS) mode, to fragment the analyte ions into product ions and transmit the product ions to the mass analyzer directly or through the one or more other units for mass analysis or to transmit the analyte ions to a collision cell of the mass spectrometer for fragmentation that, in turn, transmits resulting product ions to the mass analyzer for mass analysis using the control module, and
- instructing the dual-purpose electron beam generating unit, in a second mode, to create ions of calibration compounds and transmit the calibration ions to the mass analyzer directly or through the one or more other units for mass analysis using the control module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.