Tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometer with delayed extraction and method for use
AssigneePerSeptive Biosystems, Inc.
InventorMarvin L. Vestal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry including a pulsed ion generator, a timed ion selector in communication with the pulsed ion generator, an ion fragmentor in communication with the ion selector, and an analyzer in communication with the fragmentation chamber. The fragmentation chamber not only produces fragment ions, but also serves as a delayed extraction ion source for the analyzing of the fragment ions by time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
Claims37
A tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising:
- a) a pulsed source of ions that focuses ions of a predetermined mass-to-charge ratio range onto a focal plane;
- b) a timed ion selector positioned at the focal plane to receive the focused ions from the pulsed sources of ions, wherein said timed ion selector permits only the ions of the predetermined mass-to-charge ratio range to travel to an ion fragmentor;
- c) said ion fragmentor spaced apart from and in fluid communication with said timed ion selector;
- d) a timed pulsed extractor spaced apart from and in fluid communication with said ion fragmentor, wherein the timed pulsed extractor accelerates the ions of the predetermined mass-to-charge ratio range and fragment ions thereof after a predetermined time;
- and
- e) a time-of-flight analyzer in fluid communication with the timed pulsed extractor, wherein said time-of-flight analyzer determines the mass-to-charge ratio of the fragment ions accelerated by the timed pulsed extractor.
A method for high performance tandem mass spectroscopy comprising the steps of:
- a) producing a pulse of ions from a sample of interest;
- b) focusing ions from the pulse that have a predetermined mass-to-charge ratio range into an ion selector;
- c) activating the ion selector thereby selecting the focused ions having the predetermined mass-to-charge ratio range;
- d) exciting the selected ions thereby fragmenting the selected ions to produce fragment ions;
- e) changing an electrical potential on a timed pulsed extractor after a predetermined time to accelerate the fragment ions;
- and
- f) analyzing the fragment ions using time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
A tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising:
- a) a pulsed source of ions;
- b) a timed ion selector positioned to receive ions from the pulsed source of ions, wherein said timed ion selector permits only the ions of a predetermined mass-to-charge ratio range to travel to an ion fragmentor;
- c) said ion fragmentor being spaced apart from and in fluid communication with said timed ion selector;
- d) a timed pulsed extractor spaced apart from and coupled to said ion fragmentor by a substantially field free region, wherein the timed pulsed extractor accelerates the ions of the predetermined mass-to-charge ratio range and fragment ions thereof after a predetermined time;
- and
- e) a time-of-flight analyzer in fluid communication with the timed pulsed extractor, wherein said time-of-flight analyzer determines the mass-to-charge ratio of the fragment ions accelerated by the timed pulsed extractor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.