Sample collection preparation methods for time-of flight miniature mass spectrometer

A field portable mass spectrometer system comprising:

• a) an aerosol interface comprising:
• an inlet having a vacuum therein, the inlet collecting an environmental specimen containing one or more analytes;
• and
• one or more tape particle collector/impactor stations for collecting, concentrating and separating said one or more analytes contained in said environmental sample;
• b) a sample transporter, the sample transporter interfacing with a sample collector to receive sample deposits thereon:
• c) a time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometer, the time of flight mass spectrometer having a sealable opening that receives the sample transported via the sample transporter in an extraction region of the mass spectrometer;
• and
• d) a control unit that processes a time series output by the mass spectrometer for a received sample and identifies one or more agents contained in the sample.

A field potable mass spectrometer system comprising:

• a) an aerosol interface;
• b) a sample transporter, the sample transporter interfacing with a sample collector to receive sample deposits thereon, the sample transporter comprising a tape that receives the sample deposits from the sample collector, the tape being received at the scalable opening of the mass spectrometer, thereby allowing a sample thereon to be received in the extraction region of the mass spectrometer, the movement of each small being tracked between the sample collector and the mass spectrometer by using a magnetic write head to write a reference marking on the tape adjacent the sample upon exiting the sample collector;
• c) a time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometer the time of flight mass spectrometer having a scalable opening that receives the sample transported via the sample transporter in an extraction region of the mass spectrometer and
• d) a control unit that processes a time series outwit by the mass spectrometer for a received sample and identifies one or more agents contained in the sample.

A field portable mass spectrometer system comprising:

• a) an aerosol interface;
• b) a sample transporter, the sample transporter interfacing with a sample collector to receive sample deposits thereon;
• c) a time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometer, the time of flight mass spectrometer having a scalable opening that receives the sample transported via the sample transporter in an extraction region of the mass spectrometer, wherein the sealable opening and the extraction region of the TOF mass spectrometer are provided in a housing attached to or part of the TOF mass spectrometer and the housing further comprises a roughing vacuum chamber portion that connects between the sealable opening of the housing to a vacuum valve;
• and
• d) a control unit that processes a time series outwit by the mass spectrometer for a received sample and identifies one or more agents contained in the sample.