Systems and methods for rapidly screening samples by mass spectrometry

A method for rapidly screening samples, comprising:

• instructing a fast sample introduction device that is non-chromatographic to supply each sample of a plurality samples to a tandem mass spectrometer using a processor;
• instructing the tandem mass spectrometer to perform a survey scan of the each sample supplied by the fast sample introduction device to obtain a precursor mass spectrum using the processor;
• determining a mass distribution of precursor ions in the each sample from the precursor mass spectrum to define two or more wide precursor mass selection windows across an entire mass range of interest of the each sample using the processor, wherein at least two of the two or more wide precursor mass selection windows have different window widths;
• and
• instructing the tandem mass spectrometer to perform fragmentation scans at the two or more wide precursor mass selection windows across the entire mass range of interest of the each sample using the processor.

A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory and tangible computer-readable storage medium whose contents include a program with instructions being executed on a processor so as to perform a method for rapidly screening samples, the method comprising:

• providing a system, wherein the system comprises one or more distinct software modules, and wherein the distinct software modules comprise a fast sample introduction module and a tandem mass spectrometry module;
• instructing a fast sample introduction device that is non-chromatographic to supply each sample of a plurality samples to a tandem mass spectrometer using the fast sample introduction module;
• instructing the tandem mass spectrometer to perform a survey scan of the each sample supplied by the fast sample introduction device to obtain a precursor mass spectrum using the tandem mass spectrometry module;
• determining a mass distribution of precursor ions in the each sample from the precursor mass spectrum to define two or more wide precursor mass selection windows across an entire mass range of interest of the each sample using the tandem mass spectrometry module, wherein at least two of the two or more wide precursor mass selection windows have different window widths, and
• instructing the tandem mass spectrometer to perform fragmentation scans at the two or more wide precursor mass selection windows across the entire mass range of interest of the each sample using the tandem mass spectrometry module.