METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PROVIDE PARALLEL ACQUISITION OF MASS SPECTROMETRY/MASS SPECTROMETRY DATA

摘要

A system and method for acquisition of mass spectrometry data is configured to provide a stream of charged particles (e.g., from an analytical volume). A primary mass spectrometer (e.g., time-of-flight mass spectrometer) may be used to separate charged particles of the stream of charged particles based on their mass-to-charge ratio and detect the charged particles in a mass-to-charge spectrum. A stream of precursor ions having a selected mass range may be diverted from the stream of charged particles for fragmentation to provide fragment ions (e.g., fragment ions from the analytical volume). The fragment ions may be provided to a second mass spectrometer for analysis of the fragment ions (e.g., during the same time as the time-of-flight mass spectrometer is separating and detecting charged particles of the stream of charged particles based on their mass-to-charge ratio).

主权项

1. A method for the acquisition of mass spectrometry data, the method comprising:
applying excitation pulses spatially to a sample resulting in a stream of charged particles, wherein each excitation pulse having a spatial position results in a corresponding portion of the stream of charged particles; using a primary mass spectrometer to separate charged particles of the corresponding portion of the stream of charged particles resulting from each corresponding excitation pulse having a spatial position based on their mass-to-charge ratio and detecting the charged particles in a mass-to-charge spectrum; diverting from each spatially resolved corresponding portion of the stream of charged particles a stream of precursor ions having a selected mass range for fragmentation to provide fragment ions, wherein the fragment ions are provided to a second mass spectrometer for analysis of the fragment ions during the same cycle time as the primary mass spectrometer is separating and detecting charged particles of the corresponding portion of the stream of charged particles based on their mass-to-charge ratio; and acquiring, by the primary mass spectrometer, at least one of spatially resolved mass spectrometry spectra, one or more spatially resolved mass spectrometry images, and one or more spatially resolved depth profiles.