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Published on: September 5, 2014
Development and characterization of a field-deployable ion-trap mass spectrometer with an atmospheric pressure
Alexander Misharin1, Konstantin Novoselov, Victor Laiko
1MassTech, Inc., 6992 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, Maryland 21046, United States. alexander.misharin@apmaldi.com
Analytical Chemistry
|November 3, 2012
Summary
A new portable quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometer offers high sensitivity and tandem mass spectrometry capabilities for field analysis. Modifications significantly reduced its size, weight, and power consumption for enhanced field deployment.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Mass Spectrometry Instrumentation
- Portable Analytical Devices
Background:
- Field-deployable analytical instruments are crucial for real-time chemical analysis outside the laboratory.
- Existing portable mass spectrometers often face limitations in sensitivity, size, weight, and power consumption.
- Quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometry offers versatile capabilities for complex mixture analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, build, and characterize a field-deployable quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometer.
- To evaluate the instrument's performance, including sensitivity, resolution, and speed.
- To explore methods for reducing the instrument's size, weight, and power consumption for improved portability.
Main Methods:
- Development of a compact quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometer with an atmospheric pressure interface.
- Characterization of mass range (m/z 30-2500), resolution, and scan speed (4000 Th/s).
- Demonstration of electrospray and atmospheric-pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (AP-MALDI) ion sources.
- Investigation of hydrogen buffer gas and optimized inlet capillary dimensions to reduce size, weight, and power.
Main Results:
- The instrument achieved better than unit mass resolution across its mass range.
- Sensitivity using AP-MALDI was comparable to commercial quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometers, analyzing low femtomole peptide amounts.
- Tandem mass spectrometry enabled simultaneous isolation and fragmentation of multiple compounds.
- Modifications reduced instrument size to 30 cm × 43 cm × 50 cm, weight to 35 kg, and peak power consumption to ~300 W.
Conclusions:
- The developed field-deployable quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometer is a sensitive and versatile analytical tool.
- Significant size, weight, and power reductions were achieved through innovative design choices, enhancing field deployability.
- The instrument demonstrates potential for on-site chemical analysis in various demanding environments.
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