Method and system for controlling ionic mobility separator based on hadamard algorithm

Abstract

To provide a system for controlling an ionic mobility separator.SOLUTION: A pulse control system can obtain a signal acquired by a mass analyzer for an ion discharged from a different channel set of an ionic mobility separator having a plurality of channels for each ion pulse included in a plurality of ion pulses, and can determine a signal associated with the ion discharged from the channel of the ionic mobility separator on the basis of the signal for the plurality of ion pulses and a Hadamard algorithm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for controlling an ion mobility separator based on the Hadamard algorithm. [Background technology]

[0002] Ion mobility analysis may be performed using an ion mobility separator having a gas flow region and multiple channels exiting the gas flow region for separating ions in a sample based on the ion mobility properties of the ions. The separated ions are sent to a mass analyzer of a mass spectrometer for detection, identification, and / or quantification of the ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio (m / z). As an example, ions may be introduced into a gas flow region having a gas flow in a first direction and an electric field in a second direction. As the ions are carried downstream in the first direction by the gas flow, the electric field directs the ions in the second direction into multiple channels of the ion mobility separator.

[0003] Ions move through the ion mobility separator according to their ion mobility characteristics, and ions of different ion mobility separate spatially from each other during movement, such that they enter different channels of the ion mobility separator. For example, larger ions (e.g., ions with a larger cross section) can move slower in a second direction than smaller ions (e.g., ions with a smaller cross section), which results in separation of the ions along the first direction. This separation allows ions exiting the gas flow region and entering a channel to have a different range of ion mobility relative to ions entering adjacent channels. For example, smaller ions enter an earlier (upstream) channel and larger ions enter a later (downstream) channel. As ions enter the channels, each channel of the ion mobility separator accumulates a subset of the ions and periodically releases packets of accumulated ions toward a mass analyzer.

[0004] Conventionally, multiple channels of an ion mobility separator are opened sequentially such that accumulated ions are released from only one channel at a time. As a result, each channel of the ion mobility separator accumulates a large amount of ions between successive releases from the channel, which can cause space charge effects within the channel and ion heating, ion fragmentation, and / or ion wastage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects of the methods and systems described herein in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is not intended to identify key or critical elements of all aspects or to delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the methods and systems described herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented below.

[0006] In some illustrative examples, the system includes one or more processors and a memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to open a separate set of channels of an ion mobility separator including a plurality of channels for each ion pulse included in the plurality of ion pulses based on a Hadamard algorithm, where ions accumulated in the open channels are ejected toward a mass analyzer during each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses, obtain a signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the ejected ions, for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses, and determine a signal associated with the ions ejected from the channels of the ion mobility separator based on the signals for the plurality of ion pulses and the Hadamard algorithm.

[0007] In some illustrative examples, a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a computing device to: control an ion mobility separator comprising a plurality of channels to open a separate set of channels of the ion mobility separator for each ion pulse included in the plurality of ion pulses based on a Hadamard algorithm, wherein ions accumulated in the open channels are ejected towards a mass analyzer during each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses; obtain, for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses, a signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the ejected ions; and determine a signal associated with the ions ejected from the channels of the ion mobility separator based on the signals for the plurality of ion pulses and the Hadamard algorithm.

[0008] In some illustrative examples, a system includes an ion mobility separator including a plurality of channels, each channel of the plurality of channels configured to accumulate ions according to the mobility of the ions; a mass analyzer configured to generate a signal based on ions emitted from the plurality of channels and detected by the mass analyzer; and at least one computing device communicatively coupled to the ion mobility separator and the mass analyzer and configured to perform a process, the process including opening a separate set of channels of the ion mobility separator for each ion pulse included in the plurality of ion pulses based on a Hadamard algorithm, wherein ions accumulated in the open channels are emitted toward the mass analyzer during each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses; obtaining a signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the emitted ions for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses; and determining a signal associated with the ions emitted from the channels of the ion mobility separator based on the signals for the plurality of ion pulses and based on the Hadamard algorithm. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] The accompanying drawings illustrate various examples and are a part of this specification. The illustrated examples are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers refer to the same or similar elements. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates functional components of an exemplary mass spectrometer. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional diagram of an example implementation in which an ion mobility separator is incorporated into the mass spectrometer of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is an enlarged portion of the functional diagram of FIG. 2, including an array of channels of an ion mobility separator. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exemplary functional diagram of an ion pulse control system. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flow chart of an exemplary method for controlling an ion mobility separator based on the Hadamard algorithm. [Figure 6] 5 is a flow chart of another exemplary method for controlling an ion mobility separator based on the Hadamard algorithm. [Figure 7A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example implementation of a Hadamard matrix; [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram of an example implementation for controlling an ion mobility separator based on the Hadamard matrix of FIG. 7A. [Figure 8A] FIG. 7C illustrates a simulated progression of control of an ion mobility separator based on the implementation of FIG. 7B. [Figure 8B] FIG. 7C illustrates a simulated progression of control of an ion mobility separator based on the implementation of FIG. 7B. [Figure 8C] FIG. 7C illustrates a simulated progression of control of an ion mobility separator based on the implementation of FIG. 7B. [Figure 8D] FIG. 7C illustrates a simulated progression of control of an ion mobility separator based on the implementation of FIG. 7B. [Figure 9A] FIG. 7C is a schematic diagram of an example implementation of a matrix for determining a signal associated with the implementation of FIG. 7B. [Figure 9B] FIG. 7C is a schematic diagram of an example implementation of a matrix for determining a signal associated with the implementation of FIG. 7B. [Figure 10A] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of another exemplary implementation for controlling an ion mobility separator based on a Hadamard matrix. [Figure 10B] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of another exemplary implementation for controlling an ion mobility separator based on a Hadamard matrix. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary computing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Systems and methods for controlling an ion mobility separator are described herein. In some illustrative examples, the system can control an ion mobility separator including multiple channels to open a separate set of channels for each ion pulse of a plurality of ion pulses, such as based on a Hadamard algorithm. During each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses, ions accumulated in the open channels of the ion mobility separator can be ejected toward a mass analyzer. The system can obtain, for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses, a signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the ejected ions. Based on the signals for the plurality of ion pulses and the Hadamard algorithm, the system can determine a signal associated with the ions ejected from the channels of the ion mobility separator.

[0011] For example, in an exemplary Hadamard algorithm, the system can control the ion mobility separator to open separate sets of channels with sequences of ion pulses that are orthogonal to one another. The system can also determine signals associated with ions ejected from selected channels of the ion mobility separator based on the Hadamard algorithm, such as by deconvolving signals acquired by the mass analyzer for multiple ion pulses to isolate signals associated with ions ejected from selected channels of the ion mobility separator. Illustratively, the system can add signals acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses while the selected channel was open and subtract signals acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses while the selected channel was closed.

[0012] The systems and methods described herein may provide various benefits, which may include one or more advantages over conventional systems and ion mobility separators. For example, in conventional ion mobility systems, the channels of the ion mobility separator are opened one channel at a time. As a result, conventional systems have suboptimal efficiency and ions accumulated in the channels of the ion mobility separator may be close to the maximum capacity of the channels, causing space charge effects, ion heating, ion fragmentation, and / or ion depletion. In contrast, the systems and methods described herein are configured to operate the ion mobility separator based on the Hadamard algorithm. As a result, the systems and methods described herein improve the efficiency of the ion mobility separator and limit the time that ions may be contained within the channels of the ion mobility separator. This may prevent space charge effects, ion heating, ion fragmentation, and / or ion depletion. Additionally, the systems and methods described herein may allow for lower capacity channels compared to the channels of conventional systems.

[0013] Various examples will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. The systems and methods described herein may provide one or more of the advantages set forth above, and / or various additional and / or alternative advantages as set forth herein.

[0014] The systems and methods described herein may be implemented in conjunction with a mass spectrometer. Figure 1 illustrates functional components of an exemplary mass spectrometer 100. As shown, mass spectrometer 100 includes an ion source 102, a mass analyzer 104, and a controller 106. Mass spectrometer 100 may further include any additional or alternative components (not shown) (e.g., ion optics, filters, autosamplers, etc.) as may be suitable for a particular implementation.

[0015] The ion source 102 is configured to generate a stream of ions 108 from the sample and deliver the ions to the mass analyzer 104. The ion source 102 can utilize a variety of energy sources, such as electrical, optical, plasma, chemical, electronic, thermal, etc., to ionize the sample and / or components of the sample. For example, the ion source 102 can be implemented by any suitable ion source, such as a matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionization (MALDI) source, an electrospray ionization (ESI) source, an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source, an atmospheric pressure photoionization source (APPI), an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source, an electron ionization source, a chemical ionization source, a photoionization source, a glow discharge ionization source, a thermospray ionization source, etc.

[0016] The mass analyzer 104 is configured to receive the ion stream 108 and separate the ions according to their respective m / z. The mass analyzer 104 may be implemented by any suitable mass analyzer, such as a quadrupole mass filter, an ion trap (e.g., a three-dimensional quadrupole ion trap, a cylindrical ion trap, a linear quadrupole ion trap, a toroidal ion trap, etc.), a time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzer, an electrostatic trap mass analyzer (e.g., an orbital electrostatic trap, such as an Orbitrap mass analyzer, a Kingdon trap, etc.), a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass analyzer, a sector mass analyzer, etc.

[0017] The ion detector (not shown) is configured to detect ions at each of a variety of different m / z and generate an electrical signal representative of the ion intensity accordingly. The electrical signal is transmitted to the controller 106 for processing, such as constructing a mass spectrum of the sample. For example, the mass analyzer 104 can emit an ejected beam of separated ions to an ion detector configured to detect ions in the ejected beam and generate or provide data that the controller 106 can use to construct a mass spectrum of the sample. The ion detector can be implemented by any suitable detection device, including, but not limited to, an electron multiplier, a Faraday cup, or the like.

[0018] The controller 106 may be communicatively coupled to the mass spectrometer 100 and may be configured to control the operation of the mass spectrometer. For example, the controller 106 may be configured to control the operation of various hardware components included in the ion source 102 and / or the mass analyzer 104. By way of example, the controller 106 may be configured to control the high voltage applied to the emitter in the ion source 102, control the accumulation time of the mass analyzer 104, control the oscillating voltage power supply and / or the DC power supply to provide RF and / or DC voltages to the mass analyzer 104, adjust the values ​​of the RF and DC voltages to select a valid m / z (including a mass acceptance window) for analysis, and adjust the sensitivity of the ion detector (e.g., by adjusting the detector gain). In some implementations, the controller 106 may be configured to adjust the polarity of the ion detector, such as based on the polarity of the ions (e.g., positive and / or negative ions) being detected.

[0019] The controller 106 may also include and / or provide a user interface configured to enable interaction between a user of the mass spectrometer 100 and the controller 106. The user may interact with the controller 106 via the user interface through tactile, visual, auditory, and / or other sensory communication. For example, the user interface may include a display device (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) display screen, a touch screen, etc.) for displaying information (e.g., mass spectra, notifications, etc.) to the user. The user interface may also include input devices (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen device, etc.) that enable the user to provide input to the controller 106. In other examples, the display device and / or the input device may be separate from the controller 106 but communicatively coupled to the controller. For example, the display device and the input device may be included in a computer (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer, etc.) communicatively connected to the controller 106 via a wired connection (e.g., via one or more cables) and / or a wireless connection.

[0020] The controller 106 can include any suitable hardware (e.g., processors, circuits, etc.) and / or software as may be useful for a particular implementation. Although Figure 1 illustrates the controller 106 being included within the mass spectrometer 100, the controller 106 may alternatively be implemented completely or partially separate from the mass spectrometer 100, such as by a computing device communicatively coupled to the mass spectrometer 100 via a wired connection (e.g., cable) and / or a network (e.g., a local area network, a wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi), a wide area network, the Internet, a cellular data network, etc.).

[0021] In some examples, the mass spectrometer 100 may be implemented by a tandem mass spectrometer, which may be tandem in time or tandem in space. For example, a tandem in space mass spectrometer may include one or more collision cells and one or more additional mass analyzers (not shown in FIG. 1 ) in addition to the mass analyzer 104. As used herein, the term “collision cell” is intended to encompass any structure arranged to generate product ions via a controlled dissociation process, and is not limited to devices employed for collision-activated dissociation. For example, the collision cell may be configured to fragment ions using collision-induced dissociation (CID), electron transfer dissociation (ETD), electron capture dissociation (ECD), photoinduced dissociation (PID), surface-induced dissociation (SID), and the like. The collision cell may be positioned upstream from a mass filter, which separates the fragmented ions based on the mass-to-charge ratio of the ions. In some examples, the mass analyzer 104 may include a combination of multiple mass filters and / or collision cells, such as a triple quadrupole mass analyzer, where the collision cell is positioned in the ion path between independently operable mass filters.

[0022] In some examples, the mass spectrometer 100 may be coupled with a separation system in a multiplex system configured to separate components of a sample to be analyzed by the mass spectrometer 100. In an analytical run performed by the multiplex system, the separation system is configured to receive the sample to be analyzed and separate specific components within the sample. In some examples, the separation system may also detect the relative abundance of the separated components, such as by generating a chromatogram representative of the components within the sample. The separation system may be implemented by any device configured to separate components contained in a sample, such as a liquid chromatograph (LC) (e.g., a high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC)), a gas chromatograph (GC), an ion chromatograph, a capillary electrophoresis system, etc. The components separated by the separation system are delivered to the mass spectrometer 100 for mass analysis by the mass spectrometer 100.

[0023] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary implementation 200 in which an ion mobility separator 202 is coupled between an ion source 102 and a mass analyzer 104. As illustrated, the ion mobility separator 202 includes an ion mobility cell 204 having a gas flow region, such as a generally rectangular region, where a gas flow (indicated by arrow 206) flows in a first direction from a gas inlet 208 at one end of the ion mobility cell 204 to a gas outlet 210 at the other (e.g., opposite) end of the ion mobility cell 204. Additionally, an electric field gradient (indicated by arrow 212) is applied in a second direction. In various examples, the first direction and the second direction can form an angle between about 45 degrees and 135 degrees, such as between about 70 degrees and about 110 degrees. In certain examples, the first direction and the second direction can be approximately orthogonal to one another (within a small tolerance, e.g., a right angle within ±5 degrees). The gas pressure in the ion mobility cell 204 may be from about 1 Torr to about 20 Torr, such as from about 3 Torr to about 6 Torr. In various examples, the gas velocity in the ion mobility cell 204 may be from about 100 m / s to about 300 m / s, such as from about 150 m / s to about 200 m / s.

[0024] Ions provided by the ion source 102 enter the ion mobility cell 204 through an ion inlet 214. A plurality of ion channels 216 may be located proximate to a plurality of ion exit orifices 218. In some examples, the ion channels 216 and the ion exit orifices 218 may be arranged in an array along a first direction. For example, the ion exit orifices 218 may be located on opposite sides of the ion inlet 214 in the second direction, offset (downstream) from the ion inlet 214, and spaced apart from one another in the first direction. Ions 220 (e.g., ions 220-1 through 220-n represented by arrows) entering the ion mobility cell 204 from the ion source 102 may be separated into the ion exit orifices 218 and directed into the array of ion channels 216 based on their differential ion mobility. To illustrate, ions 220 may flow (by gas flow 206) at approximately the same velocity along a first direction and move in a second direction according to their collision cross-section. For example, ions 220 (e.g., ions 220-n) with larger collision cross-sections may move slower in the second direction compared to ions 220 (e.g., ions 220-1) with smaller collision cross-sections due to a greater number of collisions with molecules in gas flow 206. By moving slower in the second direction, ions 220 with larger collision cross-sections may move further along the first direction while passing through ion mobility cell 204. In this manner, ions 220 with successively larger collision cross-sections may be sorted into an array of ion channels 216 such that ions 220 in an ion channel have a different range of ion mobilities than ions 220 in adjacent ion channels.

[0025] In various examples, the ion channel 216 may include an ion trap, an RF ion guide, a DC ion lens, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the ion channel 216 may include ion traps each defined by a plurality of rod electrodes. In addition, each ion trap may include one or more drag vanes. In certain examples, adjacent ion traps in an array of ion traps may share a pair of rods.

[0026] In various examples, the plurality of ion channels 216 may include from about 3 to about 50 ion channels, such as from about 5 to about 20 ion channels, or from about 7 to about 15 ion channels to about 15 ion channels.

[0027] In various examples, a lens array (not shown) may be positioned between the ion exit orifice 218 and the ion channel 216. The lens array may be configured to direct the ions 220 into their respective channels, such as by focusing the ions 220 toward a centerline of the channel.

[0028] The cooling / transport guide 222 may be located adjacent to the plurality of ion channels 216. The ions 220 may be ejected (e.g., in packets) from the ion channels 216 into the cooling / transport guide 222. From the cooling / transport guide 222, the ions 220 may be directed to the mass analyzer 104. The ions 220 may be ejected from the channels 216 in response to control signals received from an ion pulse control system 224 ("control system 224"). In addition, the control system 224 may be configured to obtain a signal 226 (e.g., an electrical signal) generated by the mass analyzer 104 (e.g., an ion detector) based on the ejected ions 220. The operation of the control system 224 is described in more detail below. In various examples, the ions 220 may be directed to other processes, such as a splitting cell (not shown), prior to the mass analyzer 104.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of multiple channels 216 (e.g., channels 216-1 through 216-n) of the ion mobility separator 202. As shown, the channels 216 are arranged in an array that may be separated by rods 302. Each channel 216 includes a respective exit gate electrode 304 (e.g., electrodes 304-1 through 304-n). The exit gate electrodes 304 may be used to control which packets of accumulated ions 220 are released into the mass analyzer 104 at any particular time. Each exit gate electrode 304 may be isolated from its associated ion channel 216, as illustrated. However, in some examples, the exit gate electrode 304 may be a specific ring or plate electrode of the ion channel 216 that is electrically configured to be supplied with a unique potential that can stop the flow of ions 220 at certain controlled times (e.g., to accumulate ions 220 within the channel 216) and to be supplied with a potential that can allow the flow of ions 220 at certain other times (e.g., to release ions 220 from the channel 216).

[0030] Each channel 216 may be configured to accumulate a subset of ions 220 passing through the ion mobility separator 202 based on the ion mobility of the ions 220. For example, a first channel 216-1 may be configured to accumulate a first subset of ions 220-1 having a first range of ion mobility in the first channel 216-1, a second channel 216-2 may be configured to accumulate a second subset of ions 220-2 having a second range of ion mobility in the second channel 216-2, a third channel 216-3 may be configured to accumulate a third subset of ions 220-3 having a third range of ion mobility in the third channel 216-3, and so on. Thus, the channels 216 can spatially separate the ions 220 to allow only one or a few types of ions 220 to be directed to the mass analyzer 104 at a time, while accumulating multiple groups of ions 220 that can be stored within the channels 216 and then ejected towards the mass analyzer 104. Emission from the channels 216 can allow the mass analyzer 104 to perform mass analysis of ion packets ejected from a selected one or a selected subset of the channels 216, while other ions 220 continue to accumulate in other of the channels 216. In some implementations, the potential gain provided by the ion mobility separator 202 may be equal to the number of separate channels 216.

[0031] In some implementations, each channel of the multiple channels 216 may be controlled independently of the others (e.g., by the control system 224). This may allow selective ejection of accumulated ions 220 of some of the channels 216 toward the mass analyzer 104 (through the ion cooling / transport guide 222), while at the same time, the ions 220 may be continuously stored in the others. Furthermore, each channel 216 may accumulate and temporarily trap at least one ion packet 220 therein, while at the same time ejecting the previously accumulated ion packet 220 into the ion cooling / transport guide 222. The cycle times of the various channels 216 may not all be the same. In some examples, different predetermined cycle times may be used to accumulate different ion species for periods of time that are inversely related to their relative abundance in the sample.

[0032] Other configurations of the ion mobility separator 202 and / or the channels 216 may be used. For example, the ion mobility separator 202 may be positioned along an ion path between the ion source 102 and the mass analyzer 104, the ion path being straight, curved, and / or serpentine. In some examples, the ion mobility cell 204 may be replaced by any device that provides a stream 220 of ions whose composition varies with time. Additionally or alternatively, the ion mobility separator 202 may be based on principles different from ion mobility in a gas. For example, separation may be achieved based on ion m / z or charge state. The separation mechanism may be due to competing forces acting on the ions, which are known in the art to be m / z or z dependent. One such example includes the action of pseudopotential forces that appear in a non-uniform periodic electric field. A fraction of the ions 220 may be trapped in individual channels 216 and analyzed consecutively without exceeding the capacity of the mass analyzer 104, thus enhancing selectivity. The analytical duty cycle can be improved because accumulation in the trap is continuous for multiple fractions, while only one or a subset of them are delivered into the mass analyzer 104.

[0033] 4 shows an example functional diagram of the control system 224. The control system 224 may be implemented separately from the mass spectrometer 100. In some examples, the control system 224 may be implemented in whole or in part by the mass spectrometer 100 (e.g., by the controller 106 or any other component of the mass spectrometer 100) and / or by the ion mobility separator 202.

[0034] The control system 224 may include, but is not limited to, a storage facility 402 and a processing facility 404 selectively and communicatively coupled to one another. The facilities 402 and 404 may each include or be implemented by hardware and / or software components (e.g., a processor, memory, a communication interface, instructions stored in the memory for execution by the processor, etc.). In some examples, the facilities 402 and 404 may be distributed among multiple devices and / or multiple locations as may be useful for a particular implementation.

[0035] The storage facility 402 may maintain (e.g., store) executable data used by the processing facility 404 to perform any of the operations described herein. For example, the storage facility 402 may store instructions 406 that may be executed by the processing facility 404 to perform any of the operations described herein. The instructions 406 may be implemented by any suitable application, software, code, and / or other executable data instances.

[0036] The storage facility 402 may also maintain any data acquired, received, generated, managed, used, and / or transmitted by the processing facility 404. For example, the storage facility 402 may maintain the signals 226 and / or Hadamard algorithm data. The Hadamard algorithm data may include data representing, used by, or associated with one or more Hadamard algorithms maintained by the processing facility 404 for operating the channels 216 of the ion mobility separator 202 and / or determining signals associated with ions emitted from the channels 216 of the ion mobility separator 202.

[0037] The processing facility 404 may be configured to perform various processing operations described herein (e.g., execute instructions 406 stored in the storage facility 402). It will be appreciated that the operations and examples described herein are merely illustrative of many different types of operations that may be performed by the processing facility 404. In the description herein, any reference to an operation performed by the system 224 may be understood to be performed by the processing facility 404 of the system 224. Additionally, in the description herein, any operation performed by the control system 224 may be understood to include the control system 224 directing or commanding another system or device to perform the operation.

[0038] In some examples, the control system 224 can control the channels 216 of the ion mobility separator 202, such as by controlling the exit gate electrodes 304, to selectively open and close the channels 216 for multiple ion pulses to reduce the amount of ions accumulated between ejections.

[0039] Figure 5 shows a flow chart of an example method 500 for controlling an ion mobility separator (e.g., ion mobility separator 202) based on a Hadamard algorithm. Although Figure 5 shows example operations according to one embodiment, other embodiments may omit, add, reorder, and / or modify any of the operations shown in Figure 5. Although Figure 5 describes operations performed by control system 224, any of the operations may alternatively be performed by mass spectrometer 100, ion mobility separator 202, and / or any other device.

[0040] In operation 502, the control system 224 can open a separate channel set of an ion mobility separator including multiple channels (e.g., channel 216) for each ion pulse in the multiple ion pulses based on a Hadamard algorithm. During each ion pulse in the multiple ion pulses, ions accumulated in the open channels are ejected toward a mass analyzer (e.g., mass analyzer 104).

[0041] An ion pulse is a period of time during which one or more packets of ions are released from a distinct channel set of the ion mobility separator. During each ion pulse, the control system 224 can control the ion mobility separator to open the distinct channel set, such as by providing a potential to an exit gate electrode (e.g., exit gate electrode 304) associated with the distinct channel set that allows ions to flow from the channel. The remaining channels of the plurality of channels (e.g., excluding the distinct channel set) remain closed to prevent ions accumulated in the remaining channels from being released during the ion pulse. In some examples, the control system 224 can provide a potential to an exit gate electrode associated with the distinct channel set that closes the channel (e.g., stops the flow of ions from the channel), such as between and / or after each ion pulse. Alternatively, the control system 224 can allow one or more channels to remain open after an ion pulse, such as when one or more channels of the distinct channel set can be determined to be open for a subsequent ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses. In some implementations, the duration of one or more ion pulses of the multiple ion pulses may vary (e.g., one or more ion pulses may have a longer and / or shorter duration than another ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses).

[0042] In the Hadamard algorithm, the control system 224 can control the ion mobility separator to open separate sets of channels in a sequence of orthogonal ion pulses such that signals associated with ions ejected from each channel of the ion mobility separator can be simultaneously acquired and then deconvolved. Opening separate sets of channels based on the Hadamard algorithm can include opening two or more channels of the plurality of channels for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses. For example, two or more channels can be opened simultaneously during an ion pulse, such as to allow ions accumulated in two or more channels to be ejected simultaneously toward a mass analyzer. Opening separate sets of channels based on the Hadamard algorithm can include opening all channels of the plurality of channels for a reference ion pulse. For example, all channels of the ion mobility separator can be opened simultaneously during a reference ion pulse, such as to allow ions accumulated in all channels to be ejected simultaneously toward a mass analyzer.

[0043] Opening a separate channel set based on the Hadamard algorithm can include opening each channel of the plurality of channels for at least about 50 percent of the plurality of ion pulses. For example, each channel of the plurality of channels can be open for at least half of the plurality of ion pulses and / or half the duration of ejection of ions toward the mass analyzer. As another example, opening a separate channel set based on the Hadamard algorithm can include opening each channel of the plurality of channels for at least about 50 percent of the amount of time the plurality of channels are open for the plurality of ion pulses.

[0044] In some examples, opening a separate set of channels in a sequence of ion pulses may be performed based on a Hadamard matrix. FIG. 7A illustrates an example implementation 700 of a Hadamard matrix including a number of columns 702 (e.g., columns 702-1 through 702-4) and rows (e.g., rows 704-1 through 704-4) associated with elements 706. Each element 706 of the Hadamard matrix 700 includes a binary value (e.g., “1” or “−1”) such that the sum of the values ​​of all elements 706 in one or more rows 704 of the Hadamard matrix 700 is equal to zero. Ion channels of an ion mobility separator may be controlled based on the Hadamard matrix 700, such as by assigning each column 702 to a separate channel of the ion mobility separator and assigning each row 704 to a separate ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses. Thus, channels associated with a value of 1 may be open during the corresponding ion pulse, and channels associated with a value of -1 may be closed during the corresponding ion pulse (see, e.g., FIG. 7B). FIG. 7A and further examples of opening separate channel sets of an ion mobility separator based on a Hadamard matrix are discussed in more detail below.

[0045] 5, in operation 504, the control system 224 may obtain, for each ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses, a signal (e.g., signal 226) acquired by a mass analyzer for the ejected ions. Illustratively, for each ion pulse, ions ejected from a separate set of channels of an ion mobility separator may be detected by a mass analyzer (e.g., an ion detector) to detect ions at a variety of different m / z and generate signals accordingly. For example, the signal may include an electrical signal representative of an ion intensity of ions ejected from a separate set of channels for a corresponding ion pulse. A signal may be obtained for each ion pulse such that the control system 224 may be configured to obtain multiple signals for the multiple ion pulses.

[0046] In some examples, the signal may be sent to a controller (e.g., controller 106) of the mass analyzer and / or mass spectrometer (e.g., mass spectrometer 100) for processing. In such examples where the signal is sent to the controller, the control system 224 may be configured to obtain the signal from the controller. Additionally or alternatively, the control system 224 may be configured to obtain the signal from the mass analyzer. In some examples, the control system 224 may be configured to instruct the mass analyzer and / or mass spectrometer to obtain a signal, for example, for each ion pulse.

[0047] In operation 506, the control system 224 can determine a signal associated with ions ejected from a selected channel of the ion mobility separator based on the signals for the multiple ion pulses and the Hadamard algorithm. For example, it may be desirable to determine ion intensities associated with ions ejected from a selected channel of the ion mobility separator (e.g., construct a mass spectrum for a subset of the ion mobilities included in the ejected ions). To determine a signal associated with ions ejected from a selected channel, the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the multiple ion pulses can be deconvoluted to isolate signals associated with ions ejected from the selected channel during the multiple ion pulses. Deconvoluting the signals includes adding signals acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses in which the selected channel is open and subtracting signals acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses in which the selected channel is closed. In some implementations, the selected channel can include a single channel of the multiple channels and / or a subset of channels of the multiple channels. Methods for deconvoluting signals are described in more detail below.

[0048] In some examples, the determined signal associated with the ions ejected from the selected channel may be used to generate a mass spectrum representing the intensity of the ions as a function of m / z. For example, a mass spectrum may be generated based on the ions ejected from one or more channels of an ion mobility separator. The control system 224 may be configured to generate the mass spectrum and / or the control system 224 may be configured to output the determined signal to a controller (e.g., controller 106) of the mass spectrometer for generating the mass spectrum.

[0049] Figure 6 shows a flow chart of another example method 600 for controlling an ion mobility separator based on the Hadamard algorithm. Although Figure 6 shows example operations according to one embodiment, other embodiments may omit, add, reorder, and / or modify any of the operations shown in Figure 6. Although Figure 6 describes operations performed by the control system 224, any of the operations may alternatively be performed by the mass spectrometer 100, the ion mobility separator 202, and / or any other device.

[0050] In operation 602, the control system 224 can assign each channel of the multiple channels of the ion mobility separator to a column of a Hadamard matrix and each ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses to a row of the Hadamard matrix based on a Hadamard algorithm. As described above, the Hadamard matrix indicates whether each channel is open (e.g., to allow ion flow) or closed (e.g., to prevent ion flow) for each ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses. For example, each element of the Hadamard matrix can be assigned a value that can represent whether the channel is open or closed for the corresponding ion pulse. In some examples, the value can include a term (e.g., "open" for open or "closed" for closed), an integer (e.g., "1" for open or "0" for closed), and / or any other type of value that represents whether the channel is open or closed.

[0051] In operation 604, the control system 224 can open a separate set of channels of the ion mobility separator for each ion pulse based on the Hadamard matrix, during which ions accumulated in the open channels are released toward the mass analyzer. By way of example, for each ion pulse, opening a separate set of channels can include opening each channel associated with an element of the Hadamard matrix having a value representing an open channel in the row of the Hadamard matrix corresponding to the ion pulse. Opening a separate set of channels can further include refraining from opening each channel associated with an element of the Hadamard matrix having a value representing a closed channel in the row of the Hadamard matrix corresponding to the ion pulse.

[0052] A Hadamard matrix may include a square binary matrix such that the rows of the Hadamard matrix are mutually orthogonal (e.g., each pair of rows has matched elements in half of their columns and non-matched elements in the remaining columns). By way of example, a Hadamard matrix H n is H n H n T =nI n In the formula, n T is H n is the transpose of I n is an identity matrix of order n. The Hadamard matrix may be normalized in some examples, such as when all of the elements in the first row and first column are equal to +1. The order n of the Hadamard matrix may include orders of 1, 2, or a multiple of 4. Thus, in cases where the matrix includes a Hadamard matrix, the number of ion pulses in the plurality of ion pulses may be a multiple of 4. Furthermore, a maximum channel number of the plurality of channels of the ion mobility separator may include one less than the number of ion pulses in the plurality of ion pulses.

[0053] In operation 606, the control system 224 can obtain, for each ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses, a signal obtained by a mass analyzer for the ejected ions. Illustratively, the control system 224 can obtain, for each ion pulse, a signal generated by a mass analyzer (e.g., an ion detector) in response to detecting ions ejected from an open channel of the ion mobility separator. The signal can include an electrical signal representative of an ion intensity of ions ejected from an open channel for a corresponding ion pulse. A signal can be obtained for each ion pulse such that the control system 224 can be configured to obtain multiple signals for the multiple ion pulses.

[0054] In operation 608, the control system 224 can assign the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse to a corresponding element of the Hadamard matrix. For example, the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse may include a total signal value (e.g., representing ion intensity) associated with all of the ions emitted from a set of distinct channels of the ion mobility separator during the ion pulse. The total signal value for each ion pulse can be assigned to a corresponding element in a row associated with the ion pulse having a value representing a channel that is open for the ion pulse. In some implementations, assigning the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse can further include assigning a value of "0" to each element in a row associated with an ion pulse having a value representing a channel that is closed for the ion pulse.

[0055] In operation 610, the control system 224 may determine whether to calculate a signal associated with ions emitted from a selected channel of the ion mobility separator. In some examples, determining whether to calculate a signal associated with ions emitted from the selected channel may be based on one or more factors, such as whether a signal was previously calculated for the selected channel, detecting a user input specifying to calculate a signal associated with ions emitted from the selected channel, etc. As an illustrative example, the user input specifying to calculate a signal may be received by the control system 224 from a user interface (e.g., included and / or provided by the control system 224 and / or controller 106) that may be configured to enable interaction between a user of the ion mobility separator and the control system 224.

[0056] If the control system 224 determines to calculate signals associated with ions ejected from the selected channel (yes in operation 610), the control system 224 may add signals of all rows of the Hadamard matrix associated with the selected channels of the ion mobility separator that are open in operation 612 and subtract signals of all rows of the Hadamard matrix associated with the selected channels of the ion mobility separator that are closed in operation 614. Illustratively, the signal values ​​assigned to each element in a column may be summed together for all rows of the Hadamard matrix where the selected channel was open, and the signal values ​​assigned to each element in a column may be subtracted for all rows of the Hadamard matrix where the selected channel was closed. This may cancel signals acquired by the mass analyzer that correspond to ions ejected from other channels (e.g., ions not ejected from the selected channel).

[0057] In operation 616, the control system 224 can further determine a signal associated with ions ejected from the selected channel. For example, adding the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the ion pulses in which the selected channel was open and subtracting the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the ion pulses in which the selected channel was closed can result in a cumulative signal value associated with ions ejected from the selected channel for all of the ion pulses in which the selected channel was open. Illustratively, the cumulative signal value can be a multiple of the signal associated with ions ejected from the selected channel for each ion pulse, so that the cumulative signal value can be further processed (e.g., the cumulative signal value can be divided by the number of ion pulses in which the selected channel was open) to determine the signal associated with ions ejected from the selected channel for each ion pulse.

[0058] After the signal associated with ions emitted from the selected channel has been determined, the control system 224 returns to operation 610 to determine whether to calculate a signal associated with ions emitted from the selected channel of the ion mobility separator. For example, the control system 224 may determine to calculate a signal associated with ions emitted from another selected channel. Alternatively, if the control system 224 does not determine to calculate a signal associated with ions emitted from the selected channel (No at operation 610), the control system 224 may end determining the signal associated with ions emitted from the channel of the ion mobility separator.

[0059] 7A illustrates an example implementation 700 of a Hadamard matrix that may be used to control an ion mobility separator (e.g., ion mobility separator 202). As illustrated, the Hadamard matrix 700 includes a number of columns 702 (e.g., columns 702-1 through 702-4) and a number of rows 704 (e.g., rows 704-1 through 704-4). The number of columns 702 and rows 704 of the Hadamard matrix 700 are equal such that the Hadamard matrix 700 is a square matrix. For example, the order of the Hadamard matrix 700 is 4 such that the Hadamard matrix 700 includes four columns and four rows. Furthermore, each element 706 of the Hadamard matrix 700 includes a binary value (e.g., “1” or “−1”). The Hadamard matrix 700 is normalized such that the rows 704 other than the first column 702-1 and the first row 704-1 are mutually orthogonal such that the values ​​of all elements 706 in the remaining rows 704 sum to zero. Still other suitable configurations of the Hadamard matrix 700 may be used. For example, the columns 702 and / or rows 704 of the matrix may be arranged in any other order or sequence.

[0060] 7B illustrates an example implementation 708 of a matrix, where columns 710 (e.g., columns 710-1 through 710-3) of the matrix 708 are assigned to one channel of a plurality of channels of an ion mobility separator, and rows 712 (e.g., rows 712-1 through 712-4) of the matrix 708 are assigned to one ion pulse of a plurality of ion pulses. As shown, the matrix 708 includes three columns 710 associated with three channels of the ion mobility separator and four rows 712 associated with four ion pulses. Elements 714 of the matrix 708 may include a value (e.g., “open” or “closed”) representing whether each channel of the corresponding column 710 is open or closed to the corresponding ion pulse of the row 712. This may enable each row 712 of the matrix 708 to indicate whether each channel is open or closed to each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses.

[0061] In the illustrated example, the values ​​assigned to the elements 714 are based on the Hadamard matrix 700 of FIG. 7A such that a distinct set of channels is open for each ion pulse according to the Hadamard matrix. For example, the elements 714 may be assigned a value of “open” for corresponding elements 706 having a value of “1”, and the remaining elements 714 may be assigned a value of “closed” for corresponding elements 706 having a value of “−1”. As shown, the distinct channel set associated with the first row 712-1 of the matrix 708 includes each channel of the column 710 such that all channels of the plurality of channels are open for the first ion pulse (e.g., reference ion pulse) associated with the first row 712-1 of the matrix 708. However, the order of the ion pulses associated with the row 712 may be arranged in any order such that the plurality of channels may be open in any of the ion pulses associated with the row 712. The matrix 708 further provides that each channel of the plurality of channels is determined to be open for at least 50 percent of the plurality of ion pulses.

[0062] 8A-8D show a simulated progression of an implementation of ion ejection based on the matrix 708 of FIG. 7B. For example, FIG. 8A shows an example implementation 800 of a first ion pulse associated with a first row 712-1 of the matrix 708, in which all channels 802 (e.g., channels 802-1-802-3) of an ion mobility separator are determined to be open. The channels 802 may be implemented by or similar to the channels 216 of the ion mobility separator 202. As shown, the first channel 802-1 may be associated with a first column 710-1 of the matrix 708 such that the first channel 802-1 is open for the first ion pulse, allowing a first ion packet 804-1 to be ejected from the first channel 802-1. The second channel 802-2 may be associated with the second column 710-2 of the matrix 708 such that the second channel 802-2 is open to the first ion pulse, allowing the second ion packet 804-2 to be simultaneously ejected from the second channel 802-2. The third channel 802-3 may be associated with the third column 710-3 of the matrix 708 such that the third channel 802-3 is open to the first ion pulse, allowing the third ion packet 804-3 to be simultaneously ejected from the third channel 802-3.

[0063] 8B illustrates an exemplary implementation 806 of a second ion pulse associated with the second row 712-2 of the matrix 708, where the second channel 802-2 is open during the second ion pulse to allow a fourth ion packet 804-4 to be emitted from the second channel 802-2 while the first channel 802-1 and the third channel 802-3 are closed. FIG. 8C illustrates an exemplary implementation 808 of a third ion pulse associated with the third row 712-3 of the matrix 708, where the first channel 802-1 is open during the third ion pulse to allow a fifth ion packet 804-5 to be emitted from the first channel 802-1 while the second channel 802-2 and the third channel 802-3 are closed. FIG. 8D shows an example implementation 810 of a fourth ion pulse associated with the fourth row 712-4 of the matrix 708, in which the third channel 802-3 is open during the fourth ion pulse to allow the sixth ion packet 804-6 to be emitted from the third channel 802-3 while the first channel 802-1 and the second channel 802-2 are closed.

[0064] Ions 804 may be ejected from the channel 802 towards a mass analyzer (e.g., mass analyzer 104) such that a signal may be acquired by the mass analyzer for the ejected ions 804. For example, a signal may be acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse of the four ion pulses shown in Figures 8A-8D such that the mass analyzer may acquire four signals associated with the ejected ions 804. The signals acquired by the mass analyzer may be used to determine, for example, a signal associated with the ions 804 ejected from one or more channels 802 of the ion mobility separator for each ion pulse.

[0065] As an illustrative example, FIG. 9A shows an exemplary implementation 900 of a matrix for determining a signal associated with a channel 802 based on the matrix 708 of FIG. 7B. As shown, the matrix 900 includes a number of columns 902 (e.g., columns 902-1 through 902-3) corresponding to the columns 710 of the matrix 708 and a number of rows 904 (e.g., rows 904-1 through 904-4) corresponding to the rows 712 of the matrix 708. A total signal value representing the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse can be assigned to each element 906 of the matrix 900 associated with a channel 802 that is open (e.g., corresponding to an element 714 having a value of "open" in the matrix 708). In addition, a value of "0" can be assigned to each element 906 of the matrix 900 associated with a channel 802 that is closed (e.g., corresponding to an element 714 having a value of "closed" in the matrix 708).

[0066] 9B illustrates another exemplary implementation 908 of the matrix 900 of FIG. 9A for deconvolving signals to determine signals associated with ions ejected from selected channels 802 (e.g., the first channel 802-1) of the ion mobility separator. As shown, elements 906 of all rows 904 associated with ion pulses in which the first channel 802-1 is open are added, and elements 904 of all rows 904 associated with ion pulses in which the first channel 802-1 is closed are subtracted. For example, during the first and third pulses, the first channel 802-1 was open, so elements 906 associated with the first row 904-1 and the third row 904-3 are added (e.g., “+ signal”). During the second and fourth pulses, the first channel 802-1 was closed, so elements 906 associated with the second row 904-2 and the fourth row 904-4 are subtracted (e.g., “− signal”).

[0067] By adding and subtracting signals in this manner, the signal associated with ions 804 emitted from the first channel 802-1 is isolated from the signals associated with ions 804 emitted from the second channel 802-2 and the third channel 802-3. For example, adding the first row 904-1 and the third row 904-2 and subtracting the second row 904-2 and the fourth row 904-4 results in a cumulative signal value that is twice the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the first column 902-1 associated with the first channel 802-1. The addition of the first row 904-1 and the third row 904-2 and the subtraction of the second row 904-2 and the fourth row 904-4 results in a value of "0" for the second column 902-2 and the third column 902-3 associated with the second channel 802-2 and the third channel 802-3 (e.g., such that the signals associated with the second channel 802-2 and the third channel 802-3 are cancelled). In some implementations, the signal associated with the ions 804 emitted from the first channel 802-1 for each ion pulse (e.g., each row 904) is determined by dividing the accumulated signal value by the number of ion pulses that the first channel 802-1 was open for (e.g., two).

[0068] In some examples, such calculations may be repeated for one or more other channels 802 of the ion mobility separator. For example, to determine a signal associated with ions 804 emitted from the second channel 802-2, the first row 904-1 associated with the first ion pulse and the second row 904-2 associated with the second ion pulse are added, while the third row 904-3 and the fourth row 904-4 are subtracted. Similarly, to determine a signal associated with ions 804 emitted from the third channel 802-3, the first row 904-1 associated with the first ion pulse and the fourth row 904-4 associated with the fourth ion pulse are added, while the second row 904-2 and the third row 904-3 are subtracted. Still other suitable configurations for determining a signal associated with ions 804 emitted from the channels 802 of the ion mobility separator may be used.

[0069] To illustrate, in some examples, the ion mobility separator includes more channels so that additional ion pulses can be performed. As an example, FIG. 10A shows a matrix implementation 1000 including a Hadamard matrix having eight columns 1002 (e.g., columns 1002-1 to 1002-8) and eight rows 1004 (e.g., rows 1004-1 to 1004-8). FIG. 10B further shows an exemplary implementation 1006 of a matrix, where the columns 1010 (e.g., columns 1010-1 to 1010-7) of the matrix are assigned one channel of the multiple channels of the ion mobility separator, and the rows 1012 (e.g., rows 1012-1 to 1012-8) of the matrix are assigned one ion pulse of the multiple ion pulses based on the matrix of FIG. 10A. As shown, the matrix includes seven columns 1010 associated with the seven channels of the ion mobility separator and eight rows 1012 associated with the eight ion pulses. A separate set of channels may be open or closed for each ion pulse based on the corresponding Hadamard matrix. In some examples, a separate set of channels may be open or closed based on any order or sequence of the columns 1002 and / or rows 1004 of the Hadamard matrix 1000. In addition, a signal associated with one of the multiple channels may be determined based on the corresponding Hadamard matrix. Additional Hadamard matrices with orders that increase by a factor of four may be used to control the ion mobility separator.

[0070] In certain examples, one or more of the processes described herein may be embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executed, at least in part, as instructions executable by one or more computing devices. In general, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions from a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., a memory, etc.) and executes those instructions to thereby perform one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions may be stored and / or transmitted using any of a variety of known computer-readable media.

[0071] A computer-readable medium (also called a processor-readable medium) includes any non-transitory medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media can take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile and / or volatile media. Non-volatile media can include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, and other persistent memories. Volatile media can include, for example, dynamic random access memory ("DRAM"), which typically constitutes the main memory. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, any other magnetic media, compact disk read-only memory ("CD-ROM"), digital video disk ("DVD"), any other optical media, random access memory ("RAM"), programmable read-only memory ("PROM"), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory ("EPROM"), FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other tangible media from which a computer can read.

[0072] FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary computing device 1100 that may be specifically configured to perform one or more of the processes described herein. As shown in FIG. 11, the computing device 1100 may include a communication interface 1102, a processor 1104, a storage device 1106, and an input / output ("I / O") module 1108 that are communicatively connected to each other via a communication infrastructure 1110. Although an exemplary computing device 1100 is illustrated in FIG. 11, the components illustrated in FIG. 11 are not intended to be limiting. In other examples, additional or alternative components may be used. The components of the computing device 1100 illustrated in FIG. 11 will now be described in further detail.

[0073] The communications interface 1102 can be configured to communicate with one or more computing devices. Examples of the communications interface 1102 include, but are not limited to, a wired network interface (such as a network interface card), a wireless network interface (such as a wireless network interface card), a modem, an audio / video connection, and any other suitable interface.

[0074] The processor 1104 generally represents any type or form of processing unit capable of processing data and / or interpreting, executing, and / or directing the execution of one or more of the instructions, processes, and / or operations described herein. The processor 1104 may perform operations by executing computer-executable instructions 1112 (e.g., applications, software, code, and / or other executable data instances) stored on the storage device 1106.

[0075] The storage device 1106 may include one or more data storage media, devices, or configurations and may employ any type, form, and combination of data storage media and / or devices. For example, the storage device 1106 may include, but is not limited to, any combination of non-volatile and / or volatile media described herein. Electronic data, including data described herein, may be stored temporarily and / or permanently in the storage device 1106. For example, data representing computer-executable instructions 1112 configured to instruct the processor 1104 to perform any of the operations described herein may be stored in the storage device 1106. In some examples, the data may be located in one or more databases residing in the storage device 1106.

[0076] The I / O module 1108 may include one or more I / O modules configured to receive user input and / or provide user output. One or more I / O modules may be used to receive input for a single virtual experience. The I / O module 1108 may include any hardware, firmware, software, or combination thereof that supports input and output capabilities. For example, the I / O module 1108 may include hardware and / or software for capturing user input, including, but not limited to, a keyboard or keypad, a touchscreen component (e.g., a touchscreen display), a receiver (e.g., an RF or infrared receiver), a motion sensor, and / or one or more input buttons.

[0077] The I / O module 1108 can include one or more devices for presenting output to a user, including, but not limited to, an image engine, a display (e.g., a display screen), one or more output drivers (e.g., a display driver), one or more audio speakers, and one or more audio drivers. In a particular example, the I / O module 1108 is configured to provide graphical data to a display for presentation to a user. The graphical data can represent one or more graphical user interfaces and / or any other graphical content as may be useful in a particular implementation.

[0078] In some examples, any of the systems, computing devices, and / or other components described herein may be implemented by the computing device 1100. For example, the storage facility 402 may be implemented by the storage device 1106, and the processing facility 404 may be implemented by the processor 1104.

[0079] Meanwhile, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in the foregoing description, various exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made thereto and additional embodiments may be implemented without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. For example, certain features of one embodiment described herein may be combined with or substituted for features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the specification and drawings should be considered in an illustrative sense, and not in a restrictive sense.

Claims

1. 1. A system comprising: one or more processors; and a memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to: opening a separate set of channels of an ion mobility separator comprising a plurality of channels for each ion pulse in the plurality of ion pulses based on a Hadamard algorithm, wherein ions accumulated in the open channels are ejected towards a mass analyzer during each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses; obtaining, for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses, a signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the ejected ions; and determining a signal associated with the ions ejected from a channel of the ion mobility separator based on the signals for the plurality of ion pulses and the Hadamard algorithm.

2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the opening of the distinct set of channels based on the Hadamard algorithm comprises opening two or more channels of the plurality of channels for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses.

3. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the opening of the distinct channel sets based on the Hadamard algorithm comprises opening all of the channels of the plurality of channels for one ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the opening of the distinct set of channels based on the Hadamard algorithm comprises opening each channel of the plurality of channels for 50 percent of the plurality of ion pulses.

5. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the signal based on the Hadamard algorithm comprises deconvolving the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the multiple ion pulses to isolate the signal associated with the ions ejected from the channel of the ion mobility separator.

6. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the unconvolving of the signals comprises adding the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses in which the channel is open, and subtracting the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses in which the channel is closed.

7. 2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the opening of the distinct channel sets based on the Hadamard algorithm comprises: assigning each channel of the plurality of channels to a column of the matrix, and assigning each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses to a row of the matrix, such that each row of the matrix indicates whether each channel was open or closed for each ion pulse.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the matrix comprises a Hadamard matrix.

9. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein said determining the signal based on the Hadamard algorithm comprises assigning the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse to each element of the matrix associated with a channel open for a corresponding ion pulse.

10. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the determining the signal based on the Hadamard algorithm further comprises: adding the signals of all rows of the matrix associated with selected channels of the ion mobility separator that are open; and subtracting the signals of all rows of the matrix associated with the selected channels of the ion mobility separator that are closed.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the number of ion pulses in the plurality of ion pulses is a multiple of four.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein a number of ion pulses in the plurality of ion pulses is greater than a number of channels in the ion mobility separator.

13. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions further cause the computing device to generate a mass spectrum representing intensities of the ions as a function of mass-to-charge ratio of the ions based on the signals associated with the ions ejected from the channels of the ion mobility separator.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a computing device to: controlling an ion mobility separator comprising a plurality of channels to open a separate set of channels for each ion pulse in the plurality of ion pulses based on a Hadamard algorithm, wherein ions accumulated in the open channels are ejected towards a mass analyzer during each ion pulse in the plurality of ion pulses; obtaining, for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses, a signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the ejected ions; and determining a signal associated with the ions emitted from a channel of the ion mobility separator based on the signals for the plurality of ion pulses and the Hadamard algorithm.

15. 15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the controlling the ion mobility separator based on the Hadamard algorithm comprises controlling the ion mobility separator to open two or more channels of the plurality of channels for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses.

16. 15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the controlling the ion mobility separator based on the Hadamard algorithm comprises controlling the ion mobility separator to open all channels of the plurality of channels for one ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses.

17. 15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the controlling the ion mobility separator based on the Hadamard algorithm comprises controlling the ion mobility separator to open each channel of the plurality of channels for 50 percent of the plurality of ion pulses.

18. 15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the determining the signal based on the Hadamard algorithm comprises deconvolving the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the multiple ion pulses to isolate the signal associated with the ions ejected from the channels of the ion mobility separator.

19. 20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the unconvolving of the signals comprises adding the signals acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses in which the channel is open and subtracting the signals acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses in which the channel is closed.

20. 15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions further direct the at least one processor to generate a mass spectrum representing intensities of the ions as a function of mass-to-charge ratio of the ions based on the signals associated with the ions ejected from the channels of the ion mobility separator.

21. 1. A system comprising: an ion mobility separator comprising a plurality of channels, each channel of the plurality of channels configured to accumulate ions according to their mobility; a mass analyzer configured to generate a signal based on ions emitted from the plurality of channels and detected by the mass analyzer; and at least one computing device communicatively coupled to the ion mobility separator and the mass analyzer and configured to perform a process, the process comprising: opening a separate set of channels of the ion mobility separator for each ion pulse in a plurality of ion pulses based on a Hadamard algorithm, wherein ions accumulated in the open channels are ejected towards the mass analyzer during each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses; obtaining, for each ion pulse of the plurality of ion pulses, a signal acquired by the mass analyzer for the ejected ions; and determining a signal associated with the ions ejected from a channel of the ion mobility separator based on the signals for the plurality of ion pulses and based on the Hadamard algorithm.

22. 22. The system of claim 21 , wherein said determining said signal based on said Hadamard algorithm comprises assigning each channel of said plurality of channels to a column of said matrix and each ion pulse of said plurality of ion pulses to a row of said matrix, such that each row of the matrix indicates whether each channel was open or closed for each ion pulse.

23. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein said determining the signal based on the Hadamard algorithm further comprises assigning the signal acquired by the mass analyzer for each ion pulse to each element of the matrix associated with a channel open for a corresponding ion pulse.

24. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the determining the signal based on the Hadamard algorithm further comprises: adding the signals of all rows of the matrix associated with selected channels of the ion mobility separator that are open; and subtracting the signals of all rows of the matrix associated with the selected channels of the ion mobility separator that are closed.

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