Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer Quadrupole Driver
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chromatograph mass spectrometers face a trade-off between mass-resolving power and sensitivity, requiring cumbersome and complex settings to achieve high-quality extracted ion chromatograms for quantitative analysis, especially when the appropriate mass-resolving power for a sample is unknown or varies among components.
Innovation Solution
A chromatograph mass spectrometer with a quadrupole driver that sequentially switches mass-resolving power levels during analysis, combined with a controller and chromatogram creator to generate extracted ion chromatograms at different power settings, and a chromatogram evaluator to determine the optimal mass-resolving power for highest S/N ratio, reducing the need for multiple measurements and simplifying user tasks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If mass-resolving power is improved by adjusting voltage ratios in the quadrupole mass filter, then ion selectivity is enhanced and interference from ions with close mass-to-charge ratios is reduced, but the amount of ions reflected in the peak decreases, lowering ion intensity and deteriorating sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by sequentially switching between multiple mass-resolving power settings during a single measurement cycle. The system performs repeated measurements at different mass-resolving power levels (e.g., first, second, and third settings) and combines the results to obtain an extracted ion chromatogram that benefits from both high selectivity and high sensitivity without requiring the user to manually perform multiple separate measurements.
2Measurement precision
If the appropriate mass-resolving power is unknown or varies among sample components, then multiple measurements with different settings are required to optimize quantitative determination, but this increases measurement time and operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs periodic switching between multiple mass-resolving power settings during a single measurement cycle, collecting data at each setting and combining the results to produce an optimized extracted ion chromatogram without requiring the user to perform multiple separate measurements manually.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically selecting and switching between appropriate mass-resolving power settings based on the sample components being analyzed. The controller manages the sequential measurements and data combination process without requiring user intervention to determine optimal settings or to perform repeated manual measurements.
3Measurement precision
If multiple measurements are performed to find appropriate mass-resolving power settings, then optimal quantitative determination can be achieved, but the operational complexity and user workload increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically managing the entire process of switching between multiple mass-resolving power settings, collecting data at each setting, and combining the results to produce the final extracted ion chromatogram. This eliminates the need for users to manually perform multiple measurements or determine optimal settings, significantly reducing operational complexity and user workload.
4Measurement precision
If mass-resolving power is increased to reduce interference from foreign substances, then ion selectivity improves, but the peak intensity decreases due to fewer ions being reflected
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies periodic action by performing repeated measurements at different mass-resolving power settings within a single measurement cycle. Data obtained at each setting (including both high selectivity and high ion amount conditions) are combined to produce an extracted ion chromatogram that achieves both high ion selectivity and high peak intensity, effectively resolving the trade-off between these two parameters.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the creation of high-quality extracted ion chromatograms for target components with reduced user workload, allowing for accurate and reproducible quantitative analysis without repeated measurements, and determining the optimal mass-resolving power for each sample or component.
Implementation Method 1
a direct-current voltage and a radio-frequency voltage are applied to each of the four rod electrodes constituting a quadrupole mass filter to create a quadrupole electric field within the space surrounded by the rod electrodes
Implementation Method 2
This electric field oscillates ions while they are travelling through it, causing the ions which do not conform to specific conditions to be dispersed and removed halfway
Implementation Method 3
a chromatograph for separating the components of a sample in the temporal direction
Data Source
AI summary
When an SIM measurement for ions originating from a target component separated by a chromatograph is performed, the measurement is performed while the mass-resolving power is switched among a plurality of levels of resolving power, with the mass-to-charge ratio fixed at a target value (S2), and an extracted ion chromatogram is created based on each of data obtained corresponding to respective mass-resolving powers (S3). After the extracted ion chromatograms are obtained, an S/N ratio is calculated for a peak of the target component on each of the chromatograms (S4), and a mass-resolving power which yields the highest S/N ratio is selected (S5). The selected mass-resolving power is set as the mass-resolving power in the subsequent measurements of the same target component in the same kind of sample (S6), and the quantitative determination of the target component is performed using the extracted ion chromatogram obtained with the selected mass-resolving power (S7).