Dynamic Ion Filtering for Low-Abundance Mass Spectrometry Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mass spectrometry struggles to detect low-concentration substances in complex samples due to saturation of detectors and limited sensitivity, leading to many substances being below the detection limit.
Innovation Solution
A method to selectively filter out highly concentrated substances from the ion beam by determining predefinable regions with specific ion masses, charges, or mass-to-charge ratios, isolating these regions, and excluding them from detection, thereby increasing the sensitivity for low-concentration substances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional mass spectrometry is used to analyze complex samples, then the detection of high-concentration substances is achieved, but the detection of low-concentration substances is limited due to detector saturation and insufficient sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The ion beam is segmented into multiple groups based on their mass-to-charge ratios. A filter element is configured to selectively transmit certain ion groups while blocking others, dividing the ion beam into transmitted ions (those matching the filter criteria) and blocked ions (those not matching). This segmentation allows the detector to focus on specific ion populations, improving detection sensitivity for low-concentration substances without being overwhelmed by high-concentration ions.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter element extracts or removes specific ion groups from the ion beam based on predetermined criteria (mass-to-charge ratio ranges). By taking out the unwanted ion groups that would otherwise saturate the detector, the system enables detection of low-concentration substances that were previously masked by the abundance of other ions.
2Measurement precision
If the full mass range is scanned to detect all substances, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but the detection sensitivity for low-concentration substances decreases due to detector saturation from high-concentration ions
Solution Approach 1:
The filter element's transmission characteristics are made dynamically adjustable through programmable control. The filter can be reconfigured to transmit different ion groups based on the analysis requirements, allowing the system to adapt between comprehensive mass range scanning and focused high-sensitivity detection of specific mass ranges. This dynamic reconfiguration resolves the contradiction between coverage and sensitivity.
3Quantity of substance
If ion traps are used to collect ions for analysis, then the quantity of ions is increased, but the detection of low-concentration substances is still limited by the presence of highly abundant ions
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly treating all ions in the trap, the filter element applies selective quality control to different ion groups. The filter allows certain ion groups (those of interest) to pass through to the detector while blocking other ion groups (highly abundant interfering ions). This local quality differentiation enables the system to benefit from ion accumulation while maintaining detection sensitivity for low-concentration substances.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure includes a computer-implemented method for filtering out at least one selected ion from an ion beam by the following steps: determining the selected ion with a selected ion mass, selected charge and/or selected mass to charge ratio; determining at least one predefinable region with predefinable ions, whose ion masses, charges and/or mass to charge ratios are greater than or smaller than the selected ion mass, the selected charge and/or the selected mass to charge ratio of the selected ion; isolating the predefinable region of the ion beam along a trajectory of the ion beam, and detecting the predefinable ions within the predefinable region. In addition, the present disclosure includes to a computer program which is configured to perform a method according to the present disclosure and to a computer program product having the computer program.