Mass spectrometers and mass spectrometry techniques have been used in R&D laboratories since the early 1900s for varying applications in pharmaceutical, semiconductor, biotech, environmental monitoring, chemical analysis, and forensics laboratories. In simplest form, a mass spectrometer determines the elemental composition of a sample or molecule using an ion source, mass analyzer, and detector to provide qualitative and quantitative analysis of unknown compounds, isotopic compositions of samples, and to determine the structure of a compound.
The technology on these vital laboratory instruments has evolved to meet demanding—and varying—user requirements. Users can chose from ion sources (chemical ionization, electrospray ionization, and MALDI), different mass analyzers (time-of-flight, quadrupole, quadrupole ion trap, linear quadrupole ion trap, orbitrap, and more), and different detectors.
With each new mass spectrometer hitting the market, the main functions—mass resolving power, mass accuracy, mass range, and the scanning speed—are becoming more efficient and powerful to meet customers needs and analyze samples to the most accurate level possible.
Mass spectrometers are frequently teamed with gas chromatography (GC/MS) or liquid chromatography (LC/MS), creating compound instruments. Multiple steps of mass spectrometry can be teamed together, with some fragmentation occurring in between the stages.
Building on 100 years of constant development, instrument developers predict that mass spectrometers will evolve in ways that will provide customers with lower prices, high reliability, small footprint (lower power requirements, less bench space), and higher performance.
Companies Included:
View PDF of Mass Spectrometer Specifications Guide
Published in R & D magazine: Vol. 52, No. 2, April, 2010, p.14.
