An instrument that determines the exact mass of charged particles or ions by measuring the flight path through a set of magnetic and electric fields. Mass spectrometers specialised for protein and peptide sequencing are used for high-throughput analysis.
Direct mass spectrometer analysis, enabled by slug flow microextraction and a mini spectrometer, represents a key step for translation of MS technologies to clinical and point-of-care applications--which is Ouyang's overall goal.
was formed by Astrotech to develop and commercialize miniature mass spectrometer technology first developed under an agreement with NASA for use on the International Space Station.
In Brief: Purdue University researchers recently took their miniature mass spectrometer grocery shopping to test for traces of chemicals on standard and organic produce.
"The minis are not as precise as the standard mass spectrometer, but it would be a good first-line defense to indicate when additional testing is necessary."
The method involves shooting a laser at the sample's surface, which creates a plume of molecules and ions that can then be analyzed by the mass spectrometer.
Thermo Fisher introduced several other new mass spectrometers. The company has taken its Orbitrap system into a second generation with the LTQ Orbitrap Discovery and the LTQ Orbitrap XL.
Unlike conventional mass spectrometers, which are cumbersome laboratory instruments that weigh more than 300 pounds, the new handheld device weighs less than 20 pounds and can be used in the field.