US 12,265,056 B2
Ion identification using ion mobility spectrometry
Martin Raymond Green, Bowdon (GB); and Jason Lee Wildgoose, Stockport (GB)
Assigned to Micromass UK Limited, Wilmslow (GB)
Appl. No. 18/040,572
Filed by Micromass UK Limited, Wilmslow (GB)
PCT Filed Aug. 4, 2021, PCT No. PCT/GB2021/052008
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 3, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/029424, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 10, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2012094 (GB), filed on Aug. 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0296561 A1, Sep. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 27/62 (2021.01); G01N 27/622 (2021.01); H01J 49/26 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 27/622 (2013.01) [H01J 49/26 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of analysing ions comprising:
using a first separator to separate different analyte molecules in a sample and then ionising the separated analyte molecules eluting from the first separator, and/or using a second separator or filter to separate analyte ions according to a physicochemical property; and subsequently
(i) subjecting ions of an analyte molecule to different activation levels at different times so as to cause the ions to have different mobilities at said different times, wherein the activation level is varied in a plurality of cycles, and wherein the activation level is varied between said different levels during each of the cycles;
(ii) using an ion mobility separator or scanned ion mobility filter to determine the mobilities of the ions for said different activation levels; and
(iii) correlating the determined mobilities with their respective activation levels so as to thereby obtain a fingerprint for the analyte molecule;
wherein the method comprises:
using said ion mobility separator or scanned ion mobility filter in step (ii) to separate the ions according to ion mobility after being subjected to each activation level in each cycle so as to obtain ion mobility spectral data for each activation level;
summing the spectral data obtained for the same activation level in the plurality of cycles so as to obtain summed spectral data for each of the activation levels;
determining the ion mobilities of the analyte for the different activation levels using the summed spectral data; and
correlating these ion mobilities with their respective activation levels so as to produce a fingerprint of ion mobility as a function of activation level for the analyte.