Multiplexing daughter ion spectrum acquisition from MALDI ionization

1. A method for acquiring daughter ion spectra in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, with an ion source for ionization of analyte molecules by matrix-assisted laser desorption, with a parent ion selector, a post-acceleration unit, and a first ion detector, the method comprising: directing a single desorbing pulse of laser light onto a sample to generate analyte ions, and accelerating the analyte ions into an ion beam in an original flight direction; fragmenting the analyte ions from parent ions into daughter ions by one of either (i) collisional induced dissociation between a first acceleration of the analyte ions at the ion source and the post-acceleration unit, or (ii) post-source decomposition of metastable ions; multiply switching the parent ion selector following the single desorbing pulse of laser light to create a sequence of switching time windows and to select a plurality of species of the parent ions with the associated daughter ions in a time sequence one after another such that the daughter ion spectra do not show substantial overlap, wherein switching includes allowing one selected species of the parent ions with the associated daughter ions to pass in a straight line per switching time window; post-accelerating the selected species of the parent ions with the associated daughter ions in the original flight direction with the post-acceleration unit; and measuring the daughter ion spectra from the selected species of the parent ions separately in the ion detector by temporal sequencing the measurements.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in addition to the temporal sequencing, two series of daughter ions originating from two different selected species of the parent ions are moved from their axis of flight after the post-acceleration unit, and are thereby diverted to the first ion detector and a further ion detector, located proximate to the first ion detector, for recording two different daughter ion spectra.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the species of the parent ions whose daughter ion spectra are to be measured sequentially are selected so that no substantial overlapping occurs during measurement of the daughter ion spectra.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein overlapping daughter ion spectra are separated by calculation using data processing procedures, and the widths of the ion signals or the patterns of isotope groups or both are employed to assign the ion signals to the daughter ion spectra they belong to.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching comprises:

permitting each selected species of the parent ions with the associated daughter ions to pass straight through the parent ion selector during a switching time window; and

otherwise filtering out non-selected species of the parent ions with the associated daughter ions.

6. A time-of-flight mass spectrometer for recording daughter ion spectra, comprising an ion source for ionization of analyte molecules by matrix-assisted laser desorption, a parent ion selector, a post-acceleration unit and a multitude of ion detectors, and a reflector substantially reversing a flight direction to incident ions, and further comprising deflection capacitors positioned after the post-acceleration unit and before the reflector to divert the ion beam onto one of the ion detectors.

7. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer of claim 6 , further comprising deflection capacitors and reflectors between ion source and parent ion selector.

8. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer of claim 6 , further comprising movement units for moving the parent ion selectors and post-acceleration units out of the path of the ion beam.

9. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer of claim 6 , further comprising a voltage supply to raise the voltage in at least part of the post-acceleration unit during the passage of the ions so that a somewhat greater acceleration is imparted to ions that pass through at a later stage.

10. A method for acquiring daughter ion spectra in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer that includes an ion source for ionization of analyte molecules by matrix-assisted laser desorption, a parent ion selector, a post-acceleration unit, and a plurality of ion detectors, the method comprising:

directing a single desorbing pulse of laser light onto a sample to generate analyte ions, and accelerating the analyte ions into an ion beam in a first direction;

fragmenting the analyte ions from parent ions into daughter ions;

multiply switching the parent ion selector following the single desorbing pulse of laser light to create a sequence of switching time windows and to select a plurality of species of the parent ions with the associated daughter ions in a time sequence one after another such that the daughter ion spectra do not show substantial overlay wherein switching includes allowing one selected species of the parent ions with the associated ions to pass in a straight line per switching time window;

post-accelerating the selected species of the parent ions with the associated daughter ions in the first direction with the post-acceleration unit; and

measuring the daughter ion spectra from the selected species of the parent ions with the ion detectors by spatially diverting the selected species of the parent ions downstream of the post-acceleration unit.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the switching comprises:

permitting each selected species of the parent ions with the associated daughter ions to pass straight through the parent ion selector during a switching time window; and

otherwise filtering out non-selected species of the parent ions with the associated daughter ions.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the detectors are located side-by-side in a plane.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ion detectors are spatially separated segments of a single ion detector, wherein each segment measures a separate ion current.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ion detectors comprise one of two detectors, four detectors or nine detectors.