Ion profiling with a scanning quadrupole mass filter

1. A mass spectrometer comprising:

an ion mobility separation device for separating ions according to their ion mobility;

a first quadrupole mass filter arranged downstream of said ion mobility separation device;

a control system arranged and adapted to scan and/or step the set mass of said first quadrupole mass filter a plurality of times over a first mass to charge ratio range of <±2 amu during the elution time of an ion mobility peak from said ion mobility separation device; and

an analyser or ion detector arranged downstream of said first quadrupole mass filter, wherein said analyser or ion detector is arranged and adapted to analyse or detect ions so as to acquire multi-dimensional ion mobility-mass to charge ratio data.

2. A mass spectrometer as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a fragmentation, collision or reaction device for fragmenting or reacting ions so as to produce fragment or product ions;

wherein said fragmentation, collision or reaction device is arranged downstream of said ion mobility separation device and upstream of said analyser or ion detector.

3. A mass spectrometer as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second quadrupole mass filter;

wherein said second quadrupole mass filter is arranged downstream of said ion mobility separation device and upstream of said analyser or ion detector.

4. A method of mass spectrometry comprising:

separating ions according to their ion mobility using an ion mobility separation device;

scanning and/or stepping the set mass of a first quadrupole mass filter a plurality of times over a first mass to charge ratio range of <±2 amu during the elution time of an ion mobility peak from said ion mobility separation device, wherein said first quadrupole mass filter is arranged downstream of said ion mobility separation device; and

analysing or detecting ions using an analyser or ion detector arranged downstream of said quadrupole mass filter so as to acquire multi-dimensional ion mobility-mass to charge ratio data.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said first mass to charge ratio range is centred at the mass to charge ratio of a target ion of interest.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising keeping the set mass of a second quadrupole mass filter arranged downstream of said ion mobility separation device and upstream of said analyser or ion detector at a constant value while the set mass of said first quadrupole mass filter is scanned and/or stepped.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising using a second quadrupole mass filter arranged downstream of said ion mobility separation device and upstream of said analyser or ion detector:

to select parent ions of interest; or

to select fragment or product ions of interest.

8. A method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising operating said first quadrupole mass filter with a resolution of around 1 amu.

9. A method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising determining whether an ion peak in said data corresponds to a target ion based on either: (i) a determined mass to charge ratio of said ion peak relative to said first mass to charge ratio range; and/or (ii) a shape of said ion peak.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 , comprising processing and/or measuring and/or quantifying said ion peak using only data determined to correspond to said target ion.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9 , comprising processing and/or measuring and/or quantifying said ion peak using only data within a mass to charge ratio window centred on either: (i) a determined mass to charge ratio of said ion peak; or (ii) the centre of said first mass to charge ratio range.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said mass to charge ratio window is narrower than said first mass to charge ratio range.

13. A method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising:

determining whether an ion peak in said data comprises an ion other than a target ion based on either: (i) a determined mass to charge ratio of said ion peak relative to said first mass to charge ratio range; and/or (ii) the shape of said ion peak.

14. A method of confirming the identity of an ion comprising:

scanning and/or stepping the set mass of a first quadrupole mass filter one or more times over a first mass to charge ratio range of <±2 amu, wherein said first mass to charge ratio range is centred at the mass to charge ratio of a target ion of interest;

analysing or detecting ions so as to acquire mass spectral data; and

determining whether an ion peak in said data corresponds to said target ion of interest and/or to one or more other ions based on either: (i) the mass to charge ratio position of said ion peak within said first mass to charge ratio range; and/or (ii) the shape of said ion peak.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein determining whether said ion peak in said data corresponds to said target ion of interest and/or to one or more other ions based on said mass to charge ratio position of said ion peak within said first mass to charge ratio range comprises determining whether said mass to charge ratio position of said ion peak is at or close to the centre of said first mass to charge ratio range and/or corresponds to a calibrated or calculated mass to charge ratio.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein:

if it is determined that said mass to charge ratio position of said ion peak is not at or close to said centre of said first mass to charge ratio range and/or does not corresponds to said calibrated or calculated mass to charge ratio, then it is determined that said ion peak comprises one or more other ions.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein determining whether said ion peak in said data corresponds to said target ion of interest and/or to one or more other ions based on said shape of said ion peak comprises:

determining whether said shape of said ion peak corresponds to a known or measured peak shape of said target ion of interest; and/or

determining whether said shape of said ion peak corresponds to a predicted, calculated or modelled peak shape of said target ion of interest.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising filtering ions according to their mass to charge ratio using a second quadrupole mass filter; and

maintaining the set mass of said second quadrupole mass filter at a constant mass to charge ratio value while scanning and/or stepping the set mass of said first quadrupole mass filter.

19. A method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising filtering ions according to their mass to charge ratio using a second quadrupole mass filter; and

scanning and/or stepping the set mass of said second quadrupole mass filter one or more times over a third mass to charge ratio range while scanning and/or stepping the set mass of said first quadrupole mass filter.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 , further comprising:

scanning and/or stepping the set mass of said second quadrupole mass filter a single time over said third mass to charge ratio range while scanning and/or stepping the set mass of said first quadrupole mass filter a plurality of times over said first mass to charge ratio range; or

scanning and/or stepping the set mass of said second quadrupole mass filter a plurality of times over said third mass to charge ratio range while scanning and/or stepping the set mass of said first quadrupole mass filter a single time over said first mass to charge ratio range.