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A hybrid mass spectrometer is a device for tandem mass spectrometry that consists of a combination of two or more m/z separation devices of different types.
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Notation
The different m/z separation elements of a hybrid mass spectrometer can be represented by a shorthand notation. The symbol Q represents a quadrupole mass analyzer, q is a radio frequency collision quadrupole, TOF is a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, B is a magnetic sector and E is an electric sector.
Sector quadrupole
A sector instrument can be combined with a collision quadrupole and quadrupole mass analyzer to form a hybrid instrument. A BEqQ configuration with a magnetic sector (B), electric sector (E), collision quadrupole (q) and m/z selection quadrupole (Q) have been constructed and an instrument with two electric sectors (BEEQ) has been described.
Quadrupole time-of-flight
A triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with the final quadrupole replaced by a time-of-flight device is known as a quadrupole time-of-flight instrument. Such an instrument can be represented as QqTOF.
Ion trap time-of-flight
In an ion trap instrument, ions are trapped in a quadrupole ion trap and then injected into the TOF. The trap can be 3-D or a linear trap.
Linear ion trap and Fourier transform mass analyzers
A linear ion trap combined with a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance or orbitrap mass spectrometer is marketed by Thermo Scientific as the LTQ FT and LTQ Orbitrap, respectively.