This document introduces the ion optics design innovations that contribute to the outstanding sensitivity of the Agilent Technologies 6400 Series Triple Quadrupole and 6500 Series Quadrupole Time-of-Flight LC/MS systems.
This technical overview details the ion optics innovations in the Agilent Technologies 6400 Series Triple Quadrupole and 6500 Series Quadrupole Time-of-Flight (Q-TOF) LC/MS systems. It explains how shared design features maximize sensitivity, mass resolution, and spectral fidelity while minimizing noise and chemical interference.
| 2R0 spacing | 8.89 mm |
|---|---|
| Octopole drive frequency | 5 MHz |
| Ion transmission increase (m/z > 600) | 2.5 times |
| Ion transmission increase (m/z > 1500) | 5 times |
It reduces expansive cooling of ions upon exit, which significantly reduces the formation of adduct ions compared to systems using orifices.
The primary design goal is to maximize the number of ions produced while minimizing the generation of neutral particles and high-energy ion clusters that cause noise.
The orthogonal orientation greatly reduces the number of neutral particles entering the mass spectrometer, which eliminates noise that would otherwise be generated by those particles.
The voltages applied to lens 2 increase ion transmission by approximately 2.5 times for ions with m/z greater than 600 and 5 times for ions with m/z greater than 1500.