The Finnigan TSQ Quantum is the most robust triple quadrupole on the market today.   The robustness mainly comes from the Ion Max Source (Figure 1):

With the Ion Max Source, the ESI or APCI spray is “off-axis”, which greatly reduces or eliminates the chances of blocking inlet orifices (Figure 2 and 3):.

With off-axis spraying, the ion transfer tube will not block with even the most challenging matrices. (See Figures 4 -7)

If the operator wishes to clean the ion transfer tube, this can easily be done without breaking vacuum.  A metal ball prevents the flow of air into the analyzer (see Figure 8) and the tube can be replaced in less than 60 seconds.

The robustness of the Ion Max Source has been proven time and time again on the most challenging matrices.    It is now the “universal source” for all of our LC-MS/MS instruments.

The off-axis design of the Ion Max Source is critical for eliminating the possibility of source blocking.  Within the mass spectrometer itself, we have made advances to improve robustness, reduce chemical noise, and reduce the size of the mass spectrometer itself.  In fact, the detector is now significantly off-axis as we have employed a 90 degree square quad collision cell (Figure 9).   Q2 on the TSQ Quantum is curved 90 degrees (Figure 10).  This helps reduce the length of the instrument while eliminating a “clear view to the detector” for neutral. This reduces the chemical noise caused by neutral particles emanating from the source.

The TSQ Quantum was designed with robustness in mind.  The instrument is designed to run 24/7 with minimal maintenance.  It’s simple -   the TSQ Quantum is a quantitation workhorse that won’t let you down.

To be Continued... Linear Dynamic Range and the TSQ Quantum.