Patent ID: 9040903
Filing Date: 2015-05-26
Classification: G16B,G16C,H01J

Abstract:
1. A method of identifying or quantifying an analyte in a sample using mass spectrometry, the method comprising: (a) providing a list of target analytes and target analyte product information, wherein the list comprises from 25 to 5,000,000 target analytes; (b) providing a sample containing an analyte; (c) generating a distribution of precursor analyte ions from the sample; (d) fragmenting precursor analyte ions having a preselected distribution of mass-to-charge ratios, thereby generating product ions; (e) measuring mass-to-charge ratios of at least a portion of the product ions in a mass analyzer, wherein the mass analyzer has a mass accuracy of at least 1000 ppm, thereby generating product ion mass spectrometry data; (f) optimizing analyte identification or quantitation during data acquisition by comparing the product ion mass spectrometry data to the list of target analytes and target analyte product information; (g) calculating a chromatography column elution order of the analyte in the list of target analytes and target analyte product information, thereby generating an elution order list; (h) sorting the elution order list from first eluting analyte to last eluting analyte, thereby generating a sorted elution order list; (i) fractionating the sample with a chromatography column prior to generating a distribution of precursor analyte ions from the sample; (j) identifying target analyte product information in the product ion mass spectrometry data corresponding to a target analyte, thereby identifying a target analyte; (k) comparing the identified target analyte to the sorted elution order list during data acquisition; and (l) identifying one or more target analytes from the sorted elution order list which are within X analytes of the identified analyte, wherein X is equal to 20% of the total number of target analytes in the elution order list, thereby identifying or quantifying an analyte in the sample using mass spectrometry.