HRMS: Hardware and Software

In this chapter, an overview of the more commonly used high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) instrumentation is provided, including the description of time-of-flight, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance, and Orbitrap analyzers coupled with either liquid chromatography or gas chromatography. Along with the ability to provide accurate mass measurements, these instruments offer multiple hardware combinations yielding hybrid instruments (coupled with ion traps and/or quadrupoles and even ion mobility spectrometry modules), rendering several possibilities in terms of acquisition mode to face different qualitative and quantitative applications. On the other hand, the combination of accurate mass measurements with available databases (often free on the Web) permits unprecedented capabilities to scrutinize samples and their content in an automated fashion.