High-throughput analysis using gated multi-inlet mass spectrometry.

Gated multi-inlet mass spectrometry is introduced for high-throughput chemical analysis. In this design, multiple high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) columns or capillary electrophoresis (CE) capillaries are attached to multiple electrosprayers (one for each column or capillary) that spray toward a gated multi-inlet time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). Although all of the sprayers are spraying continuously, only one inlet is exposed at any given time for a specific duration set by the MS data system. The gated multi-sprayer, multi-inlet design significantly enhances the performance of the multi-ESI, multi-inlet TOF-MS with minimal cost and reduces analysis time. The gated multi-sprayer, multi-inlet design was applied to the investigation of column-to-column reproducibility of multiple HPLCs using a peptide mixture and to the simultaneous analysis of four protein digests. In addition, it was applied to the analysis of peptide mixtures using eight CE capillaries. The gated multi-inlet MS has several advantages compared to our previous non-gated multi-inlet MS. For example, because only one inlet is open at one time, the original manufacturer's inlet inner diameter and pumping system can be used, which enhances the sensitivity of detection for each inlet and minimizes the manufacturing cost. In addition, the number of inlets can be increased as desired. The maximum number of liquid streams that can be concurrently analyzed is limited by: (1) the number of inlets, (2) the chromatographic (electrophoretic) peak width, and (3) how fast the gate can move from one position to the next.