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Analytical instruments designed to identify and quantify elements and compounds by sorting of gaseous ions in electric and/or electromagnetic fields to determine their mass-to-charge ratio using electrical detection.. These devices typically consist of a sample inlet, a high vacuum system, an ionization chamber with an ion source to produce a beam of charged particles, a mass analyzer to separate the beam in its components, an electrical detector, and computerized data system. Samples can be inserted directly into the sample inlet or injected into a gas or liquid chromatograph previously to separate the sample into individual components. Mass spectrometers are frequently classified according to the type of mass analyzer used (e.g., magnetic sector, double focusing, ion trap). They are used in the clinical laboratory and also in monitors dedicated to measure inspired and/or exhaled gas concentrations (e.g., oxygen, nitrogen, halogenated anesthetics) during surgical procedures.
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