58 Agilent 6400 Series Triple Quad LC/MS Concepts Guide
3 Agilent Triple Quadrupole MS and Sensitivity
Collision cell
The components that contribute to this higher sensitivity and
faster response are
• Small diameter hexapole collision cell
• High frequency hexapole collision cell
• Linear axial acceleration
• High pressure collision cell
• High speed digital electronics
The collision cell contains nitrogen, the same gas that is used as
the drying gas. The small diameter of the hexapole assembly
assists in capturing fragmented ions. The addition of gas (8
mTorr) assists in the ion focusing as well.
Figure 26 Collision cell technology for the 6460 and 6430 produces higher sensitivity and faster responses
without memory
or cross-talk effects