A hybrid mass spectrometer is a device for tandem mass spectrometry that consists of a combination of two or more m/z separation devices of different types.
The different m/z separation elements of a hybrid mass spectrometer can be represented by a shorthand notation.
The symbol Q represents a quadrupole mass analyzer, q is a radio frequency collision quadrupole, TOF is a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, B is a magnetic sector and E is an electric sector.
A sector instrument can be combined with a collision quadrupole and quadrupole mass analyzer to form a hybrid instrument.
[8] A linear ion trap combined with a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance[9] or Orbitrap[10][11][12] mass spectrometer is marketed by Thermo Scientific as the LTQ FT and LTQ Orbitrap, respectively.