4D-Metabolomics™ and 4D-Lipidomics™ at speed, at depth, and at scale

Game-changing sensitivity for TIMS-enabled small molecule analysis

timsMetabo™ is engineered to push metabolomics and lipidomics beyond conventional limits. By combining Trapped Ion Mobility Spectrometry (TIMS) with high‑resolution QTOF performance, timsMetabo™ delivers deeper molecular coverage and clearer insight from complex biological samples - at speed and at scale. The result is confident detection and characterization of metabolites, lipids, isomers, and isobars that are often missed using traditional LC‑MS approaches.

timsMetabo™ is the first benchtop timsTOF system available. It unites breakthrough technologies to deliver exceptional small‑molecule performance—without compromise.

Key-features include:

• TIMS‑MX and Mobility Range Enhancement (MoRE^®) technology for powerful mobility‑based ion sorting, expanding separation capacity and enabling confident metabolite annotation.
• Athena Ion Processor (AIP), works synergistically with TIMS in 4D mode for continuous optomisation of ion transmission from the collision cell to the time of flight mass analyzer, resulting in high sensitivity metabolite detection.
• VIP‑HESI ion source for maximum signal strength and superior sensitivity.
• The precision detection system supports reliable profiling and quantitation of metabolites and lipids.
• Improved quadrupole allowing for increased ion transmission at narrower isolation.

The timsMetabo™ brings numerous technological highlights together in a benchtop system

• Selectivity: unique combination of HRMS with TIMS "mobility based ion sorting".
• Speed: Simultaneous quantitation and characterization of analytes within each sample virtually eliminates the need for re-runs.
• Annotation confidence: Run-and-done digital archive containing full, 4D information of each sample.
• Fully featured 4D-enabled quality control and established software ecosystem: Longitudinal monitoring of key performance attributes is supported across platforms with TASQ^® RealTimeQC, QSee™ performance testing, and TwinScape™. Continuous data quality assessment and automatic trend analysis ensure confident, reproducible results and robust quality control for large-scale metabolomics studies.

The innovative MoRE^® scan mode expands accessible mobility and m/z space, unlocking broader molecular visibility without increasing analysis time.

Designed for discovery in small‑molecule research, the timsMetabo™ leverages Bruker’s advanced technologies and workflows to deliver exceptional depth and selectivity for profiling and targeted studies.

The timsMetabo™'s enhanced sensitivity enables deeper and more accurate profiling with less sample.

A refined ion path geometry builds on successive generations of timsTOF design, enabling efficient ion sampling for incredible sensitivity with analytical scale LC compatibility.

TIMS enhancement enables the separation of isomers, isobars, and other interferences, reducing chimeric MS/MS spectra and supporting high‑confidence automated annotation.

Clean MS/MS spectra significantly improve lipid and metabolite annotation, particularly in automated workflows using spectral libraries, in‑silico fragmentation (4D‑Metabolomics™), and rule‑based approaches (4D‑Lipidomics™).

In dia‑PASEF^® 4D‑Lipidomics™, co‑eluting and co‑isolated lipid species are mobility‑separated, generating distinct and characteristic MS/MS fragmentation patterns for each component.

These clean spectra are essential for accurate annotation, interpretation, and reporting.

For more timsMetabo™ related information, please fill out and submit our contact form.

Explore our application pages for more in‑depth insights and examples.