The Perkin Elmer NexION 2000 ICP-MS is an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS), that can be used to measure the concentration of most elements at very low concentrations.  The ICP-MS works by aspirating a liquid creating an aerosol that is sampled into an plasma created using Ar and an RF field.  The plasma creates a very high effective temperature, which atomizes and ionizes the sample.  The ions are sampled by the quadrupole mass spectrometer, which mass analyze the Ions by their m/z.

The NexION 2000 have two features to improve the results, by reducing the interference.   The first is a Quadrupole ion deflector which only allows ions to enter the quadrupole while neutrals and photos are prevented by geometry from entering the quadrupole and impacting the detector.  The second is a before the quadrupole mass spectrometer that either uses collisions of polyatomic interferences to reduce their kinetic energy which are prevented from entering the quadrupole or can use different gases to react with polyatomic interferences to change their mass or neutralize them.

An additional feature of the NexION 2000 is a dual detector mode that allows for quantitation over a large dynamic range.