In summary, a microchip electrospray ionization source can be successfully coupled to a high pressure mass spectrometer and can use an ambient, e.g, atmospheric) pressure inlet of a metallic, e.g., stainless steel, capillary and DC ion control to conduct ions into the mass spectrometer. Infusions of amino acids and peptides were performed and detected with a miniature cylindrical ion trap (mini-CIT) based mass spectrometer operated at ≥1 Torr with air as the buffer gas. Detection of thymopentin demonstrated the mass range of the mini-CIT detector could be extended to at least 681 m/z. Small proteins have also been observed using systems as described above, e.g., cytochrome C and myoglobin with masses of approximately 12 k Da and 17 k Da, respectively.