Abstract: In one aspect, an ion guide for use in a mass spectrometry system is disclosed, which comprises an inlet for receiving a plurality of ions entrained in a gas flow, and a plurality of rods arranged in a multipole configuration so as to provide a passageway through which the received ions can traverse. At least one of the rods is configured for application of a DC and/or an RF voltage thereto for generating an electromagnetic field within the passageway suitable for focusing the ions, and a controller configured to maintain an operational pressure of the ion guide within a predefined range.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer comprises an orifice plate having an orifice, a first multipole ion guide in a first chamber downstream of said orifice plate, said first multipole ion guide comprising a plurality of rods, and a second multipole ion guide in a second chamber downstream of said first chamber, said second multipole ion guide comprising a plurality of rods. A first ion lens is between the first and the second multipole ion guides. A third multipole ion guide is in a third chamber downstream of the second chamber, the third multipole ion guide comprises a plurality of rods. A second ion lens is between the second and third chambers. A tunable DC voltage source applies a tunable DC offset voltage to at least one of the above ion guide and ion lenses to increase an axial kinetic energy of the ions to cause at least one of declustering and/or fragmentation.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer is provided having an ion source for generating ions from a sample in a high pressure region, a first vacuum chamber having an inlet aperture, and an exit aperture. The at least one ion guide can be between the inlet and exit apertures and can include an entrance end and an exit end. The at least one ion guide can have a plurality of electrodes arranged around a central axis defining an ion channel, each of the plurality of electrodes being tapered, a planar surface of each of the plurality of tapered electrodes facing the interior of the at least one ion guide, and the surface gradually being narrowed and tilted inward to provide a smaller inscribed radius at the exit; and a power supply for providing an RF voltage to the at least one ion guide.

Abstract: Differential mobility spectrometry is performed under vacuum. Ions generated in a high pressure region are received from the inlet orifice of a vacuum chamber using a first ion guide located in the vacuum chamber. The first ion guide focuses the generated ions on a DMS device inlet end using a plurality of tapered electrodes. The DMS device is coaxial and adjacent to the first ion guide. The DMS device separates the focused ions using a plurality of electrodes. The inscribed diameter at the DMS device inlet end is larger than the inscribed diameter at the first ion guide exit end to maximize ion transfer. The separated ions are received from the DMS device using a second ion guide coaxial and adjacent to the DMS device. The second ion guide focuses the separated ions on an exit orifice of the vacuum chamber using a plurality of tapered electrodes.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer is provided having an ion source for generating ions from a sample in a high pressure region, a first vacuum chamber having an inlet aperture, and an exit aperture. The at least one ion guide can be between the inlet and exit apertures and can include an entrance end and an exit end. The at least one ion guide can have a plurality of electrodes arranged around a central axis defining an ion channel, each of the plurality of electrodes being tapered, a planar surface of each of the plurality of tapered electrodes facing the interior of the at least one ion guide, and the surface gradually being narrowed and tilted inward to provide a smaller inscribed radius at the exit; and a power supply for providing an RF voltage to the at least one ion guide.

Abstract: Differential mobility spectrometry is performed under vacuum. Ions generated in a high pressure region are received from the inlet orifice of a vacuum chamber using a first ion guide located in the vacuum chamber. The first ion guide focuses the generated ions on a DMS device inlet end using a plurality of tapered electrodes. The DMS device is coaxial and adjacent to the first ion guide. The DMS device separates the focused ions using a plurality of electrodes. The inscribed diameter at the DMS device inlet end is larger than the inscribed diameter at the first ion guide exit end to maximize ion transfer. The separated ions are received from the DMS device using a second ion guide coaxial and adjacent to the DMS device. The second ion guide focuses the separated ions on an exit orifice of the vacuum chamber using a plurality of tapered electrodes.

Abstract: Ions are generated in a high pressure region and are passed into a vacuum chamber having an inlet and an exit aperture. The configuration of the inlet aperture and the pressure difference between the high pressure region and the vacuum chamber provides a supersonic free jet expansion that has a barrel shock of predetermined diameter. At least one ion guide is provided between the inlet and exit apertures having a predetermined cross-section defining an internal volume wherein the cross-section of the at least one ion guide is sized to be at least 50% of the predetermined diameter of the barrel shock of the supersonic free jet expansion. An RF voltage is provided to the at least one ion guide. Radial gas conductance is reduced in a first section of the at least one ion guide for damping shock waves resulting from the supersonic free jet expansion.

Abstract: A laser desorption ion source provides enhanced ion sampling efficiency and measurement sensitivity by using one or more ion guides to effectively capture ions in a plume emitted from the ion target and guide the ions through an aperture into a downstream vacuum chamber. In one configuration using two RF multipole ion guides, a first RF multipole ion guide disposed next to the ion target is selected to be sufficiently large to capture a substantial portion of the plume, while the second RF multipole ion guide disposed between the first multipole ion guide and the aperture has a smaller dimension to assist focusing of ions into the aperture. The first RF multipole ion guides the ions in the plume into the second RF multipole ion guide, which then focuses the ions so that they pass through the aperture into the downstream vacuum chamber.

Abstract: In a mass spectrometer, ions from an ion source pass through an inlet aperture into a vacuum chamber for transmitting prior to mass analysis by the mass analyzer. The configuration of the inlet aperture forms a sonic orifice or sonic nozzle and with a predetermined vacuum chamber pressure, a supersonic free jet expansion is created in the vacuum chamber that entrains the ions within the barrel shock and Mach disc. Once formed, at least one ion guide with a predetermined cross-section to essentially radially confine the supersonic free jet expansion can focus the ions for transmission through the vacuum chamber. This effectively improves the ion transmission between the ion source and the mass analyzer.

Abstract: In a mass spectrometer, ions from an ion source pass through an inlet aperture into a vacuum chamber for transmitting prior to mass analysis by the mass analyzer. The configuration of the inlet aperture forms a sonic orifice or sonic nozzle and with a predetermined vacuum chamber pressure, a supersonic free jet expansion is created in the vacuum chamber that entrains the ions within the barrel shock and Mach disc. Once formed, an ion guide with a predetermined cross-section to essentially radially confine the supersonic free jet expansion can focus the ions for transmission through the vacuum chamber. This effectively improves the ion transmission between the ion source and the mass analyzer.

Abstract: In a mass spectrometer, ions from an ion source pass through an inlet aperture into a vacuum chamber for transmitting prior to mass analysis by the mass analyzer. The configuration of the inlet aperture forms a sonic orifice or sonic nozzle and with a predetermined vacuum chamber pressure, a supersonic free jet expansion is created in the vacuum chamber that entrains the ions within the barrel shock and Mach disc. Once formed, at least one ion guide with a predetermined cross-section to essentially radially confine the supersonic free jet expansion can focus the ions for transmission through the vacuum chamber. This effectively improves the ion transmission between the ion source and the mass analyzer.

Abstract: In a mass spectrometer, ions from an ion source pass through an inlet aperture into a vacuum chamber for transmitting prior to mass analysis by the mass analyzer. The configuration of the inlet aperture forms a sonic orifice or sonic nozzle and with a predetermined vacuum chamber pressure, a supersonic free jet expansion is created in the vacuum chamber that entrains the ions within the barrel shock and Mach disc. Once formed, an ion guide with a predetermined cross-section to essentially radially confine the supersonic free jet expansion can focus the ions for transmission through the vacuum chamber. This effectively improves the ion transmission between the ion source and the mass analyzer.

Abstract: A laser desorption ion source provides enhanced ion sampling efficiency and measurement sensitivity by using one or more ion guides to effectively capture ions in a plume emitted from the ion target and guide the ions through an aperture into a downstream vacuum chamber. In one configuration using two RF multipole ion guides, a first RF multipole ion guide disposed next to the ion target is selected to be sufficiently large to capture a substantial portion of the plume, while the second RF multipole ion guide disposed between the first multipole ion guide and the aperture has a smaller dimension to assist focusing of ions into the aperture. The first RF multipole ion guides the ions in the plume into the second RF multipole ion guide, which then focuses the ions so that they pass through the aperture into the downstream vacuum chamber.

Abstract: Ions for analysis are formed from a liquid sample comprising an analyte in a solvent liquid by directing the liquid sample through a capillary tube having a free end so as to form a first flow comprising a spray of droplets of the liquid sample, to promote vaporization of the solvent liquid. An orifice member is spaced from the free-end of the capillary tube and has an orifice therein. An electric field is generated between the free-end of the capillary and the orifice member, thereby causing the droplets to be charged, and the first flow is directed in a first direction along the axis of the capillary tube. Two gas sources, or an arc jet of gas, provide second and third flows, of a gas, and include heaters for heating the second and third flows.

Abstract: Ions for analysis are formed from a liquid sample comprising an analyte in a solvent liquid by directing the liquid sample through a capillary tube having a free end so as to form a first flow comprising a spray of droplets of the liquid sample, to promote vaporization of the solvent liquid. An orifice member is spaced from the free-end of the capillary tube and has an orifice therein. An electric field is generated between the free-end of the capillary and the orifice member, thereby causing the droplets to be charged, and the first flow is directed in a first direction along the axis of the capillary tube. Two gas sources, or an arc jet of gas, provide second and third flows, of a gas, and include heaters for heating the second and third flows.

Abstract: Ions for analysis are formed from a liquid sample comprising an analyte in a solvent liquid by directing the liquid sample through a capillary tube having a free end so as to form a first flow comprising a spray of droplets of the liquid sample, to promote vaporization of the solvent liquid. An orifice member is spaced from the free-end of the capillary tube and has an orifice therein. An electric field is generated between the free-end of the capillary and the orifice member, thereby causing the droplets to be charged, and the first flow is directed in a first direction along the axis of the capillary tube. Two gas sources, or an arc jet of gas, provide second and third flows, of a gas, and include heaters for heating the second and third flows.

Abstract: An interface member plate is provided for use in a mass spectrometer system. It includes an orifice and a desolvation chamber which can be generally cylindrical and elongate. Moreover, the desolvation chamber can be heated to encourage desolvation of any remaining solvant. The orifice largely determines flow into low pressure downstream sections containing sections of the mass spectrometer. The desolvation chamber has a larger cross-section and its characteristic parameters can be set independently of the parameters of the orifice. The interface member can be provided directly downstream from an ion source, or separating an upstream curtain gas chamber from the low pressure mass analyzing sections of the mass spectrometer.