Abstract: An ion trap is disclosed comprising a plurality of elongate electrodes aligned with one another and with a central longitudinal axis along respective longitudinal axes and that are spaced apart from one another and disposed about a central longitudinal axis to form a quadrupole. The ion trap further comprises an elongate electrode that is aligned with and disposed along the central longitudinal axis, and circuitry coupled to the outer electrodes is suitable for driving the central and outer electrodes to selectively trap of ions within a region defined between the central electrode and the outer.

Abstract: A system and method for mass spectrometry including a curtain gas chamber defined by a curtain plate having an aperture for receiving ions from an ion source and an orifice plate having an inlet into a mass spectrometer. At least one barrier separates the curtain chamber into a first curtain gas chamber region and a second curtain gas chamber region. At least one gas source provides a gas inflow into the second curtain gas chamber region and a gas outflow into the first curtain gas chamber region, a portion of the gas outflow directed out of the aperture. A heating element heats the gas inflow, a portion of the heated gas inflow directed into the inlet of the mass spectrometer wherein the portion of the heated gas inflow can be at a substantially higher temperature than the portion of the gas outflow.