Abstract: In a time of flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS) of the present invention, a flight controller makes ions fly a loop orbit a predetermined number of turns, and an ion detector detects the ions at each turn of the flight. A flight time measurer measures the length of flight time of ions of a same mass to charge ratio at every turn, and a data processor constructs a spectrum of flight time. The data processor further computes the Fourier transformation of the spectrum, and determines the mass to charge ratio of the ions based on a frequency peak appearing in the Fourier transformation.

Abstract: An imaging energy filter for electrons and other charged particles filters an object formed by these particles at the filter inlet by means of an energetic selection of charged particles in the region of a dispersion aperture. The filter includes two concentric and spherical electrodes, which produce an electrostatic field that deflects the charged particles at an angle ? that is greater than ? and less than 2?. The deflector, operating as a deflecting element that generates a deflection field, is disposed at an intersection point of the inlet axis and the outlet axis and in a plane of symmetry of the angle ?, wherein the plane of symmetry simultaneously is an electro-optical plane. The deflection field generated by the deflecting element deflects the charged particles by an angle ???/2, leading to a total deflection angle of 2? and co-linearity of the inlet axis and outlet axis.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer having an ionization source, a ion trap mass analyzer, an ion guide and gating apparatus between the ion guide and the ion trap. The gating apparatus includes sealing apparatus. A stream of ions from the ion source are guided to through the gating apparatus in pulses to the ion trap. The number of ions in each pulse are controlled by the scaling apparatus.

Abstract: For generation and delivery of ions from an ionization chamber through an ion entrance orifice to a mass analyzer operating at high vacuum, high pass ion filtration is effected within the ionization chamber by application of electrical potentials to an electrode associated with the ion entrance orifice and to an electrode between the ionization region and the ion entrance orifice to create a retarding electric field upstream from the ion entrance orifice. The retarding electric field hinders the movement to the ion entrance orifice of ions having drift velocities below a lower limit, and as the retarding voltage gradient is made steeper, the lower limit increases.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer capable of analysis at high speed and high accuracy comprising a device for applying a high frequency signal not containing resonance frequencies for plural precursor ions but containing resonance frequencies of other ions, and having different amplitudes on every frequencies to an electrode constituting the mass spectrometer thereby controlling the selection for the plural precursor ions, and a device for applying a high frequency signal having amplitudes set individually on every resonance frequencies of the plural precursor ions and superimposed with the resonance frequencies for the plural precursor ions to the electrode constituting the mass spectrometer thereby controlling the dissociation of the plural precursor ions, and judging the presence or absence of the aimed chemical substance based on the mass spectra of the obtained by dissociating the plural fragment ions.

Abstract: A high resolution Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry system includes excitation circuitry including an excitation amplifier for generating an electrical excitation signal and excitation electrodes for applying an oscillating electric field to excite ions in the system. Detection circuitry including detection electrodes measures a detection signal which includes a plurality of signal values including signal values induced by the ions. Structure is provided for reducing or canceling coupling of the excitation signal into the detection signal, wherein simultaneous excitation and detection is used. A computing structure generates a Fourier transformed frequency domain representation of the detection signal and deconvolves the frequency domain representation using complex division to separate a dispersion spectrum portion and an absorption spectrum portion.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer according to the present invention has an ionization source for generating ions; an ion trap for accumulating the ions; a time-of-flight mass spectrometer for performing mass spectrometry analysis on the ions by use of a flight time; a collision damping chamber disposed between the ion trap and the time-of-flight mass spectrometer and having a plurality of electrodes therein, which produce a multi-pole electric field, wherein a gas is introduced into the collision damping chamber to reduce kinetic energy of the ions ejected from the ion trap; and an ion transmission adjusting mechanism disposed between the ion trap and the collision damping chamber to allow or prevent injection of the ions from the ion trap to the collision damping chamber. The mass spectrometer provides greatly enhanced qualitative and quantitative analysis capabilities, as compared with conventional techniques.

Abstract: A vacuum ultraviolet lamp ionizes a chemical substance contained in exhaust gas Gs. The chemical substance ionized is trapped in an ion trapping apparatus in which a radio frequency electric field is formed. Energy is applied to an ion group in the ion trapping apparatus with a SWIFT waveform comprising a frequency component excluding a frequency corresponding to an orbital resonance frequency of ions of the chemical substance to remove an impurity. Energy is then applied to the ion group with a TICKLE waveform having a frequency component corresponding to the orbital resonance frequency of the ions of the chemical substance to fragmentate the ions of the chemical substance. A mass of the fragment is then measured with a mass spectrometer to identify the chemical substance.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for identifying a mixture of particles using a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS). The particles are first reacted in a charge exchange reaction within the FT-ICR MS chamber using ionic partners that are chosen to discriminate among components of the mixture based on ionization potential. Mass spectra of test runs using different ionic partners may then be compared to identify components based on information gathered about both molecular mass and ionization potential.

Abstract: The invention describes an ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) mass spectrometer with an ICR trap, the ICR trap having as trapping electrodes two ion reflecting electrode structures operated by RF voltages without any DC voltage. The usual apertured ion trapping electrodes are replaced by multitudes of structural elements, electrically conducting, and repeating spatially in one or two directions of a surface, neighboring structure elements being connected each to different phases of an RF voltage. In the simplest case a grid of parallel wires can be used. The surface of such structures reflects ions of both polarities, if the mass-to-charge ratio of the ions is higher than a threshold.

Abstract: Provided is a side-to-side high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS) including a generally cylindrically-shaped inner electrode having a length. Encircling the inner electrode is a generally cylindrically-shaped outer electrode assembly comprising at least first and second and third outer electrode segments. Each of the outer electrode segments has a channel extending therethrough and open at opposite ends thereof. In an assembled condition, the second outer electrode segment is disposed intermediate the first and third outer electrode segments in an end-to-end arrangement, each one of the first and second and third electrode segments overlapping a different portion of the length of the inner electrode.

Abstract: An ion trap comprises a three-dimensional, rotationally symmetric ring electrode and two cap electrodes with hyperbolic surfaces facing toward the inside of the ion trap, each of the two cap electrodes being further composed of a first hyperbolic cone electrode and a second disk electrode. The ion trap also includes a RF or periodic circuitry constructed and arranged for applying a RF or periodic voltage to the ring electrode to generate a main quadrupole field, an AC circuitry constructed and arranged for applying an AC voltage to the disk electrodes of said two cap electrodes to generate a dipole field, and a DC circuitry constructed and arranged for applying an DC voltage to the cone electrodes of the two cap electrodes to independently generate an electrically variable electrostatic octopole field in the ion trap. The ion trap is capable to achieve higher mass-resolving power, especially in higher gas pressure or lower vacuum condition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accelerating charged particles. The charged particles accelerate as they travel through electric fields produced by a plurality of accelerating elements having first and second electrode plates. A magnetic field produced by a pair of magnets causes the charged particles to travel in a generally circular orbit.

Abstract: An ion trap comprises a three-dimensional rotationally symmetric ring electrode and two cap electrodes, the ring electrode is divided, in parallel to its central axis, into a plurality of even number, equal or larger than four, of component electrodes. The component electrodes are electrically isolated from each other, the surfaces of the two cap electrodes face toward the inside of the ion trap. A mechanism is constructed and arranged for switching the ion trap to operate between a three-dimensional quadrupole ion trap mode and a two-dimensional linear ion trap mode.

Abstract: An improved mass spectrometer is set forth. The mass spectrometer comprises an ion injector that is configured to provide a plurality of ions for analysis and an ion selection unit that is adapted to receive the plurality of ions from the ion injector and provide only those ions having a selected mass-to-charge ratio for detection/analysis. The ion selection unit includes an outer electrode and a plurality of inner electrodes. The plurality of ions provided by the ion injector are accepted into the interstitial region between the outer electrode and the plurality of inner electrodes. A power supply system is connected to the electrodes of the ion selection chamber. The power supply system is adapted to provide an oscillating voltage to at least one of the plurality of inner electrodes to facilitate separation of ions of the selected mass-to-charge ratio from ions of non-selected mass-to-charge ratios.

Abstract: A vacuum ion trap includes a gastight processing enclosure and a permanent magnet defining a cavity and creating a directed magnetic field in the cavity, the enclosure being disposed inside the cavity and containing a confinement cell having at least two mutually parallel trapping electrodes perpendicular to the directed magnetic field, the trapping electrodes being connectable to a voltage generator. The trap includes at least one permanent magnet in the form of a hollow cylinder and structured with a Halbach cylinder type structure so as to generate the permanent magnetic field directed perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the cavity of the magnet. The trap is applicable in particular to Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTICR).

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for identifying a mixture of particles using a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS). The particles are first reacted in a charge exchange reaction within the FT-ICR MS chamber using ionic partners that are chosen to discriminate among components of the mixture based on ionization potential. Mass spectra of test runs using different ionic partners may then be compared to identify components based on information gathered about both molecular mass and ionization potential.

Abstract: An ion-trap mass analyzing apparatus having means for generating ion-capture electric fields asymmetrical with respect to a reference plane containing a central point of a ring electrode and perpendicular to a central axis of the ring electrode in the inside of an ion trap to resonantly amplify ions rapidly to emit the ions from the ion trap in a short time to thereby permit high-sensitive high-accurate mass analysis stably regardless of the structural stability of ions as a subject of analysis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus enabling increased sensitivity in ion mobility spectrometry/mass spectrometry instruments which substantially reduces or eliminates the loss of ions in ion mobility spectrometer drift tubes utilizing a device for transmitting ions from an ion source which allows the transmission of ions without significant delay to an hourglass electrodynamic ion funnel at the entrance to the drift tube and/or an internal ion funnel at the exit of the drift tube. An hourglass electrodynamic funnel is formed of at least an entry element, a center element, and an exit element, wherein the aperture of the center element is smaller than the aperture of the entry element and the aperture of the exit elements. Ions generated in a relatively high pressure region by an ion source at the exterior of the hourglass electrodynamic funnel are transmitted to a relatively low pressure region at the entrance of the hourglass funnel through a conductance limiting orifice.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of discriminating singly-charged ions from multiply-charged ions by the use of an ion trap type mass spectrometer which is an inexpensive mass spectrometer. This is achieved by a mass-analyzing method using an ion trap type mass spectrometer equipped with a ring electrode and one pair of end cap electrodes to temporarily trap ions in a three-dimensional quadrupole field to mass-analyze a sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides a time of flight mass spectrometer having a spiral flight path, whose mass resolution can be appropriately changed with respect to the analysis object or other factor without any complicated alteration or addition of the mechanical construction. In a specific form of the invention, the mass spectrometer includes deflecting electrodes 20-23 located between semi-cylindrical electrodes 11 and 12 for making ions fly along a spiral path. The deflecting electrodes 20-23 generate deflecting electric fields for shifting the ions in the axial direction of the semi-cylindrical electrodes 11 and 12. The voltage applied to the deflecting electrodes 20-23 is changed according to the mass resolution required. The deflecting electric fields are generated or removed with the change of the voltage, which makes the ions fly either along a spiral path or in the same loop orbit.

Abstract: An ion trap-based system for chemical analysis includes an ion trap array. The ion trap array includes a plurality of ion traps arranged in a 2-dimensional array for initially confining ions. Each of the ion traps comprise a central electrode having an aperture, a first and second insulator each having an aperture sandwiching the central electrode, and first and second end cap electrodes each having an aperture sandwiching the first and second insulator. A structure for simultaneously directing a plurality of different species of ions out from the ion traps is provided. A spectrometer including a detector receives and identifies the ions. The trap array can be used with spectrometers including time-of-flight mass spectrometers and ion mobility spectrometers.

Abstract: In a TOF-MS according to the present invention, ions fly a round orbit or a reciprocal path once or more than once to be separated by their mass to charge ratios before they are detected by a detector, The detector is movable at least in two positions, where the effective distances from the exit of the round orbit or the reciprocal path to the detector are different. The length of time of flight of ions in each position of detector is measured, and the mass to charge ratio of an ion is calculated based on the difference of the lengths of time of flight in at least two positions. Similarly, the ion source may be movable at least in two positions, and a similar method can be used to calculate or estimate the mass to charge ratio of ions.

Abstract: The subject invention provides improved methods for injecting ions into a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer (QIT-MS). The methods of the subject invention are applicable to procedures involving atmospheric pressure laser desorption (AP-LD) of a sample to be investigated. Specifically, the subject invention involves controlling the pulse frequency of the laser such that the laser pulses are synchronized with changes in radiofrequency (RF) amplitude levels of the QIT-MS. Advantageously, by utilizing the methods of the subject invention it is possible to improve the accuracy and reproducibility of the results while improving duty cycle and reducing sample consumption.

Abstract: In an ion trap mass spectrometer including an ion trap space surrounded by a ring electrode and two end cap electrodes placed opposite each other with the ring electrode between them, a method of trapping object ions of a predetermined mass-to-charge ratio in the ion trap space more assuredly and effectively. The method includes the steps of: applying an RF voltage to the ring electrode to trap the object ions; and applying an auxiliary AC voltage to the end cap electrodes, where the auxiliary voltage has a frequency spectrum with a first notch at the basic frequency of the object ions and a second notch at a a beat frequency. Then the second stage is performed where another auxiliary AC voltage of the beat frequency is applied to the end cap electrodes to expel non-object ions still remaining in the ion trap space.

Abstract: In an electric charge adjusting method and mass spectrometer, tandem linear ion traps are employed such that charge-reducing reactions occur in only one of the linear ion traps. An ion reaching a given charge value is selectively moved to another linear ion trap. Through MS/MS mass analysis, the structure of a biomolecule is analyzed very efficiently with high sensitivity via a simple analysis.

Abstract: A charged particle beam detection system (10) that includes a Faraday cup detector array (FCDA) for position-sensitive charged particle beam detection is described. The FCDA is combined with an electronic multiplexing unit (MUX) (2) that allows collecting and intgrating the charge deposited in the array, and simultaneously reading out the same. The duty cycle for collecting the ions is greater than 98%. This multiplexing (2) is achieved by collecting the charge with a large number of small and electronically decoupled Faraday cups. Because Faraday cups collect the charge independent of their charge state, each cup is both a collector and an integrator. The ability of the Faraday cup to integrate the charge, in combination with the electronic multiplexing unit (2), which reads out and empties the cups quickly compared to the charge integration time, provides the almost perfect duty cycle for this position-sensitive charged particle detector (10).

Abstract: A method of discriminating singly-charged ions from multiply-charged ions using an inexpensive ion trap type mass spectrometer is provided. A mass-analyzing method using an ion trap type mass spectrometer equipped with a ring electrode and one pair of end cap electrodes temporarily traps ions in a three-dimensional quadropole field to mass-analyze a sample. The method comprises applying a main high frequency voltage to the ring electrode forming a three-dimensional quadropole field; generating ions in the mass analyzing unit or injecting ions from the outside and trapping the ions of a predetermined mass-to-charge ratio in the mass analyzing unit; applying a supplementary AC voltage having a plurality of frequency components between the end cap electrodes and scanning the frequency components of the supplementary AC voltage; and scanning a main high frequency voltage and ejecting ions from the mass analyzing unit and detecting thereof. With this, chemical noises can be reduced dramatically.

Abstract: A mass sensor, in an exemplary embodiment, includes a housing that includes a first plate, a second plate, and a center portion positioned between the first and second plates. The mass analyzer also includes an ionizer a double focusing mass spectrometer, and an ion detector. The ionizer, the double focusing mass spectrometer, and the ion detector are located in a cavity in the housing. The double focusing mass spectrometer includes an electric sector energy analyzer that includes a first element located on an inside surface of the first plate, and a second element located on an inside surface of the second plate. The first and second elements are substantially concentric and congruent and have a circular arc shape. Each first and second element include a first boundary electrode, a second boundary electrode, and a continuous resistive material extending between the first and second boundary electrodes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and method for moving an ion source in a magnetic field by making use of the Lorentz force. The ability of the electron source to move makes it possible to extend and retract it simply by switching the operating current on and off. In mass spectrometry, this means that the entrance of a mass spectrometric analyzer is not permanently obstructed but can be made accessible any time for other applications, such as laser beams.

Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments provide a method for performing repeated quantitative analysis using an FTMS. The method can comprise a plurality of potential activities, some of which can be automatically, repeatedly, and/or nestedly performed, and some of which follow. From at least one predetermined sample source, a sample can be obtained and provided to an FTMS. At least one variable for the FTMS can be optimized. A plurality of outputs can be acquired from the FTMS. An identity of at least one predominant ionic component of the sample can be ascertained. A quantity of the at least one predominant ionic component can be determined.

Abstract: A method and apparatus enabling increased sensitivity in ion mobility spectrometry/mass spectrometry instruments which substantially reduces or eliminates the loss of ions in ion mobility spectrometer drift tubes utilizing an hourglass electrodynamic ion funnel at the entrance to the drift tube and/or an internal ion funnel at the exit of the drift tube. An hourglass electrodynamic funnel is formed of at least an entry element, a center element, and an exit element, wherein the aperture of the center element is smaller than the aperture of the entry element and the aperture of the exit elements. Ions generated in a relatively high pressure region by an ion source at the exterior of the hourglass electrodynamic funnel are transmitted to a relatively low pressure region at the entrance of the hourglass funnel through a conductance limiting orifice.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a miniaturized structure and associated method function as a mass spectrometer or analyzer and may, with modification, function as an ion generator. The miniaturized structure has a pair of generally planar parallel spaced electrodes which have projecting walls cooperating to define an ion generating chamber and an exit aperture. By controlling the electric field which is oriented perpendicular to an applied magnetic field, the ion beam may be separated into a plurality beams based upon mass to charge ratio with a predetermined mass to charge ratio emerging from the exit of the apparatus and when the apparatus is functioning as a mass spectrometer or analyzer impinges on an ion collector which responsively transmits information to a cooperating processor. Where it is desired to have it function as an ionizer the ion collector disposed adjacent the ion exit is eliminated.

Abstract: An improved FT-ICR Mass Spectrometer has an ion source 10 which generates ions that are transmitted through a series of multipoles 20 to an ion trap 30. Ions are ejected from the trap 30, through a series of lens and multipolar ion guide stages 40-90, and into a measurement cell 100 via an exit/gate lens 110. The measurement cell is mounted in a vacuum chamber 240 and this assembly is slideably moveable into a bore of a superconducting magnet 400 which provides the magnetic filed to cause cyclotron motion of the generated ions in the cell 100. By minimising the distance between the source 10 and cell 100, and by careful alignment of the ion optics, the ions can travel at high energies right up to the front of the measurement cell 100.

Abstract: There is provided a quadruple ion trap (22) of the type including a ring electrode (24) and first and second end cap electrodes (26, 28), which define a trapping volume. The end cap electrodes (26, 28) include central apertures (30) for the injection of ions or electrons into the trapping volume and for the ejection of stored ions during the analysis of a sample. Field faults in the RF trapping field are compensated by addition of a concentric recess or depression in the surface of at least one end cap (26, 28) around the aperture (30). There is also provided an ion trap mass spectrometer employing the ion trap.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of discriminating singly-charged ions from multiply-charged ions by the use of an ion trap type mass spectrometer which is an inexpensive mass spectrometer. This is achieved by a mass-analyzing method using an ion trap type mass spectrometer equipped with a ring electrode and one pair of end cap electrodes and temporarily traps ions in a three-dimensional quadrupole field to mass-analyze a sample.

Abstract: An apparatus and method whereby ions from an ion source can be selected and transferred via a multipole analyzer by inductive detection. Ions generated at an elevated pressure are transferred by a pump and capillary system into a multipole device. The multipole device is composed of one analyzing section with two trapping sections at both sides. When the proper voltages are applied, the trapping sections trap ions within the analyzing region. The ions are then detected by two sets of detection electrodes.

Abstract: In order to provide an equipment that permits easy elimination of interference ions even in a low resolution mass spectrometer, the isotope mass number information and the isotope presence ratio information for each element are stored, and processing is done as is shown in FIG. 1 using such information and the measurement results, and the amount of target elemental ions is calculated by calculating and eliminating the amount of interference caused by other elemental isotopes to the target element. Because of this, when carrying out element analysis using a mass spectrometer with a relatively low resolution, the user can easily obtain the measurement result of the amount of any target elemental ions.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer having an array of parallel and/or tandem ion traps. The ion traps are preferably formed by providing a body of conductive material with a plurality of holes forming ring electrodes and electrodes on opposite faces of said body, opposite the ends of said ring electrodes, to define with the ring electrodes a plurality of parallel ion traps.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer having an ionization source, a ion trap mass analyzer, an ion guide and gating apparatus between the ion guide and the ion trap. The gating apparatus includes sealing apparatus. A stream of ions from the ion source are guided to through the gating apparatus in pulses to the ion trap. The number of ions in each pulse are controlled by the scaling apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing ion mass spectrometry via Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance utilizes a superconducting magnet with a bore and a vacuum chamber received in the magnet bore. The superconducting magnet and the vacuum chamber are enclosed in a cooling chamber and cooled together until the operating temperature of the magnet is reached. Because the temperature of the vacuum chamber is similar to the operating temperature of the superconducting magnet during operation, the wall of the vacuum chamber is sufficiently cold to function as a cryogenic vacuum pump to provide enhanced pumping of the volume in the vacuum chamber. The approach of cooling the vacuum chamber wall to provide cryogenic pumping can also be used when the magnet is of a non-superconducting type.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to improved systems and methods for inducing infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) of an ion. In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes an ion dissociation chamber and an infrared waveguide coupled to the ion dissociation chamber. The infrared waveguide may be positioned to receive infrared energy from an infrared energy source and direct the infrared energy towards ions in the ion dissociation chamber for the purpose of fragmenting the ions. The infrared waveguide can be made of a hollow fused silica body with an inner infrared reflective layer. The infrared waveguide may be flexible. A system may further include a focusing lens, an infrared transparent window and an aperture housing that has an orifice. The ion dissociation chamber may be an ion trap, an ion guide or an ion reservoir.

Abstract: A high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS) having spherical electrode geometry is disclosed. The spherical FAIMS includes an inner generally spherical electrode supported in a spaced-apart arrangement relative to an outer electrode. The outer electrode has a curved inner surface that maintains an approximately uniform spacing to the inner electrode. The space between the inner and outer electrodes defines an analyzer region, where an electric field is established by the application of an asymmetric waveform voltage and a direct current compensation voltage to at least one of the inner and outer electrodes. An ion inlet and an ion outlet are disposed within the curved inner surface of the outer electrode such that the shortest distance between the inlet and the outlet in any direction around the inner electrode is approximately a same distance.

Abstract: A summed TOFMS having a filter for identifying detector outputs that are likely the result of noise rather than ions striking the ion detector. The TOFMS stores a plurality of data values at locations specified by a register that counts clock pulses. The filter receives the ion measurements from the ion detector and generates an output measurement value corresponding to each ion measurement. The filter sets the output measurement value to a predetermined baseline value if the filter determines that the ion measurement is noise, otherwise the filter sets the output measurement value to the ion measurement. An adder, responsive to the clock signal, forms the sum of the data value specified by the register value and the output measurement value and stores the sum in the memory at the location corresponding to the register value.

Abstract: The use of a segmented-ion trap with collisional damping is disclosed to improve performance (resolution and mass accuracy of single stage and tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometers. In the case of single stage spectrometers ions are directly injected from a pulsed ion source into the trap supplied with RF field and filled with gas at millitorr pressure. Subsequently, the ions are dynamically trapped by an RF-field, cooled in gas collisions and ejected out of the trap by a homogeneous electric field into a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. In the case of tandem mass spectrometric analysis the pulsed ion beam is injected into a time-of-flight analyzer to select ions-of-interest prior to injection into the trap at medium energy to achieve fragmentation in the trap.

Abstract: The methods of the invention exploit the mass-to-charge ratio dependent motion of ions in an electrodynamic ion traps in synergy with a charge quenching process. In an electrodynamic ion trap, each mass-to-charge ratio is characterized by a unique set of frequencies of motion. Accordingly, by tailoring the time-varying electrical potential of the ion trap the invention controls which ions are allowed or retained in the ion trap and which ions are subjected to charge quenching reactions. Control of ion retention and charge quenching is used to improve sample throughput, dynamic mass range and signal discrimination in the mass spectrometry of multiply charged ions.

Abstract: A circular cycloidal mass spectrometer has an outer electrode of generally circular configuration and an inner electrode having a generally circular outer periphery with an annulus for the flow of ions defined therebetween. The electrodes are structured to create an electric field therebetween. A magnetic field generator is structured to create a magnetic field oriented generally perpendicular to said electric field. An ion beam source for injecting ions into the annulus for travel therearound is provided, and an ion exit for discharge of the ions traveling in said annulus is provided with an ion collector being disposed adjacent to the ion exit. The circular cycloidal mass spectrometer may be structured to provide, under the influence of the electric field and magnetic field, a path of travel for the ion beams, which is similar to either epicycloidal or hypocycloidal curves. If desired, elliptical shapes or other suitable shapes providing a nonlinear path of ion travel may be employed.

Abstract: A method of separating ions according to mass in a mass spectrometer includes establishing a stream of ions traveling in a generally cycloidal path in an electric field and a magnetic field, subsequently causing the electric field to terminate for a predetermined period of time while maintaining the magnetic field thereby causing the electrons to travel in a generally circular path for a predetermined time period and subsequently reestablishing the electric field to cause further travel in a cycloidal path and providing a detector for receipt of some of the ions. A suitably programmed microprocessor is employed to control operation of the mass spectrometer and to receive electrical signals responsive to ions impacting on the detector to thereby provide information regarding the ions. Corresponding apparatus is provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to the control of the filling process of an ion trap with ions in order to avoid the deteriorating effect of too many stored ions on the quality of the spectrum during a mass scan. In the prior art, the “number of ions” inside the ion trap were used to contol filling. However, controlling the number of ions does not provide optimum trap filling for different ion compositions. The invention overcomes the problem by controlling a mass-dependent physical parameter and applying an cluster-dependent target value. This method takes into account the mass-dependency of optimum ion filling as well as the effect of non-uniform distribution of ions of different mass-to-charge ratios over the mass spectrum.

Abstract: A method and a system for monitoring combustion condition are provided for monitoring the state of combustion in a garbage incinerator, an internal combustion engine, or the like. Combustion off-gas produced by combustion is collected and ionized to produce ions which are fed to a mass spectrometer for detecting a signal strength associated with an ion for each mass-to-charge ratio. The degree of unsaturation is calculated for an ion detected by the mass spectrometer from the mass-to-charge ratio of the ion. Then, signal strength values associated with ions having the same degree of unsaturation are accumulated for each degree of unsaturation. The monitoring system can keep track of components in combustion off-gas classified into respective compound groups in real time to monitor an exact combustion condition.