O. I. Corporation, Inc.

Gottfried P Kibelka

Clare Regimbal Long

Adi A Scheidemann

Eustathios Vassiliou

Mark W Dassel

Mark S McGraw

A focal plane detector assembly of a mass spectrometer includes an ion detector configured to detect ions crossing a focal plane of the spectrometer and an electrically conductive mesh lying in a plane parallel to the focal plane, positioned such that ions exiting a magnet of the mass spectrometer pass through the mesh before contacting the ion detector. The mesh is maintained at a low voltage potential, relative to a circuit ground, which shields ions passing through the magnet from high voltage charges from other devices, such as microchannel plate electron multipliers. The mesh may be mounted directly to the magnet or positioned some distance away. The detector array may include any suitable device, including a faraday cup detector array, a strip charge detector array, or a CCD detector array.

Focal plane detector assembly of a mass spectrometer

Mass spectrometer systems for measuring mass/charge ratios of analytes are described. A mass spectrometer system includes a vacuum flange, a PCB base plate coupled to the vacuum flange, and an ion optic assembly coupled to the PCB base plate. The PCB base plate may include signal-processing electronics. The system may include an electrical cable coupled to the PCB base plate for supplying power, control, and I/O to the ion optic assembly and the signal processing electronics. Alternatively, a mass spectrometer system includes a PCB base plate and an ion optic assembly. The PCB base plate has a sealant portion and an electrical portion. The ion optic assembly is coupled to the electrical portion. The system may include a vacuum housing for enclosing the ion optic assembly. The vacuum housing is coupled to the sealant portion of the PCB base plate for sustaining a vacuum while the system is in operation.

Optical bench for a mass spectrometer system

An analytical instrument, such as a mass spectrometer, the instrument having a magnetic section with a controllable electromagnetic field. Controlling the electromagnetic field is accomplished by controlling a temperature of a base plate within the magnetic section, by controlling a current passing through an electromagnetic coil disposed within the magnetic, by disposing a magnetic shunt across a portion of a yoke of the magnet, or by any of the above either independently or in combination. The magnetic shunt is configured to have a temperature coefficient of remnant flux density that is opposite the temperature coefficient of remnant flux density of a first pair of permanent magnets located within the magnetic section.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Gottfried P Kibelka