Shimadzu Corporation

Thermo Finnigan LLC

Roger Giles

Matthew Clive Gill

Alina Giles

Hermann Wollnik

Michael Sudakov

Roch Andrzejewski

Li Ding

Hamish Stewart

Alexander A Makarov

Hiroaki Waki

Dimitris Papanastasiou

Sadao Takeuchi

Vyacheslav Shchepunov

Lee Martin Earley

Alexander Makarov

A device () for manipulating charged particles, the device comprising a series of electrodes () that form a channel for transportation of the charged particles. A power supply unit () provides a voltage to axially segmented bunching electrodes to create a potential well within the channel having one or more local minima between local maxima (). The well is translated along the channel. An axial extraction region () comprises electrodes defining an end of the channel. They receive a supply voltage to create a pseudo-potential within the channel such that the depth of the potential well varies according to the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of the charged particles transported therein and reduces as a local maxima of the potential well is translated axially towards the axial extraction region thereby to release the transported charged particles of different mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) at different respective times.

Mass analysis apparatuses and methods

A device () for manipulating charged particles, the device comprising a series of electrodes () disposed so as to form a channel for transportation of the charged particles. A power supply unit () provides a first supply voltage () which changes according to a waveform having a period (T), to axially segmented bunching electrodes () to create an electric field within the channel. The potential of the electric field defines a potential well which is translated along the length of the channel such that the potential well is translated a distance substantially equal to its length in an interval of time substantially equal to the period (T). The waveform is substantially continuously smooth throughout its period (T); and, substantially constant in value throughout a finite duration of time (T<T) within the period (T), corresponding to a minimum of the waveform. A power supply unit () provides a second supply voltage () to radial confinement electrodes () to create a radially confining electric field within the channel configured to radially confine charged particles within the channel.

An apparatus for analysing ions, including a first mass analyser configured to eject groups of ions in a predetermined sequence during different time windows; an ion transport device having a plurality of electrodes arranged around a transport channel; control means configured to control voltages applied to the electrodes to generate a transport potential in a transport channel, the transport potential having a plurality of potential wells configured to move along the transport channel such that each group of ions received by the ion transport device is respectively transported along the transport channel by one or more selected potential; fragmentation means configured to fragment precursor ions in each group of ions so as to produce product ions; and a second mass analyser configured to produce a respective mass spectrum using each group of ions after the group of ions has been fragmented and transported.

Apparatus for analysing ions

A device for performing field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry, 'FAIMS' including first and second segmented planar electrodes, each electrode including three or more segments and extending in a direction parallel to an analytical axis of the device, the first and second segmented electrodes are separated from each other to provide an analytical gap therebetween; and propelling means for propelling ions through the analytical gap in a direction parallel to the analytical axis. The device is configured to operate in: a FAIMS mode in which a power supply applies voltage waveforms to the segments to produce an asymmetric time dependent electric field in the analytical gap for FAIMS analysis of ions propelled through the analytical gap; and a transparent mode in which the power supply applies voltage waveforms to the to produce a confining electric field in the analytical gap for focussing ions towards the longitudinal axis.

Device for performing field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry

A device for performing field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry, 'FAIMS,' including first and second segmented planar electrodes, each electrode including three or more segments and extending in a direction parallel to an analytical axis of the device, wherein the first and second segmented electrodes are separated from each other to provide an analytical gap therebetween; and propelling means for propelling ions through the analytical gap in a direction parallel to the analytical axis. The device is configured to operate in a FAIMS mode in which a power supply applies voltage waveforms to the segments to produce an asymmetric time dependent electric field in the analytical gap for FAIMS analysis of ions propelled through the analytical gap. The asymmetric time dependent electric field has substantially straight contours of equal field strength in a plane perpendicular to the analytical axis to focus ions having different differential mobilities towards different spatial domains.

An apparatus for transporting charged particles. The apparatus includes a control unit and a transport device having a plurality of electrodes arranged around a transport channel, wherein the transport channel includes a bunch forming region configured to receive charged particles received by the transport device. The control unit is configured to control voltages applied to the electrodes to generate a transport potential in the transport channel, the transport potential having a plurality of potential wells which are configured to move so as to transport charged particles along the transport channel in one or more bunches. The control unit is further configured to control voltages applied to the electrodes: temporarily generate a gathering potential in the bunch forming region so that charged particles received by the transport device are gathered in the bunch forming region; and then generate the transport potential in the bunch forming region so that a selected potential well is formed in the bunch forming region with the selected potential well receiving a bunch of charged particles formed from the charged particles gathered in the bunch forming region by the gathering potential.

Transport device for transporting charged particles

An ion transfer apparatus for transferring ions from an ion source at an ion source pressure, which ion source pressure is greater than 500 mbar, along a path towards a mass analyser at a mass analyser pressure that is lower than the ion source pressure. The apparatus includes a plurality of pressure controlled chambers, wherein each pressure controlled chamber in the ion transfer apparatus includes an ion inlet opening for receiving ions from the ion source on the path and an ion outlet opening for outputting the ions on the path. The plurality of pressure controlled chambers are arranged in succession along the path from an initial pressure controlled chamber to a final pressure controlled chamber, wherein an ion outlet opening of each pressure controlled chamber other than the final pressure controlled chamber is in flow communication with the ion inlet opening of a successive adjacent pressure controlled chamber. The ion transfer apparatus is configured to have, in use, at least one pair of adjacent pressure controlled chambers for which a ratio of pressure in an upstream pressure controlled chamber to pressure in a downstream pressure controlled chamber is set such that there is substantially subsonic gas flow in the downstream pressure controlled chamber.

Ion transfer apparatus

An ion trap having a segmented electrode structure having a plurality of segments consecutively positioned along an axis, wherein each segment of the segmented electrode structure includes a plurality of electrodes arranged around the axis. A first voltage supply is configured to operate in a radially confining mode in which at least some electrodes belonging to each segment are supplied with at least one AC voltage waveform so as to provide a confining electric field for radially confining ions within the segment. A second voltage supply is configured to operate in a trapping mode in which at least some of the electrodes belonging to the segments are supplied with different DC voltages so as to provide a trapping electric field that has an axially varying profile for urging ions towards and trapping ions in a target segment of the plurality of segments. A first chamber is configured to receive ions from an ion source, wherein a first subset of the segments are located within the first chamber. A second chamber is configured to receive ions from the first chamber, wherein a second subset of the segments are located within the second chamber, and wherein the target segment is one of the second subset of segments. A gas pump is configured to pump gas out from the second chamber so as to provide the second chamber with a lower gas pressure than the first chamber. A gas flow restricting section is located between the first chamber and second chamber, wherein the gas flow restricting section is configured to allow ions to pass from the first chamber to the second chamber whilst restricting gas flow from the first chamber to the second chamber.

Ion trap

A time of flight ('TOF') mass spectrometer including an ion source, a detector, and a tilt correction device. The ion source is configured to produce ions having a plurality of m/z values. The detector detects ions produced by the ion source. The tilt correction device is located along a portion of a reference ion flight path extending from the ion source to a planar surface of the detector and includes tilt correction electrodes configured to generate at least one dipole electric field across the reference ion flight path. The at least one dipole electric field is configured to tilt an isochronous plane of ions produced by the ion source so as to correct a previous angular misalignment between the isochronous plane and the planar surface of the detector.

Time of flight mass spectrometer

An ion manipulation device for guiding or confining ions in an ion processing apparatus. The device has a first circuit board, wherein at least one first electrode for manipulating the path of ions is mounted on a mounting surface of the first circuit board; a second circuit board, wherein at least one second electrode for manipulating the path of ions is mounted on a mounting surface of the second circuit board; at least one bridging electrode for manipulating the path of ions, wherein the at least one bridging electrode is mounted to both the mounting surface of the first circuit board and the mounting surface of the second circuit board, wherein the bridging electrode is configured to hold the first circuit board and the second circuit board apart from each other in a fixed spatial relationship in which the mounting surface of the second circuit board faces towards the mounting surface of the first circuit board.

Ion manipulation device for guiding or confining ions in an ion processing apparatus

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer () comprises an ion source a segmented linear ion device () for receiving sample ions supplied by the ion source and a time-of-flight mass analyzer for analyzing ions ejected from the segmented device. A trapping voltage is applied to the segmented device to trap ions initially into a group of two or more adjacent segments and subsequently to trap them in a region of the segmented device shorter than the group of segments. The trapping voltage may also be effective to provide a uniform trapping field along the length of the device ().

Time-of-flight mass spectrometer and a method of analysing ions in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer

A time of flight analyzer that comprises a pulsed ion source; a non-linear ion mirror having a turn-around point; and a detector. The pulsed ion source is configured to produce an ion pulse travelling along an ion flight axis, the ion pulse comprising an ion group consisting of ions of a single m/z value, the ion group having a lateral spread. The non-linear ion mirror is configured to reflect the ion group, at the turn-around point, along the ion flight axis towards the detector, the passage of the ion group through the non-linear ion mirror causing a spatial spread of the ion group. The time of flight mass analyzer has at least one lens positioned between the ion source and the ion mirror, wherein the or each lens is configured to reduce said lateral spread so as to provide a local minimum of lateral spread within the ion mirror.

ToF mass analyser with improved resolving power

A mass analyzer for use in a mass spectrometer. The mass analyzer has a set of electrodes including electrodes arranged to form at least one electrostatic sector, the set of electrodes being spatially arranged to be capable of providing an electrostatic field in a reference plane suitable for guiding ions along a closed orbit in the reference plane, wherein the set of electrodes extend along a drift path that is locally orthogonal to the reference plane and that curves around a reference axis so that, in use, the set of electrodes provide a 3D electrostatic field region. The mass analyzer is configured so that, in use, the 3D electrostatic field region provided by the set of electrodes guides ions having different initial coordinates and velocities along a single predetermined 3D reference trajectory that curves around the reference axis.

Mass analyser providing 3D electrostatic field region, mass spectrometer and methodology

The present invention is concerned with an ion analysis apparatus comprising an ion guide having an ion optical axis extending from an ion inlet to an ion outlet, the ion guide being configured to guide ions from the ion inlet to the ion outlet along the ion optical axis, wherein the ion guide comprises at least one extraction region located between the ion inlet and the ion outlet, the at least one extraction region being configured to extract ions moving along the ion optical axis of the ion guide in an extraction direction, the extraction direction being substantially orthogonal to the ion optical axis of the ion guide, wherein the apparatus includes ion radial confinement means that in use confine the ions in the radial direction within the ion guide.

Ion analysis apparatus and method

A co-axial time-of-flight mass spectrometer having a longitudinal axis and first and second ion mirrors at opposite ends of the longitudinal axis. Ions enter the spectrometer along an input trajectory offset from the longitudinal axis and after one or more passes between the mirrors ions leave along an output trajectory offset from the longitudinal axis for detection by an ion detector. The input and output trajectories are offset from the longitudinal axis by an angle no greater than formula (I): where Dis the or the minimum transverse dimension of the ion mirror and L is the distance between the entrances of the ion mirrors.

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Manchester, United Kingdom

Roger Giles