Indiana University

Stephen J Valentine

David E Clemmer

Samuel I Merenbloom

Ruwan T Kurulugama

Stormy L Koeniger

Fabiane M Nachtigall

Zachary Henson

An ion mobility spectrometer comprises a drift tube defining a drift tube inlet configured to receive ions and a drift tube outlet. The drift tube is configured to separate ions in time as a function of ion mobility. The drift tube defines a first ion activation region between the drift tube inlet and the drift tube outlet. The first ion activation region is configured to selectively induce structural changes in at least some of the ions.

Ion mobility spectrometer with one or more integral ion activation regions

An ion mobility spectrometer instrument has a drift tube that is partitioned into a plurality of cascaded drift tube segments. A number of electric field activation sources may each be coupled to one or more of the plurality of drift tube segments. A control circuit is configured to control operation of the number of electric field activation sources in a manner that sequentially applies electric fields to the drift tube segments to allow only ions having a predefined ion mobility or range of ion mobilities to travel through the drift tube. The drift tube segments may define a linear drift tube or a closed drift tube with a continuous ion travel path. Techniques are disclosed for operating the ion mobility spectrometer to produce highly resolved ion mobility spectra.

Ion mobility spectrometer instrument and method of operation

An apparatus () for separating Ions based on ion mobility includes a conduit () defining a closed path. The conduit is configured such that a uniform electric field is produced about the closed path upon application of a voltage causing ions within the conduit () to move about the closed path and to separate the ions based upon ion mobility. A method of separating a plurality of ions is also disclosed.

Apparatus and methods for analyzing ions

An ion mobility spectrometer instrument has a drift tube that is partitioned into a plurality of cascaded drift tube segments. A number of electric field activation sources may each be coupled to one or more of the plurality of drift tube segments. A control circuit is configured to control operation of the number of electric field activation sources in a manner that applies switched electric fields at a specified switching rate to the drift tube segments to thereby produce at the ion outlet only ions having a predefined ion mobility or range of ion mobilities.

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Bloomington, IN, United States of America

Stephen J Valentine