Micromass UK Limited

Steve Pringle

Kevin Giles

Robert Harold Bateman

John Brian Hoyes

Jason Lee Wildgoose

Jeff Brown

A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ion trap wherein ions which have been temporally separated according to their mass to charge ratio or ion mobility enter the ion trap. Once at least some of the ions have entered the ion trap, a plurality of ion trapping regions are created along the length of the ion trap in order to fractionate the ions. Alternatively, the ions may be received within one or more axial trapping regions which are translated along the ion trap with a velocity which is progressively reduced to zero.

Mass spectrometer

A mass spectrometer is disclosed having an ion guide which receives ions from either a pulsed ion source or an ion trap, or a continuous ion source. The ion guide emits packets of ions. The pulses of ions emitted from the ion guide may be synchronised with another device such as an ion detector, an orthogonal acceleration Time of Flight mass analyser, an ion trap or a mass filter.

An ion tunnel ion trap comprises a plurality of electrodes having apertures. The ion tunnel ion trap is preferably coupled to a time of flight mass analyser.

A mass spectrometer comprising an ion mobility separator for separating ions according to their ion mobility is disclosed. The ion mobility separator comprises a plurality of electrodes and one or more transient DC voltages or one or more transient DC voltage waveforms are progressively applied to the electrodes so that ions having a certain ion mobility are separated from other ions having different ion mobilities.

A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a collision cell wherein ions having substantially different mass to charge ratios are arranged to be transmitted through at least a portion of the collision cell at substantially the same time and with substantially the same velocity preferably by means of one or more transient DC voltages or one or more transient DC voltage waveforms which are applied to the electrodes forming the collision cell so that ions are urged through the collision cell at a constant controlled velocity. By appropriate setting of the velocity of the DC voltage or DC voltage waveform passing along the length of the collision cell an efficient collision cell is provided which is able to fragment ions having considerably different mass to charge ratio at substantially the same time in an optimal manner.

A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a mass filter for separating ions according to their mass to charge ratio. The mass filter comprises a plurality of electrodes wherein ions are radially confined within the mass filter by the application of AC or RF voltages to the electrodes. One or more transient DC voltages or one or more transient DC voltage waveforms are progressively applied to the electrodes so that ions having a certain mass to charge ratio are separated from other ions having different mass to charge ratios which remain radially confined within the mass filter.

An ion guide is disclosed wherein a travelling DC wave is passed along the length of the ion guide so that ions exit the ion guide having substantially the same velocity.

A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a gas collision cell, reaction cell or collisional cooling cell comprising a plurality of electrodes. DC potentials are progressively applied to the cell so that ions are urged along the cell.

A mass spectrometer is disclosed wherein ions from a pulsed ion source are dispersed in a drift region so that the ions become separated according to their mass to charge ratios. The ions are then received by an ion guide in which multiple trapping regions are created and wherein the multiple trapping regions are translated along the length of the ion guide. The ion guide receives the ions so that all the ions trapped in a particular trapping region have substantially the same or similar mass to charge ratios. The ions are released from the exit of the ion guide and the pusher/puller electrode of an orthogonal acceleration Time of Flight mass analyzer is arranged to be energised in synchronization with the ions emerging from the ion guide. The trapping regions may be translated along the ion guide with a velocity which becomes progressively slower and the delay time of the pusher/puller electrode may be progressively increased.

A mass spectrometer includes a fragmentation cell having a plurality of ring or plate-like electrodes with apertures through which ions are transmitted. An axial DC gradient is preferably maintained along at least a portion of the length of the fragmentation cell in order to improve the transit time of ions through the device.

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Darwen, United Kingdom

Steve Pringle