# US 11,908,675 B2 · Curved ion guides and related systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,675 B2 - Document ID: US11908675B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/672,167 - Filed: 2022-02-15 - Published: 2023-08-17 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-15 - Assignees: PerkinElmer Scientific Canada ULC - Applicants: Perkinelmer Scientific Canada Ulc - Inventors: Tak Shun Cheung; Chui Ha Cindy Wong; Hamid R. Badiei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908675B2 ## CPC - H01J 49/062: {Ion guides (linear ion traps performing mass selection H01J49/4225, mass filters H01J49/421)} - H01J 49/061: {Ion deflecting means, e.g. ion gates} - H01J 49/063: {Multipole ion guides, e.g. quadrupoles, hexapoles} - H01J 49/42: Stability-of-path spectrometers, e.g. monopole, quadrupole, multipole, farvitrons - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract An ion guide includes a plurality of curved electrodes arranged along a curved central axis. The plurality of electrodes define a curved ion guide region, with the curved ion guide region beginning at an ion entrance and ending at an ion exit. The ion guide includes an ion deflecting device configured to apply a radial DC electric field across the ion guide region and along the curved central axis. The ion guide region has a radius of curvature that varies along the curved central axis, and the radius of curvature is at a maximum at the ion entrance and decreases along the curved central axis toward the ion exit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ion guide comprising: a plurality of curved electrodes arranged along a curved central axis, wherein the plurality of electrodes define a curved ion guide region, the curved ion guide region beginning at an ion entrance and ending at an ion exit; and an ion deflecting device configured to apply a radial DC electric field across the ion guide region and along the curved central axis, wherein the ion guide region has a radius of curvature that varies along the curved central axis, and wherein the radius of curvature is at a maximum at the ion entrance and decreases along the curved central axis toward the ion exit such that the radius of curvature is at a minimum at the ion exit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ion guide of claim 1 wherein each electrode comprises a coil or spring. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The ion guide of claim 2 wherein the coil or spring comprises resistance wire. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ion guide of claim 1 wherein each electrode comprises a plurality of electrode segments, and wherein adjacent electrode segments are axially spaced apart from one another along the curved central axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The ion guide of claim 4 wherein ends of adjacent electrode segments axially overlap one another along the curved central axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ion guide of claim 1 wherein the ion deflecting device comprises a DC voltage source configured to apply a DC voltage to at least one pair of the plurality of electrodes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ion guide of claim 1 further comprising a RF voltage generator configured to apply an RF voltage to at least one pair of the plurality of electrodes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ion guide of claim 1 wherein the ion deflecting device comprises a pair of opposing, curved ion deflecting electrodes extending parallel to the curved central axis and positioned outside the ion guide region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The ion guide of claim 8 wherein the ion deflecting device further comprises a DC voltage source configured to apply a DC voltage of a first magnitude to one of the ion deflecting electrodes and a DC voltage of a second magnitude to the other one of the ion deflecting electrodes. ### Claim 10 An ion guide comprising: a plurality of curved electrodes arranged along a curved central axis, wherein the plurality of electrodes define a curved ion guide region; and an ion deflecting device configured to apply a radial DC electric field across the ion guide region and along the curved central axis, wherein each electrode comprises a coil or spring, wherein the curved ion guide region begins at an ion entrance and ends at an ion exit, wherein the ion guide region has a radius of curvature that varies along the curved central axis, and wherein the radius of curvature is at a maximum at the ion entrance and is at a minimum at the ion exit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The ion guide of claim 10 wherein the coil or spring comprises resistance wire. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The ion guide of claim 10 wherein the coil or spring has a constant circular cross section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The ion guide of claim 10 wherein each electrode comprises a plurality of electrode segments each including a coil or spring, and wherein adjacent electrode segments are axially spaced apart from one another along the curved central axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The ion guide of claim 10 wherein the ion deflecting device comprises a DC voltage source configured to apply a DC voltage to at least one pair of the plurality of electrodes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The ion guide of claim 10 further comprising a RF voltage generator configured to apply an RF voltage to at least one pair of the plurality of electrodes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The ion guide of claim 10 wherein the ion deflecting device comprises a pair of opposing, curved ion deflecting electrodes extending parallel to the curved central axis and positioned outside the ion guide region. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The ion guide of claim 16 wherein the ion deflecting device further comprises a DC voltage source configured to apply a DC voltage of a first magnitude to one of the ion deflecting electrodes and a DC voltage of a second magnitude to the other one of the ion deflecting electrodes. ### Claim 18 An ion guide comprising: a plurality of curved electrodes arranged along a curved central axis, wherein the plurality of electrodes define a curved ion guide region; and an ion deflecting device configured to apply a radial DC electric field across the ion guide region and along the curved central axis, wherein each electrode comprises a plurality of electrode segments, wherein adjacent electrode segments are axially spaced apart from one another along the curved central axis, and wherein ends of adjacent electrode segments axially overlap one another along the curved central axis. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The ion guide of claim 18 wherein the curved ion guide region begins at an ion entrance and ends at an ion exit, wherein the ion guide region has a radius of curvature that varies along the curved central axis, and wherein the radius of curvature is at a maximum at the ion entrance and is at a minimum at the ion exit.