# US 2021/0239651 A1 · Ion transport device, ion mobility spectrometer, and mass spectrometer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0239651 A1 - Document ID: US20210239651A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/972,182 - Filed: 2019-05-29 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-05 - Assignees: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universitat Hannover - Applicants: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz UniversitäT Hannover - Inventors: Stefan ZIMMERMAN; Ansgar KIRK; Alexander BOHNHORST - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210239651A1 ## CPC - G01N 27/622: Ion mobility spectrometry - H01J 49/022: {Circuit arrangements, e.g. for generating deviation currents or voltages (regulating electric or magnetic variables in general, e.g. current, magnetic field G05F); Components associated with high voltage supply (high voltage supply per se H02M)} - H01J 49/025: {Detectors specially adapted to particle spectrometers (data acquisition H01J49/0036; detectors per se G01T, e.g. G01T1/28, G01T1/29)} - H01J 49/066: {Ion funnels} - H01J 49/065: {having stacked electrodes, e.g. ring stack, plate stack} - H05K 1/14: Structural association of two or more printed circuits (providing electric connection to or between printed circuits H05K1/11, H01R12/00) - H05K 2201/047: Box-like arrangements of PCBs - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract The invention relates to an ion transport device which is designed to transport ions by means of an electric field. The ion transport device has an ion transport channel in which an ion transport chamber is formed. In order to generate the electric field, the ion transport device has a plurality of field generating electrodes which are arranged one behind the other along the length of the ion transport channel in order to move ions through the ion transport chamber in a transport direction. The invention additionally relates to an ion mobility spectrometer and to a mass spectrometer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ion transport apparatus designed to transport ions by an electrical field, comprising: an ion transport channel in which an ion transport chamber is formed, wherein the ion transport channel comprises a plurality of field-generating electrodes to generate the electrical field, wherein the plurality of field-generating electrodes are arranged one after another along a longitudinal extent of the ion transport channel, in order to move ions in a transport direction through the ion transport chamber, wherein a) the ion transport channel comprises a plurality of side walls formed of flat plates that surround the ion transport chamber, b) the plurality of side walls are formed of electrical circuit boards coated with at least one first conductive layer, c) each of the plurality of field-generating electrodes are formed as interrupted ring electrodes that surround a periphery of the ion transport chamber, wherein one, a plurality, or all of the interrupted ring electrodes are each composed of individual conductive track segments formed on the electrical circuit boards by a part of the at least one first conductive layer, wherein conductive track segments of each interrupted ring electrode of the interrupted ring electrodes may contact each other electrically, but do not have to contact each other electrically, d) the ion transport apparatus comprises at least one first voltage divider with a plurality of voltage divider connection points and at least one second voltage divider with a plurality of voltage divider connection points, e) wherein the following applies to one, a plurality or all of the interrupted ring electrodes: e1) at least one conductive track segment of the ring electrode is connected to a voltage divider connection point of the plurality of voltage divider connection points of the at least one first voltage divider, e1) at least one conductive track segment of the interrupted ring electrode other than the conductive track segment that is connected to the voltage divider connection point of the plurality of voltage divider connection points of the at least one first voltage divider is connected to a voltage divider connection point of the plurality of voltage divider connection points of the at least one second voltage divider. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one, a plurality, or all of the side walls comprise at least one second conductive layer of the electrical circuit board running parallel to the at least one first conductive layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one first voltage divider and/or the at least one second voltage divider is arranged on the at least one second conductive layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one first voltage divider is assigned to a plurality of side walls and/or the at least one second voltage divider is assigned to a plurality of side walls. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one first voltage divider is assigned to a first side wall and/or the at least one second voltage divider is assigned to a second side wall. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one first voltage divider and the at least one second voltage divider are each assigned to each side wall formed of a circuit board of the electrical circuit boards. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a network of coupling capacitors through which the interrupted ring electrodes are connected to an electrical signal source, wherein one, a plurality or all of the coupling capacitors are formed through parts of conductive layers of one or a plurality of side walls formed of a circuit board of the electrical circuit boards. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one heating wire for heating the ion transport channel, wherein the heating wire is formed of parts of conductive layers of one or a plurality of side walls formed of a circuit board of the electrical circuit boards. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a part or all of the field-generating electrodes are realized on inner layers of the electrical circuit boards. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an ion detector arranged at one end of the ion transport channel, wherein the ion detector is formed by a conductive layer of at least one circuit board of the electrical circuit boards or by an etched metal grid that is both mechanically fixed and electrically contacted by the at least one circuit board. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an ion gate arranged at at least one end of the ion transport channel or of the ion transport chamber, wherein at least one electrode of the ion gate is formed by a conductive layer of at least one circuit board of the electrical circuit boards or by an etched metal grid that is both mechanically fixed and electrically contacted by the at least one circuit board. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the electrical circuit boards comprises at least one groove-like recess into which at least one other circuit board of the electrical circuit boards is inserted with positive lock. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the interrupted ring electrodes formed by conductive track segments are configured as polygonal ring electrodes, wherein a number of corners of the polygonal ring electrodes corresponds to a number of side walls of the plurality of side walls. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a ratio of width to height of a conductive track segment of a ring electrode of the interrupted ring electrodes is greater than 1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a ratio of width to lateral spacing of neighboring conductive track segments of neighboring interrupted ring electrodes is greater than 0.5. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ion transport apparatus is segmented into segments in the transport direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein one, a plurality or all of the segments of the ion transport apparatus are each closed off by at least one closing plate arranged perpendicularly to the transport direction and that is constructed as a circuit board of the electrical circuit boards. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein one, a plurality or all of the closing plates protrude in a circumferential direction above at least one of the side walls. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least one electrode, formed by a conductive layer of at least one circuit board or by an etched metal grid that is both mechanically fixed and electrically contacted by the at least one circuit board, is arranged between neighboring segments of the ion transport apparatus. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the side walls surround the ion transport chamber in a gas-tight manner ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) An ion mobility spectrometer, comprising an ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) An ion funnel, comprising an ion transport apparatus as claimed in claim 1.