Mass spectrometry from surfaces

An apparatus for analyzing chemical species comprising:

• a. a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer comprising a pulsing region and a detector;
• b. said pulsing region comprising a collecting surface;
• c. an ion source that generates ions from a sample substance outside said pulsing region;
• d. means for directing said ions toward said collecting surface;
• e. means for conducting mass to charge selection of said ions prior to directing said mass to charge selected ions toward said collecting surface;
• and
• f. means for accelerating said ions into said TOF mass analyzer.

An apparatus for analyzing chemical species comprising:

• a. a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer comprising a pulsing region and a detector;
• b. said pulsing region comprising a collecting surface;
• c. an ion source that generates ions from a sample substance outside said pulsing region;
• d. means for directing said ions toward said collecting surface;
• e. means for conducting fragmentation of said ions prior to directing said fragment ions toward said collecting surface;
• and
• f. means for accelerating said ions into said TOF mass analyzer.

An apparatus for analyzing chemical species comprising:

• a. a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer comprising a pulsing region and a detector;
• b. said pulsing region comprising a collecting surface;
• c. an ion source that generates ions from a sample substance outside said pulsing region;
• d. means for directing said ions toward said collecting surface;
• e. means for conducting mass to charge selection and fragmentation of said ions prior to directing said mass to charge selected and fragment ions toward said collecting surface;
• f. means for accelerating said ions into said TOF mass analyzer.

An apparatus for analyzing chemical species comprising:

• a. a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer comprising a pulsing region and a detector;
• b. said pulsing region comprising a collecting surface;
• c. an ion source that generates ions from a sample substance outside said pulsing region;
• d. means for directing said ions toward said collecting surface;
• e. means for trapping and releasing of ions between said ion source and said pulsing region;
• and f. means for accelerating said ions into said TOF mass analyzer.

An apparatus for analyzing chemical species comprising:

• a. a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer comprising a pulsing region and a detector;
• b. said pulsing region comprising a collecting surface;
• c. an ion source that generates ions from a sample substance;
• d. a means to fragment said ions through surface induced dissociation of said ions on said collecting surface;
• and
• e. means for directing fragment ions into said Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer.

An apparatus for analyzing chemical species comprising:

• a. a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer comprising a pulsing region and a detector;
• b. said pulsing region comprising a collecting surface;
• c. an ion source that generates ions from a sample substance;
• d. a means to soft-land said ions on said collecting surface;
• and
• e. means for directing said soft landed ions from said collecting surface into said Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer.

An apparatus for analyzing chemical species comprising:

• a. a mass analyzer comprising a pulsing region and a detector;
• b. said pulsing region comprising a collecting surface;
• c. an ion source that generates ions from a sample substance outside said pulsing region;
• d. means for directing said ions toward said collecting surface;
• e. means for conducting mass to charge selection and fragmentation of said ions prior to directing said mass to charge selected and fragment ions toward said collecting surface;
• f. means for accelerating said ions into said mass analyzer.

A method for analyzing chemical species comprising the steps of:

• a. operating an ion source to produce ions that are directed to a collecting surface configured in the pulsing region of a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer, said Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer comprising a flight tube and detector;
• b. directing said ions to said collecting surface forming an ion population positioned on or near said surface;
• and
• c. directing said ion population into said Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer flight tube for mass to charge analysis and detection with said detector.

A method for analyzing chemical species comprising the steps of:

• a. operating an ion source to produce ions, and delivering said ions to the pulsing region of a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer said Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer comprising a flight tube and detector;
• b. applying a reverse direction electric field in said pulsing region such that said ions are directed toward a collecting surface configured in said pulsing region,
• c. applying a forward direction electric field in said pulsing region to accelerate said ions into a time-of-flight drift region for mass to charge analysis;
• and
• d. detecting said ions with said detector.

A method for analyzing chemical species comprising the steps of:

• a. operating an ion source to produce ions, and trapping and releasing said ions prior to directing said trapped and released ions to the pulsing region of a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer,
• b. applying reverse direction electric fields in said pulsing region such that the trajectories of said trapped and released ions delivered to said pulsing region are directed toward a collecting surface located in said pulsing region,
• c. applying forward direction electric fields to accelerate said ions into a time-of-flight drift region for mass to charge analysis, and
• d. detecting said ions using an ion detector.

A method for analyzing chemical species comprising the steps of:

• a. operating an ion source to produce ions;
• b. conducting mass to charge selection of said ions prior to directing said ions to the pulsing region of a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer,
• c. applying a reverse direction electric field in said pulsing region such that the trajectories of said mass to charge selected ions delivered to said pulsing region are directed toward a collecting surface located in said pulsing region,
• d. applying forward direction electric fields to accelerate said mass to charge selected ions into a time-of-flight drift region for mass to charge analysis, and
• e. detecting said ions using an ion detector.

A method for analyzing chemical species comprising the steps of:

• a. operating an ion source to produce ions,
• b. conducting fragmentation of said ions prior to directing said ions to the pulsing region of a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer,
• c. applying a reverse direction electric field in said pulsing region such that the trajectories of said fragmented ions delivered to said pulsing region are directed toward a collecting surface located in said pulsing region,
• d. applying forward direction electric fields to accelerate said fragmented ions into a time-of-flight drift region for mass to charge analysis, and
• e. detecting said ions using an ion detector.

A method for analyzing chemical species comprising the steps of:

• a. operating an ion source to produce ions,
• b. conducting mass to charge selection and fragmentation of said ions prior to directing said ions to the pulsing region of a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer,
• c. applying a reverse direction electric field in said pulsing region such that the trajectories of said mass to charge selected and fragmented ions delivered to said pulsing region are directed toward a collecting surface located in said pulsing region,
• d. applying forward direction electric fields to accelerate said mass to charge selected and fragmented ions into a time-of-flight drift region for mass to charge analysis, and
• e. detecting said ions using an ion detector.

A method for analyzing chemical species comprising the steps of:

• a. operating an ion source to produce ions that are directed to a collecting surface configured in the pulsing region of a mass analyzer, said mass analyzer comprising an analyzer region and detector;
• b. delivering said ions to said collecting surface to form an ion population positioned on or near said surface;
• and
• c. directing said ion population into said analyzer region of said mass analyzer for mass to charge analysis and detection with said detector.

A method for conducting Time-Of-Flight mass analysis comprising the steps of:

• a. operating an ion source to produce ions, and delivering said ions to a pulsing region of a Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer, said Time-Of-Flight mass analyzer comprising a flight tube and a detector;
• b. applying a reverse direction electric field in said pulsing region to accelerate said ions such that the trajectories of said ions in said pulsing region are directed toward a collecting surface located in said pulsing region,
• c. applying a forward direction electric field to accelerate said ions initially directed toward said collecting surface into said flight tube for mass to charge analysis, and
• d. detecting said mass to charge analyzed ions using said detector.