Shielded lens
AssigneeBruker Daltonics, Inc.
InventorMelvin Park
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates generally to ion beam handling in mass spectrometers, arid more specifically to a method and apparatus for focusing ions in time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOFMS). This invention focuses ions using one or more electrodes bound on at least one side by an electrically conducting grid. Electric fields generated by the electrodes focus the ions. With electric fields of the proper strength and geometry, ions may be focused onto a point some desired distance from the source. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a shielded lens, in the form of an electrically conducting cylinder and two conducting grids, is used to produce and adjust the position of an ion focal point.
Claims53
A mass spectrometer comprising:
- a source region;
- a shielded lens including at least two conducting electrodes;
- an analysis region;
- and
- a detector region;
- wherein said shielded lens produces and adjusts the position of a focal point of ions produced in said source region.
A time-of-flight mass spectrometer comprising:
- an ion source region;
- a shielded lens;
- a flight region;
- and
- a detector region;
- wherein said source region, said shielded lens, said flight region and said detector region are positioned such that ions produced in said source region traverse through said shielded lens and said flight region to said detector region;
- and
- wherein said shielded lens produces and adjusts the position of focal point of said ions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.