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US 6,642,514 B2Granted
Mass spectrometers and methods of mass spectrometry
AssigneeMicromass Limited
InventorsRobert Harold Bateman, Kevin Giles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ion guide which spans two or more vacuum chambers. The ion guide comprises a plurality of electrodes having apertures. Preferably, one of the electrodes also forms a differential pumping aperture which separates two vacuum chambers.
Claims25
A mass spectrometer comprising:
- an ion source;
- an input vacuum chamber;
- an analyser vacuum chamber including an ion mass analyser;
- an intermediate vacuum chamber, said intermediate vacuum chamber being disposed between said input vacuum chamber and said analyser vacuum chamber;
- and
- an AC ion guide extending between said input vacuum chamber and said intermediate vacuum chamber;
- wherein said AC ion guide includes a plurality of electrodes having internal apertures, at least a majority of said electrodes have substantially similar sized internal apertures, and at least 90% of said plurality of electrodes are arranged to be maintained at substantially the same dc reference potential about which an AC voltage supplied to said electrodes is superimposed.
4 more elements
A mass spectrometer comprising:
- an ion source;
- an input vacuum chamber;
- an analyser vacuum chamber including an ion mass analyser;
- an intermediate vacuum chamber, said intermediate vacuum chamber being disposed between said input vacuum chamber and said analyser vacuum chamber;
- and
- an AC ion guide extending between said input vacuum chamber and said intermediate vacuum chamber,
- wherein said AC ion guide includes a plurality of electrodes having internal apertures and wherein an electrode of said AC ion guide forms a differential pumping aperture between and spaced from both an inlet of said input vacuum chamber and an outlet of said intermediate vacuum chamber, said differential pumping aperture having an area ≦40 mm2.
4 more elements
A mass spectrometer comprising:
- an ion source;
- an input vacuum chamber;
- an analyser vacuum chamber including an ion mass analyser;
- an intermediate vacuum chamber, said intermediate vacuum chamber being disposed between said input vacuum chamber and said analyser vacuum chamber;
- and
- an AC ion guide extending between said input vacuum chamber and said intermediate vacuum chamber, wherein said AC ion guide includes a plurality of electrodes having internal apertures;
- and
- an AC power supply for supplying an AC voltage to said electrodes,
- wherein electrodes in said input vacuum chamber are arranged to be supplied with an AC voltage having an amplitude and electrodes in said intermediate vacuum chamber are arranged to be supplied with an AC voltage having another, different amplitude.
6 more elements
A method of mass spectrometry comprising:
- directing ions from an ion source through both an input vacuum chamber and an intermediate vacuum chamber to a ion mass analyser located in an analyser vacuum chamber, with the ions being guided through the input and intermediate chambers through an AC ion guide extending between the input vacuum chamber and the intermediate vacuum chamber, said AC ion guide including a plurality of electrodes having internal apertures, with at least a majority of the electrodes having substantially similar sized internal apertures;
- and
- maintaining at least 90% of the plurality of electrodes at substantially the same dc voltage reference potential about which an AC voltage supplied to the electrodes is superimposed.
A method of mass spectrometry comprising:
- directing ions from an ion source through both an input vacuum chamber and an intermediate vacuum chamber to a ion mass analyser located in an analyser vacuum chamber, with the ions being guided through the input and intermediate chambers through an AC ion guide extending between the input vacuum chamber and the intermediate vacuum chamber, said AC ion guide including a plurality of electrodes having internal apertures;
- and
- causing the ions to pass through a differential pumping aperture defined by one of the electrodes of the AC ion guide, with the differential pumping aperture being located between and spaced from both an inlet of the input vacuum chamber and an outlet of the intermediate chamber, said differential pumping aperture having an having an area ≦40 mm2.
A method of mass spectrometry comprising:
- directing ions from an ion source through both an input vacuum chamber and an intermediate vacuum chamber to a ion mass analyser located in an analyser vacuum chamber, with the ions being guided through the input and intermediate chambers through an AC ion guide extending between the input vacuum chamber and the intermediate vacuum chamber, said AC ion guide including a plurality of electrodes having internal apertures;
- supplying an AC voltage having an amplitude to electrodes of the AC ion guide in the input vacuum chamber;
- and
- supplying an AC voltage having an another, different amplitude to electrodes of the AC ion guide in the intermediate vacuum chamber.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.