Ion mobility spectrometer
AssigneeMicromass UK Limited
InventorsJohn Brian Hoyes, David J. Langridge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ion mobility spectrometer is disclosed wherein ions are passed through an ion mobility spectrometer (5) and become temporally separated. Ions having a relatively high ion mobility are transmitted by a non-destructive ion gate (6) but ions having a relatively low ion mobility are subsequently trapped within the ion mobility spectrometer (5) when the ion gate (6) is switched so as to prevent ions from being onwardly transmitted. Ions which are transmitted by the ion gate (6) are trapped in a downstream ion trap (7). The ions are then returned back upstream to a second upstream ion trap (4).
Claims15
A method of mass spectrometry comprising:
- passing a first group of ions through an ion mobility spectrometer or separator in order to separate temporally at least some of said ions;
- operating an ion gate so that ions having drift times within a time window T1 are transmitted by said ion gate but ions having drift times outside of said time window T1 are not transmitted by said ion gate;
- passing at least some of said ions having drift times within said time window T1 through said ion mobility spectrometer or separator again in order to separate temporally at least some of said ions;
- and
- passing at least some or substantially all of said ions having drift times outside of said time window T1 back through said ion mobility spectrometer or separator and storing said ions in a first upstream ion trap;
- wherein
- prior to passing at least some of said ions having drift times within said time window T1 through said ion mobility spectrometer or separator again said method further comprises the steps of:
- trapping said ions having drift times within said time window T1 in a downstream ion trap, passing said ions back upstream through said ion mobility spectrometer or separator, storing said ions in a second upstream ion trap and ejecting said ions from said second upstream ion trap into said ion mobility spectrometer or separator.
A mass spectrometer comprising:
- an ion mobility spectrometer or separator;
- an ion gate arranged downstream of said ion mobility spectrometer or separator;
- and
- a first ion trap arranged upstream of said ion mobility spectrometer or separator;
- a second ion trap arranged upstream of said ion mobility spectrometer or separator;
- a third ion trap arranged downstream of said ion mobility spectrometer or separator;
- and
- a control system arranged and adapted:
- (i) to cause a first group of ions to pass through said ion mobility spectrometer or separator in order to separate temporally at least some ions;
- (ii) to operate said ion gate so that ions having drift times within a time window T1 are transmitted by said ion gate but ions having drift times outside of said time window T1 are not transmitted by said ion gate;
- (iii) to cause at least some of said ions having drift times within said time window T1 to pass through said ion mobility spectrometer or separator again in order to separate temporally at least some of said ions;
- and
- (iv) to cause at least some or substantially all of said ions having drift times outside of said time window T1 to pass back through said ion mobility spectrometer or separator and storing said ions in said first ion trap;
- wherein
- prior to passing at least some of said ions having drift times within said time window T1 through said ion mobility spectrometer or separator again said control system is arranged and adapted:
- (v) to trap said ions having drift times within said time window T1 in said third ion trap, to pass said ions back upstream through said ion mobility spectrometer or separator, to store said ions in said second ion trap and elect said ions from said second ion trap into said ion mobility spectrometer or separator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.