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US 8,618,475 B2Granted
Ion mobility spectrometer with one or more integral ion activation regions
AssigneeIndiana University Research and Technology Corporation
InventorsDavid E. Clemmer, Stormy L. Koeniger, Stephen J. Valentine
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Abstract
An ion mobility spectrometer comprises a drift tube defining a drift tube inlet configured to receive ions and a drift tube outlet. The drift tube is configured to separate ions in time as a function of ion mobility. The drift tube defines a first ion activation region between the drift tube inlet and the drift tube outlet. The first ion activation region is configured to selectively induce structural changes in at least some of the ions.
Claims26
An ion mobility spectrometer comprising:
- a source of purely buffer gas,
- a drift tube defining a drift tube inlet configured to receive ions and a drift tube outlet, the drift tube receiving the buffer gas therein from the source of buffer gas,
- a first ion gate separate from and positioned between the drift tube inlet and the drift tube outlet, the drift tube defining a first drift tube region between the drift tube inlet and the first ion gate, the first drift tube region responsive to a first set of voltage signals to separate ions in time as a function of ion mobility, the first ion gate responsive to a first ion gate control signal to impede passage of ions from the first drift tube region through the first ion gate and to a second ion gate control signal to allow passage of ions from the first drift tube region through the first ion gate,
- a first set of voltage sources to produce the first set of voltage signals,
- a first ion activation region positioned between the first ion gate and the drift tube outlet, the drift tube defining a second drift tube region between the first ion activation region and the drift tube outlet, the second drift tube region responsive to a second set of voltage signals to separate ions as a function of ion mobility, the first ion activation region responsive to a third set of voltage signals to selectively establish an electric field in the first ion activation region that induces structural changes in at least some of the ions that pass through the first ion gate by inducing changes in the shapes of at least some of the ions via collisions with the buffer gas without fragmenting the at least some of the ions,
- a second set of voltage sources to produce the second set of voltage signals,
- a third set of voltage sources to produce the third set of voltage signals, and
- a processor electrically coupled to the first ion gate and producing the first and second ion gate control signals.
5 more elements
An ion mobility spectrometer comprising:
- a drift tube defining a drift tube inlet configured to receive ions and a drift tube outlet, the drift tube defined by a plurality of joined electrically conductive rings and electrically insulating rings with adjacent ones of the electrically conductive rings separated by a different one of the electrically insulating rings, the plurality of electrically conductive rings and electrically insulating rings each defining an opening through which ions pass, the openings defined by the plurality of electrically conductive rings and the electrically insulating rings being aligned to form [a continuous cavity, without a flow restriction orifice, defining] an ion drift path from the drift tube inlet to the drift tube outlet,
- a first ion funnel formed by a first subset of the electrically conductive rings and electrically insulating rings that define the drift tube, the first subset including a first electrically conductive ring that defines an ion inlet of the first ion funnel and a last electrically conductive ring that defines an ion outlet of the first ion funnel, the first ion funnel separate from and positioned between the drift tube inlet and the drift tube outlet, the first ion funnel responsive to a first set of voltage signals to radially focus ions passing therethrough,
- a first set of voltage sources to produce the first set of voltage signals,
- a first ion gate formed on one of the plurality of electrically conductive rings that define the first ion funnel, the first ion gate responsive to a first ion gate control signal to impede passage of ions through the first ion funnel and to a second ion gate control signal to allow passage of ions through the first ion funnel, and
- a first ion activation region defined between the last electrically conductive ring of the first ion funnel and a next adjacent one of the electrically conductive rings of the drift tube, the first ion activation region responsive to a second set of voltage signals to selectively induce structural changes in at least some of the ions that pass through the first ion gate without fragmenting the at least some of the ions,
- a second set of voltage sources to produce the second set of voltage signals, and
- a processor electrically coupled to the first ion gate and producing the first and second ion gate control signals.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.