MALDI imaging and ion source
AssigneeMicromass UK Limited
InventorsJeffery Mark Brown, Paul Murray, Daniel James Kenny
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ion source for a mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a lens and mirror arrangement which focuses a laser beam onto the upper surface of a target substrate. The lens has an effective focal length ≦300 mm. The laser beam is directed onto the target substrate at an angle θ with respect to the perpendicular to the target substrate, wherein θ≦3°. One or more ion guides receive ions released from the target substrate and onwardly transmit the ions along an ion path which substantially bypasses the lens and mirror.
Claims20
An ion source for a mass spectrometer comprising:
- one or more optical components arranged and adapted to focus, in use, a laser beam so as to impinge directly upon an upper surface of a target substrate in order to cause the release of ions from said upper surface, wherein said one or more optical components have an effective focal length ≦300 mm and wherein, in use, said one or more optical components direct said laser beam along a first axis onto the target substrate at an angle θ with respect to the perpendicular to the target substrate, wherein θ≦3°;
- an ion guide comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged and adapted to receive ions released from said upper surface of said target substrate and to onwardly transmit said ions along an ion path which avoids said one or more optical components;
- and
- a device arranged and adapted to apply an AC or RF voltage to at least some of said plurality of electrodes in order to create a pseudo-potential which acts to confine ions radially within said ion guide;
- wherein at least a portion of said ion path is along a second axis, wherein said first axis and said second axis are substantially perpendicular relative to each other.
An ion source for a mass spectrometer comprising:
- one or more optical components arranged and adapted to focus, in use, a laser beam so as to impinge directly upon an upper surface of a target substrate in order to cause the release of ions from said upper surface, wherein, in use, said one or more optical components direct said laser beam along a first axis onto the target substrate;
- an ion guide comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged and adapted to receive ions released from said upper surface of said target substrate and to onwardly transmit said ions along an ion path which avoids said one or more optical components;
- and
- wherein said ion guide is oriented at an angle to said laser beam so that at least a portion of said ion path is along a second axis, wherein said first axis and said second axis are substantially perpendicular to each other.
An ion source for a mass spectrometer comprising:
- one or more optical components arranged and adapted to focus, in use, a laser beam so as to impinge directly upon an upper surface of a target substrate in order to cause the release of ions from said upper surface, wherein said one or more optical components have an effective focal length ≦300 mm and wherein, in use, said one or more optical components direct said laser beam along a first axis onto the target substrate at an angle θ with respect to the perpendicular to the target substrate, wherein θ≦3°;
- and
- an ion guide comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged and adapted to receive ions released from said upper surface of said target substrate and to onwardly transmit said ions along an ion path which avoids said one or more optical components, wherein said ion guide is arranged to surround at least a part of the path of the laser beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.