Method and apparatus for transporting samples in a mass spectrometer

A sample plate handling system for a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, the sample plate handling system comprising:

• a) a transport chamber;
• b) a vacuum chamber that is coupled through a bypass valve to the transport chamber;
• c) a mass spectrometer chamber that is mechanically coupled to the transport chamber;
• d) a two-dimensional translation stage that is positioned in the mass spectrometer chamber;
• e) a sample plate transporter mounted on the two-dimensional translation stage, the sample plate transporter comprising a first portion mechanically attached to the two-dimensional translation stage;
• a second portion defining a sample plate receiver that is positioned in the transport chamber when loading and unloading samples, and a sealing surface located between the first and the second portions;
• and
• f) a sealing orifice connecting the transport chamber and the mass spectrometer chamber, wherein a motion of the two-dimensional translation stage in one direction aligns the sample plate transporter with the sealing orifice and a motion of the two-dimensional translation stage in the other direction moves the sealing surface of the sample plate transporter to engage the sealing orifice, thereby preventing gas flow between the mass spectrometer chamber and the transport chamber.