A Time of Flight analyser comprising a flight tube (160) and a reflectron (170), wherein the reflectron comprises a stack of electrodes (172) that are compressed against the flight tube such that they remain parallel to each other under compression.

A method is disclosed comprising obtaining physical or other non-mass spectrometric data from one or more regions of a target using a probe. The physical or other non-mass spectrometric data may be used to determine one or more regions of interest of the target. An ambient ionisation ion source may then used to generate an aerosol, smoke or vapour from one or more regions of the target.

A system for analyzing a sample includes a source; a mobility separator configured to separate ions based on a mobility in a gas; a plurality of ion channels; and a mass analyzer. The mobility separator includes a two-dimensional grid of electrodes spanning a passage between first and second walls. The first and second walls include an inlet aperture and a plurality of exit apertures, respectively. The two-dimensional grid of electrodes configured to generate an electric field within the passage. The plurality of ion channels arranged adjacent to the plurality of exit apertures. Movement of ions between the inlet aperture and the plurality of exit apertures are governed by the electric field and a gas flow through the passage between to the first and second walls such that the ions are sorted and directed to different channels based on their respective mobility.

Four rod electrodes (50a to 50d) for separating ions according to a mass-to-charge ratio are held by a rod holder (51). The rod holder (51) is placed on a metal holder sustaining stand (52) provided on a bottom surface of a vacuum housing (1), and is fixed while being pressed by a fixation band (53) fixed to the holder sustaining stand (52) with screws (56). A heat release layer (55) made from heat dissipation silicone or the like is inserted between the fixation band (53) and the rod holder (51) and between the fixation band (53) and the holder sustaining stand (52). Therefore, heat generated in the rod holder (51) due to dielectric loss is not only directly transmitted to the holder sustaining stand (52), but also efficiently transmitted to the holder sustaining stand (52) through the fixation band (53).

An ion guide is disclosed that comprises a plurality of electrodes arranged to form a multipole ion guide and one or more rigid support members. The plurality of electrodes comprises one or more groups of electrodes, and each group of electrodes comprises plural electrodes that are axially spaced apart from one another. The electrodes of one or more groups of electrodes are attached to one of the one or more rigid support members. One or more of the electrodes comprises a curved metal sheet, plate or strip.

An ion guiding device includes ring electrodes with a same size disposed in parallel; wherein a connection line of centers of the ring electrodes is defined as an axis, a normal of a plane where any of the ring electrodes is located and a tangent line of the axis at a center of the ring electrode form an included angle being a range of (0, 90) degrees; a radio-frequency voltage source, for applying an out-phase radio-frequency voltage on a neighboring ring electrode along the axis, so that ions are confined inside the ring electrode during a transmission process; and a direct-current voltage source, applying a direct-current voltage with an amplitude changing along the axis on the ring electrode, so that the ions are transmitted along the axis and focused to a position closer to an inner surface of the ring electrode along a direction of the normal.

Disclosed herein is an ion guide for guiding an ion beam along an ion path, said ion guide having a longitudinal axis corresponding to said ion path, said ion guide-comprising a plurality of elongate electrodes arranged around and extending along said longitudinal axis wherein an inner envelope of the plurality of electrodes defines an ion guide volume. Said elongate electrodes are formed by electrode wires, wherein adjacent electrode wires are arranged at an inter-wire distance. The ion guide comprises holding structures for supporting and for straightening the electrode wires by applying a tension or maintaining a tension applied to them. Any portion of said holding structures which is separated from said ion guide volume by less than the local inter-wire distance is made from a material having a resistivity of less than 10.sup.12 Ohm.Math.cm, preferably of less than 10.sup.9 Ohm.Math.cm, or has a sheet resistivity of less than 10.sup.14 Ohm, preferably of less than 10.sup.10 Ohm on a surface facing said ion guide volume.

A method is disclosed comprising obtaining or acquiring chemical or other non-mass spectrometric data from one or more regions of a target using a chemical sensor. The chemical or other non-mass spectrometric data may be used to determine one or more regions of interest of the target. An ambient ionisation ion source may then be used to generate aerosol, smoke or vapour from one or more regions of the target.

Embodiments of systems, devices, and methods relate to an electrode standoff isolator. An example electrode standoff isolator includes a plurality of adjacent insulative segments positioned between a proximal end and a distal end of the electrode standoff isolator. A geometry of the adjacent insulative is configured to guard a surface area of the electrode standoff isolator against deposition of a conductive layer of gaseous phase materials from a filament of an ion source.

A vacuum chamber 11 for forming a vacuum space has two side walls opposite to each other across an ion beam axis extending within the vacuum space. One of those side walls is openable and closeable. An ion optical element 21 is placed on a base 33, which is located on the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber. A fixation band 213 fixes the ion optical element on the base by holding the element between the base and the fixation band so as to press the element onto the base. A band-catching portion 10d, located on an inside face of a side wall of the vacuum chamber on the opposite side from the openable-and-closeable side wall, catches one end of the fixation band. A band-fixing portion 214, located on the base on the side where the openable-and-closeable side wall is present, fixes the other end of the fixation band to the base.