An analyzer includes: an ionizer unit that ionizes molecules to be analyzed; a filter unit that selectively passes ions generated by the ionizer unit; and a detection unit that detects ions that have passed the filter unit. The detection unit includes a plurality of detection elements disposed in a matrix, and the analyzer further includes a first reconfiguration unit that switches between detection patterns including detection elements to be enabled for detection out of the plurality of detection elements. The ionizer unit includes a plurality of ion sources, and the analyzer further includes a driving control unit that switches the connections of the plurality of ion sources based on changes in characteristics of the ion sources.

A miniature, low cost mass spectrometer capable of unit resolution over a mass range of 10 to 50 AMU. The mass spectrometer incorporates several features that enhance the performance of the design over comparable instruments. An efficient ion source enables relatively low power consumption without sacrificing measurement resolution. Variable geometry mechanical filters allow for variable resolution. An onboard ion pump removes the need for an external pumping source. A magnet and magnetic yoke produce magnetic field regions with different flux densities to run the ion pump and a magnetic sector mass analyzer. An onboard digital controller and power conversion circuit inside the vacuum chamber allows a large degree of flexibility over the operation of the mass spectrometer while eliminating the need for high-voltage electrical feedthroughs. The miniature mass spectrometer senses fractions of a percentage of inlet gas and returns mass spectra data to a computer.

An ion source comprising a chamber and an electron collector is described. In one configuration, the chamber comprises a sample inlet and an ion outlet. The chamber may also include an electron inlet configured to receive electrons from an electron source. The electron collector can be arranged in opposition to the electron inlet. The chamber can be configured to direct an electron beam from the electron source along a path with the chamber transverse to a path between the gas inlet and the ion outlet. The chamber may comprise an ion guide that includes a guide axis offset from an axis of the ion outlet.

An ion source includes an electron generator, an ionization chamber, and a magnetic field. The electron generator is configured to produce electrons. The ionization chamber has an electron entrance aperture through a first wall, an ion exit aperture through a second wall, and an axis. The ionization chamber is configured to produce ions. The magnetic field is arranged to confine electrons in a beam directed through the electron entrance aperture, in a direction within 45 degrees of parallel to the axis, and towards a location displaced from the ion exit aperture.

One mode of the mass spectrometer according to the present invention is a mass spectrometer including an ion source configured to ionize a component contained in a sample gas, the ion source (3) including: an ionization chamber (30) having an ion ejection opening (301) and forming a space substantially partitioned from an outside inside the ionization chamber; a thermal electron supply unit (32) configured to supply thermal electrons to an inside of the ionization chamber; a magnetic field forming unit (34, 35) configured to form a magnetic field inside the ionization chamber such that the thermal electrons move helically; and a deflection electric field forming unit (37, 7) configured to form a deflection electric field deflecting ions derived from the component generated in the ionization chamber by a direct or indirect action of the thermal electrons in a direction against a force received from the magnetic field when the ions are moving toward the ion ejection opening.

The disclosure relates to a mass spectrometer for mass spectrometric examination of gas mixtures, including: an ionization device and an ion trap for storage and mass spectrometric examination of the gas mixture. In one aspect of the disclosure, the ionization device is embodied for supplying ions and/or metastable particles of an ionization gas and/or for supplying electrons to the ion trap for ionizing the gas mixture to be examined and the mass spectrometer is embodied to determine the number of ions and/or metastable particles of the ionization gas present in the ion trap and/or the number of ions of a residual gas present in the ion trap prior to examining the gas mixture. The disclosure also relates to the use of such a mass spectrometer and a method for mass spectrometric examination of a gas mixture.

The invention relates to a novel ion source, which uses method for the production of highly charged ions in the local ion traps created by an axially symmetric electron beam in the thick magnetic lens. The highly charged ions are produced in the separate local ion traps, which are created as a sequence of the focuses (F.sub.1, F.sub.2, and F.sub.3) of the electron beam (EB) rippled in the magnetic field (B(z)). Since the most acute focus is called the main one, the ion source is classified as main magnetic focus ion source (MaMFIS/T), which can also operate in the trapping regime. The electron current density in the local ion traps can be much greater than that in the case of Brillouin flow. For the ion trap with length of about 1 mm, the average electron current density of up to the order of 100 kA/cm.sup.2 can be achieved. Thus it allows one to produce ions in any charge state for all elements of the Periodic Table. In order to extract the ions, geometry of the electron beam is changed to a relatively smooth electron beam by setting the potential of the focusing electrode (W) of the electron gun negative with respect to the potential of the cathode (C).

The present invention relates to a particle beam mass spectrometer and particle measurement method by means of same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a particle beam mass spectrometer including: a particle focusing unit focusing a particle beam induced by gas flow; an electron gun forming a charged particle beam by accelerating thermal electrons to ionize the particle beam focused by the particle focusing unit; a deflector deflecting the charged particle beam according to kinetic energy to charge ratio; and a sensing unit measuring a current induced by the deflected charged particle beam, wherein the deflector includes at least one particle beam separation electrode provided at each of opposite sides with respect to a progress axis of the charged particle beam before being deflected.

Among other things, we describe methods and apparatus for the ionization of target molecular analytes of interest, e.g., for use in mass spectrometry. In some implementations, a thin molecular stream is emitted in either single or a split mode and encounters both an electron-impact ion source and trochoidal electron monochromator placed sequentially or coincidentally. The first ion source emits high-energy electrons (70 eV) to generate characteristic positively-charged mass fragment spectra while the second source emits low-energy electrons in a narrow bandwidth to generate negative molecular ions or other ions via electron capture ionization. The dual ion source may be coupled to analytical instruments such as a gas chromatograph and to any number of mass analyzers such as a polarity switching quadrupole mass analyzer or to multiple mass analyzers.

An electronic device 1 for analyzing a gas composition, which is present in an environment A at an environment pressure Pa, is described. The device 1 is portable and comprises a gas sampling module 7, an ion filtering module 8 and an ion detecting module 9. The sampling module 7 is configured to adjust an input gaseous flow Fi of gaseous particles from the environment A and to ionize said gaseous particles and to generate an ion flow I having an ion composition representative of the gas composition to be analyzed. The ion filtering module 8 is configured to controllably select at least one type of ions present in the ion flow I and to generate a corresponding at least one homogeneous ion beam I. The ion detecting module 9 is configured to measure the intensity of such least one ion beam I.