An apparatus for detecting constituents in a sample includes first and second drift tubes defining first and second drift regions, and a controllable electric field device within a fragmentation region coupled to the first and second drift tubes. The apparatus also includes a first ion shutter positioned between the first drift and fragmentation regions. The apparatus further includes a control system configured to regulate the first ion shutter, thereby facilitating injection of a selected portion of ions from the first drift region into the fragmentation region. The control system is also configured to regulate the controllable device to modify the selected portion of ions to generate predetermined ion fragments within the fragmentation region, thereby facilitating injection of a selected portion of the predetermined fragmented ions into the second drift region. A method of detecting constituents in a sample is facilitated through such an apparatus.

Voltages are applied by a voltage application device having an electrode circuit including a plurality of electrode connection parts connected in series via a resistance R between neighboring electrode connection parts; and power sources P for outputting both positive and negative polarities, each power source connected to both ends of the electrode circuit. The method of applying a voltage includes determining a polarity and a magnitude of an output voltage of so that a voltage having a predetermined polarity and magnitude is applied to the electrodes; and based on the polarities, switching the polarities of the output voltages by switching the polarities of the output voltages of the plurality of power sources P one at a time while maintaining a state where a polarity of an output voltage of at least one power source P, among the plurality of power sources P, is different from others.

Four main rod electrodes included in a main electrode section are disposed in a rotationally symmetric manner around an ion optical axis. Among four pre-rod electrodes included in a pre-electrode section disposed in front of the main electrode section, two are in contact with a circle of a radius r.sub.0, whereas the other two are disposed to be in contact with a circle of a radius R.sub.0 larger than r.sub.0, resulting in rotational asymmetry around the ion optical axis. Accordingly, a shape of acceptance on an x-y plane regarding positions of ions in the pre-electrode section becomes elliptical. This allows the shape of the acceptance to become gradually flat as the ions travel along the ion optical axis, reducing a mismatch between emittance of incoming ions and the acceptance on a receiving side, and relieving ion loss during ion introduction.

A novel method and mass spectrometer apparatus is introduced to enable collision induced dissociation inside linear ion traps/guides or 3D ion traps based on digital waveform manipulation. In particular, using the device's digitally produced trapping waveforms to trap, isolate and energize the ions of interest creates a simplified and versatile ion trap/guide that is capable tandem mass spectrometry and high sensitivity. Coupling the digitally operated ion trap/guides to a TOF creates a Q-TOF instrument that outperforms any commercial system in terms of sensitivity and capabilities.

An ion reflector has a configuration in which multiple plate electrodes having a rectangular opening are arranged. The components are arranged so that a central axial line extending in the longitudinal direction of the opening lies on a plane which contains a straight line (Y-axis) connecting the centroidal position of an ion distribution in an ion trap and a central position on the detection surface of a detector, and a central axial line (X-axis) of an ion-ejecting direction. If the potential distribution along the central axis of the ion reflector is modified so that a portion of the reflecting field becomes a non-uniform electric field intended for improving isochronism for a group of ions to be detected, an area having an ideal potential distribution for realizing the isochronism is spread in the Y-axis direction.

A multipole ion guide (30) including a plurality of rod electrodes arranged at an angle to the central axis (C) is placed within a collision cell (13) located in the previous stage of an orthogonal accelerator (16). Radio-frequency voltages with opposite phases are applied to the rod electrodes of the ion guide (30) so that any two rod electrodes neighboring each other in the circumferential direction have opposite phases of the voltage. A depth gradient of the pseudopotential is thereby formed from the entrance end toward the exit end within the space surrounded by the rod electrodes, and ions are accelerated by this gradient. During an ion-accumulating process, a direct voltage having the same polarity as the ions is applied to the exit lens electrode (132) to form a potential barrier for accumulating ions. Among the ions repelled by the potential barrier, ions having smaller m/z return closer to the entrance end. Therefore, when the potential barrier is removed and ions are discharged, ions having smaller m/z are discharged at later points in time than those having larger m/z. Therefore, a wide m/z range of ions can be simultaneously accelerated and ejected by an orthogonal accelerator (16).

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising: an ion deflector (305) configured to deflect ions to different positions in a first array of positions at different times; a position sensitive ion detector (187); and ion optics (180) arranged and configured to guide ions from the first array of positions to the position sensitive detector (187) so as to map ions from the first array of positions to a second array of positions on the position sensitive detector (187); wherein the ion optics includes at least one ion mirror for reflecting the ions.

A device (1) for manipulating charged particles, the device comprising a series of electrodes (2, 3) disposed so as to form a channel for transportation of the charged particles. A power supply unit (5) provides a first supply voltage (7) which changes according to a waveform having a period (T), to axially segmented bunching electrodes (3) to create an electric field within the channel. The potential of the electric field defines a potential well which is translated along the length of the channel such that the potential well is translated a distance substantially equal to its length in an interval of time substantially equal to the period (T). The waveform is substantially continuously smooth throughout its period (T); and, substantially constant in value throughout a finite duration of time (T.sub.L<T) within the period (T), corresponding to a minimum of the waveform. A power supply unit (6) provides a second supply voltage (8) to radial confinement electrodes (2) to create a radially confining electric field within the channel configured to radially confine charged particles within the channel.

An apparatus 41 and operation method are provided for an electrostatic trap mass spectrometer with measuring frequency of multiple isochronous ionic oscillations. For improving throughput and space charge capacity, the trap is substantially extended in one Z-direction forming a reproduced two-dimensional field. Multiple geometries are provided for trap Z-extension. The throughput of the analysis is improved by multiplexing electrostatic traps. The frequency analysis is accelerated by the shortening of ion packets and either by Wavelet-fit analysis of the image current signal or by using a time-of-flight detector for sampling a small portion of ions per oscillation. Multiple pulsed converters are suggested for optimal ion injection into electrostatic traps.

An apparatus 41 and operation method are provided for an electrostatic trap mass spectrometer with measuring frequency of multiple isochronous ionic oscillations. For improving throughput and space charge capacity, the trap is substantially extended in one Z-direction forming a reproduced two-dimensional field. Multiple geometries are provided for trap Z-extension. The throughput of the analysis is improved by multiplexing electrostatic traps. The frequency analysis is accelerated by the shortening of ion packets and either by Wavelet-fit analysis of the image current signal or by using a time-of-flight detector for sampling a small portion of ions per oscillation. Multiple pulsed converters are suggested for optimal ion injection into electrostatic traps.