A multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF MS) includes an ion source, an orthogonal accelerator, and an ion mirror assembly. The ion source is capable of generating a beam of ions, and is arranged to accelerate the ions in a first direction along a first axis. The orthogonal accelerator is arranged to accelerate the ions in a second direction along a second axis. The second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. The ion mirror assembly includes a plurality of gridless planar mirrors and a plurality of electrodes. The plurality of electrodes are arranged to provide time-focusing of ions along a third axis substantially independent of ion energy and ion position.

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.

An ion guide includes electrodes and an RF generator. The electrodes extend in a Z-axis that is straight or curved with a radius that is larger than a distance between the electrodes. The electrodes are made of carbon filled ceramic resistors, silicon carbide, or boron carbide to form bulk resistance with specific resistance between 1 and 1000 Ohm*cm. Conductive Z-edges are disposed on each electrode. An insulating coating is disposed on one side of each electrode and oriented away from an inner region of the ion guide surrounded by said electrodes. At least one conductive track per electrode is attached on a top side of the insulating coating. The conductive track is connected to one conductive electrode edge. The RF generator has at least two sets of secondary coils with DC supplies connected to central taps of the sets of secondary coils to provide at least four distinct signals.

A method of calibrating a TOF-MS mass spectrum, to account for temperature changes, is disclosed. Ions are introduced into a Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometer and their mass to charge ratios are determined. Ions, including calibrant ions, are also introduced into a time of flight mass spectrometer and the mass to charge ratios of the calibrant ions at least are also determined. Specific peaks representative of calibrant ions are selected and matched between the TOF MS and FTMS spectra. The relative position of matched peaks in each spectrum is then used to determine a temperature correction factor for the TOF MS data, based upon the relative independence of the FTMS spectrum with respect to temperature.

Improved ion mirrors 30 (FIG. 3) are proposed for multi-reflecting TOF MS and electrostatic traps. Minor and controlled variation by means of arranging a localized wedge field structure 35 at the ion retarding region was found to produce major tilt of ion packets time fronts 39. Combining wedge reflecting fields with compensated deflectors is proposed for electrically controlled compensation of local and global misalignments, for improved ion injection and for reversing ion motion in the drift direction. Fine ion optical properties of methods and embodiments are verified in ion optical simulations.

Apparatus and method are proposed for the strong improvement of dynamic range (DR) of detectors and of data systems for time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOF MS) with periodically repetitive signals. TOF separated ions are converted into secondary particles, primarily electrons, and the flow of secondary particles is controllably attenuated to sustain the data acquisition system in a counting mode above the electronic noise threshold. The acquisition time is split between at least two time segments, characterized by alternated transmission efficiency SE of secondary particles. Using strong electron suppression (SE1) is employed for recording intense ion peak, while counting ions with either ADC, or TDC, or ADC with extracting peak centroids. A longer time segment employs an efficient electron transfer (SE=1) for detecting weak ion species. In another independent aspect, an ion-optical element is provided upstream of the ion detector and is configured to deflect, reflect or retard ions such that ions that have been scattered or fragmented in the time of flight region do not impact on the ion detector.

The present disclosure provides a method comprising providing a sample to be analysed, separating successive populations of ions from said sample in a separator, wherein said populations of ions are introduced into said separator at regular intervals, and the intervals are timed such that at least some ions in a subsequent population of ions overlap ions in a preceding population of ions, varying one or more parameters of said separator such that different populations of ions experience different separation conditions, detecting ions from said populations of ions and obtaining a convolved data set, and deconvolving said convolved data set using the known variance of the parameters and outputting data corresponding to the successive populations of ions.

A multi-reflecting time of flight mass analyser is disclosed in which the ion flight path is maintained relatively small and the duty cycle is made relatively high. Spatial focussing of the ions in the dimension (z-dimension) in which the mirrors (36) are elongated can be eliminated whilst maintaining a reasonably high sensitivity and resolution.

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.

A method of mass spectral analysis in an analytical electrostatic trap (14) is disclosed. The electrostatic trap (14) defines an electrostatic field volume and includes trap electrodes having static and non-ramped potentials. The method comprises injecting a continuous ion beam into the electrostatic field volume.