A method of injecting ions into an ion storage device, comprising: providing an RF trapping field in the ion storage device that defines a trapping volume in the ion storage device by applying one or more RF voltages to one or more trapping electrodes; providing a gas in the trapping volume; injecting ions into the trapping volume through an aperture in an end electrode located at a first end of the ion storage device, the end electrode having a DC voltage applied thereto; reflecting the injected ions at a second end of the ion storage device, opposite to the first end, thereby returning the ions to the first end; and ramping the DC voltage applied to the end electrode during the period between injecting the ions through the aperture and the return of the ions to the first end, such that by the time the ions return to the first end for a first time a potential barrier is established by the ramped DC voltage that prevents returning ions from striking the end electrode. Also an apparatus for injecting ions into an ion storage device, which comprises a controller for ramping a first DC voltage applied to an end electrode of the device having an entrance aperture during a period between injection of ions through the entrance aperture and a return of the injected ions to the aperture so as to establish a potential barrier that prevents returning ions from striking the end electrode.

The present invention discloses an ion guide device and associated method as well as a mass spectrometer. A pair of parallel electrode assemblies, among the electrode assemblies surrounding a spatial axis to form an ion transmission channel, is segmented along a certain direction, so that a DC voltage can be separately applied to the segmented electrodes to form a DC potential gradient. In this way, not only one axial electric field component along the said spatial axis but also the other component in the direction perpendicular to the said spatial axis can be provided to control the motion of ions in the ion transmission channel. As a result, the previous problems of low analysis speed, limited ion incident energy, difficulty to balance the device structure simplification and the performance optimization and the like are solved.

The invention is related to a trapped ion mobility spectrometer (TIMS device) and proposes to use higher order (order N>2) linear multipole RF systems to accumulate and analyze ions at an electric DC field barrier, either pure higher order RF multipole systems or multipole RF systems with transitions from higher order towards lower order, e.g. from a linear octopolar RF system (N=4) to a linear quadrupole RF system (N=2) in front of the apex of the electric DC field barrier.

A mass spectrometry system and a working method and an application thereof, and a sampling device. The mass spectrometry system includes an ion source, a sampling device and a mass spectrometer. The sampling device includes: a guide rail; a support adapted to move on the guide rail; a bearing member made from a hydrophobic material with two ends being fixed to the support; a plurality of containers for containing samples arranged on the support; a plurality of transport members made from a hydrophilic material and including a first portion provided on the bearing member and a second portion connected to the first portion and extending into each container; adjacent transport members being not in contact; and a drive module configured to drive the support to move on the guide rail such that a central axis of an exit port of the ion source passes through the first portion.

A mass selective ion trapping device includes a linear ion trap and a RF control circuitry. The ion trap includes a plurality of trap electrodes configured for generating a quadrupolar trapping field in a trap interior and for mass selective ejection of ions from the trap interior. The RF control circuitry is configured to apply a balanced AC voltage to the trap electrodes during a first period of time such that an AC voltage applied to a first pair of trap electrodes is of the same magnitude and of opposite sign to an AC voltage applied to a second pair of trap electrodes; apply unbalanced RF voltage to the second pair of trap electrodes during a second period of time; ramp the balanced AC voltage down and the unbalanced RF voltage up during a transition period; and eject ions from the linear ion trap after the second period of time.

A mass spectrometer includes an ion source, an ion guide, a first gate, first and second mass filters, a fragmentation cell, a detector, and a controller. The ion source is configured to produce an ion beam from a sample. The first and second mass filters are configured to selectively transmit ions within a mass-to-charge range and reject ions outside of the mass-to-charge range. The detector is configured to measure the intensity of the transmitted ion beam. The controller is configured to close the first ion gate to prevent ions from entering the first mass filter, switch a first quadrupole voltage of the first mass filter to a voltage of a first transition, and open the first ion gate to allow ions to enter the first mass filter, the opening offset from the switching by at least the time required to adjust the voltage of the first mass filter.

The invention generally relates to ion traps and methods of use thereof. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a system that includes a mass spectrometer including an ion trap, and a central processing unit (CPU). The CPU has storage that is coupled to the CPU for storing instructions that when executed by the CPU cause the system to apply a constant radio frequency (RF) signal to the ion trap, and apply a first alternating current (AC) signal to the ion trap the frequency of which varies as a function of time.

Apparatus and methods for controlling contamination of components contained within the high-vacuum chambers of mass spectrometer systems are provided. The apparatus and methods employ a beam of neutral gas injected in a contra-flow configuration to incoming particle stream from the ionization chamber. The contra-flow can be in the directly opposite counter-flow direction (e.g., 180 degrees) or at a cross-flow angle to the incoming ion stream (e.g., flowing at an angle between about 10 degrees and 170 degrees). The contra-flow disrupts the axial gas flow and diverts neutral molecules and other undesirable contaminants before they reach the high vacuum stages (e.g., beyond the IQ0 orifice) of the spectrometer. By reducing the transmission of contaminants into the sensitive components housed deep within the mass spectrometer, the present invention can increase throughput, improve robustness, and/or decrease the downtime typically required to vent/disassemble/clean the fouled components.

A mass selective ion trapping device includes a linear ion trap and a RF control circuitry. The ion trap includes a plurality of trap electrodes configured for generating a quadrupolar trapping field in a trap interior and for mass selective ejection of ions from the trap interior. The RF control circuitry is configured to apply a balanced AC voltage to the trap electrodes during a first period of time such that an AC voltage applied to a first pair of trap electrodes is of the same magnitude and of opposite sign to an AC voltage applied to a second pair of trap electrodes; apply unbalanced RF voltage to the second pair of trap electrodes during a second period of time; ramp the balanced AC voltage down and the unbalanced RF voltage up during a transition period; and eject ions from the linear ion trap after the second period of time.

A mass spectrometer includes an ion source, an ion guide, a first gate, first and second mass filters, a fragmentation cell, a detector, and a controller. The ion source is configured to produce an ion beam from a sample. The first and second mass filters are configured to selectively transmit ions within a mass-to-charge range and reject ions outside of the mass-to-charge range. The detector is configured to measure the intensity of the transmitted ion beam. The controller is configured to close the first ion gate to prevent ions from entering the first mass filter, switch a first quadrupole voltage of the first mass filter to a voltage of a first transition, and open the first ion gate to allow ions to enter the first mass filter, the opening offset from the switching by at least the time required to adjust the voltage of the first mass filter.