An ion transport system comprises: (I) an ion transfer tube extending between an atmospheric-pressure ionization chamber and a partially evacuated chamber; and (II) an ion funnel within the chamber comprising: (1) an exit electrode that has an exit aperture configured to deliver the gas and charged particles to a high-vacuum chamber; and (2) a funnel portion comprising a plurality of plate electrodes configured as a stack, each electrode comprising a respective aperture, wherein an aperture diameter of each of the plurality of electrodes is greater than or equal to three times an inter-electrode pitch and wherein no DC electrical potential gradient is applied between the exit electrode and an adjacent one of the plurality of plate electrodes.

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.

The invention provides an electron-impact ion source device having high brightness as compared to known Nier-type ion sources, while providing similar advantages in terms of flexibility of the generated ion species, for example. The ionization chamber of the device operates at high pressures and provides for a large number of interactions between the electron beam and the gas molecules.

An interface for receiving ions in a carrier gas from an atmospheric pressure ion source at a spectrometer that is configured to analyse the received ions at a lower pressure includes an interface vacuum chamber having a downstream aperture; a support assembly defining an axial bore arranged to allow a removable capillary tube to extend therethrough; ions being received from the atmospheric pressure ion source through the capillary tube and directed towards the downstream aperture; and a jet disruptor, positioned downstream from the axial bore and configured to disrupt gas flow between the axial bore and the downstream aperture only when the capillary tube is not fully inserted through the axial bore.

An apparatus for particle collection is provided. The apparatus includes a magnetic element configured to generate a tapered magnetic ion transport tunnel that collects particles from a local environment, a detector configured to perform one or more measurements of the collected particles, and ion optics configured to transport the collected particles to the detector.

Disclosed herein is an ion guide for guiding an ion beam along an ion path, said ion guide having a longitudinal axis which corresponds to said ion path. Said ion guide comprises a plurality of electrode plates which are arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, each electrode plate having an opening and being arranged such that said longitudinal axis extends through its respective opening, wherein said openings collectively define an ion guide volume. The ion guide extends or is configured to extend through a separation wall separating adjacent first and second pumping chambers. The ion guide has a first portion, in which gaps are formed between at least some of said electrode plates such that uncharged gas can escape from said ion guide volume, wherein said first portion is completely located in said first pumping chamber. A second portion, in which sealing elements are arranged between adjacent electrode plates, prevents neutral gas from escaping from that portion of the ion guide volume between adjacent electrode plates, said second portion extends at least from said separation wall into said second pumping chamber.

An apparatus for particle collection is provided. The apparatus includes a magnetic element configured to generate a tapered magnetic ion transport tunnel that collects particles from a local environment, a detector configured to perform one or more measurements of the collected particles, and ion optics configured to transport the collected particles to the detector.

The mass spectrometer includes an ionization unit, an ion transport unit, and a mass separation unit that separates transported ions according to a mass-to-charge ratio. The ion transport unit includes a transport electrode member, a voltage generator that applies a voltage to the transport electrode member, and a voltage controller that changes a voltage applied to the transport electrode member while ionization is performed. The voltage controller switches between a first voltage state in which charged particles generated in the ionization unit can enter the mass separation unit, and a second voltage state in which the charged particles cannot enter the mass separation unit, and switches a voltage state of the transport electrode member between the first voltage state and the second voltage state.

A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising separating ions temporally in a first device 5 and analysing the mass or mass to charge ratio of the ions or of product or fragment ions derived from the ions in a mass or mass to charge ratio analyser 8 disposed downstream of the first device 5. The method further comprises obtaining a first set of drift times for the ions through the first device 5 by measuring ion arrival times and determining the transit time of the ions and/or of the product or fragment ions through one or more intermediate regions or devices 6, 7 disposed between the first device 5 and the mass to charge ratio analyser 8. The method further comprises obtaining a second set of drift times for the ions through the first device 5 by correcting the first set of drift times to account for the determined transit times.