Ion Entry/Exit Device

Abstract

A method of introducing and ejecting ions from an ion entry/exit device (4) is disclosed. The ion entry/exit device (4) has at least two arrays of electrodes (20,22). The device is operated in a first mode wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays ((20,22) in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the first direction. The device is also operated in a second mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays (20,22) in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the array in the second direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the second direction. The device provides a single, relatively simple device for manipulating ions in multiple directions. For example, the device may be used to load ions into or eject ions from an ion mobility separator in a first direction, and may then be used to cause ions to move through the ion mobility separator in the second direction so as to cause the ions to separate.

Claims

1. A method of introducing and ejecting ions from an ion mobility separation device, said method comprising: providing an ion entry/exit device having at least two arrays of electrodes; operating the device in a first mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the first direction; and operating the device in a second mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the second direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the second direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least two arrays of electrodes are arranged parallel to each other.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein each array of electrodes comprises a plurality of electrodes arranged in rows and columns; and wherein in said first mode said DC potentials are applied to the electrodes in a first row and are then successively applied to different rows of electrodes such that said potential barrier moves along the array in the first direction; and/or wherein in said second mode said DC potentials are applied to the electrodes in a first column and are then successively applied to different columns of electrodes such that said potential barrier moves along the array in the second direction.

4. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising supplying RF voltages to said arrays of electrodes so as to confine ions in the direction between the arrays.

5. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the method is operated in the first mode and ions are loaded into the device in the first direction, and the method is then operated in said second mode and these ions are ejected from the device in the second direction.

6. The method of any preceding claim, comprising: temporally separating ions according to a physicochemical property prior to their entry into the ion entry/exit device; then receiving the ions in the ion entry/exit device; operating the ion entry/exit device in the first mode so that the temporally separated ions are ejected from the device in the first direction; and temporarily operating the ion entry/exit device in the second mode so as to selectively eject ions having a selected value, or range of values, of said physicochemical property from the device in the second direction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the physicochemical property is mass to charge ratio or ion mobility.

8. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising ejecting said ions from the ion entry/exit device into a first ion guide, ion trap or ion processing device in said first mode and into a second ion guide in the second mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second ion guide comprises electrodes and the method comprises applying DC voltages to the electrodes of the second ion guide so as to drive ions along the longitudinal axis of the second ion guide; and wherein either a static DC potential gradient is applied along the axial length of the second ion guide so as to drive ions along said longitudinal axis; or wherein one or more DC potentials is applied to successive electrodes along the axial length of the second ion guide such that a DC potential barrier travels along the length of the second ion guide and drives ions along the second ion guide.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, wherein the second ion guide is a closed-loop ion guide that starts and ends with said ion entry/exit device such that in the second mode ions are driven out of the ion entry/exit device through an exit aperture, pass around the closed-loop ion guide and are then reintroduced back into the ion entry/exit device through an entrance aperture.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second mode of operation continues to operate such that the potential barrier in the ion entry/exit region moves in the second direction and urges the reintroduced ions out of the ion entry/exit device in the second direction again so that the ions and pass around the second ion guide again.

12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein a DC potential is travelled around the second ion guide so as to drive ions from the exit aperture of the ion entry/exit device to the entrance aperture of the ion entry/exit device, and wherein this travelling DC potential is synchronised with the travelling DC potential present in the ion entry/exit device in the second mode of operation such that a travelling DC potential travels substantially continuously around the second ion guide and through the ion entry/exit device.

13. The method of claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the ions pass around the second ion guide x times, wherein x is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15 or 20.

14. The method of any one of claim 8-13, wherein the ion entry/exit device and/or second ion guide forms an ion mobility separator in which the ions separate along the longitudinal axis according to their ion mobilities.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the ions separate according to their ion mobilities as they pass along the second ion guide, and wherein the ion entry/exit device is then switched to the first mode so as to eject at least some of the separated ions out of the device in the first direction and into said first ion guide, ion trap, or ion processing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the ion entry/exit device is temporarily switched from the second mode to the first mode such that only ions of a first ion mobility, or first range of ion mobilities, that have passed along the second ion guide are ejected out of the ion entry/exit device in the first direction, whilst other ions having a second ion mobility, or second range of ion mobilities, pass through the ion entry/exit device in the second direction such that they continue on to pass through the second ion guide again.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, wherein the selectively ejected ions are stored, mass analysed, fragmented to form fragment ions, or reacted with ions or molecules to form product ions within said first ion guide, ion trap, or ion processing device.

18. The method of claim 15, 16 or 17, comprising reintroducing the selectively ejected ions, fragment ions or product ions into the ion entry/exit device whilst operating the device in the second mode such that the reintroduced ions pass into the second ion guide again.

19. The method of any one of claims 8-18, comprising operating the ion entry/exit device in the first mode of operation such that ions are transmitted into, through and out of the ion entry/exit device in the first direction and into the first ion guide or ion trap, without being passed into said second ion guide.

20. The method of any one of claims 8-19, wherein during said first mode, the method comprises maintaining the potential of at least some of the electrodes in at least one of the electrode arrays at a DC potential that is lower than the DC potential of the electrodes in the adjacent portion(s) of the second ion guide, such that a DC potential barrier is provided between the ion entry/exit device and the second ion guide which prevents ions from exiting the ion entry/exit device and entering the second ion guide; and/or wherein during said second mode, the method comprises maintaining the potential of at least some of the electrodes in at least one of the electrode arrays at a DC potential that is substantially the same as the DC potential of the electrodes in the adjacent portion(s) of the second ion guide such that substantially no DC potential barrier is provided between the ion entry/exit device and the second ion guide so that ions can exit the ion entry/exit device and enter the second ion guide.

21. A method of introducing and ejecting ions from an ion entry/exit device, said method comprising: providing an ion entry/exit device having at least one array of electrodes; operating the device in a first mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of the electrode array in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the array in the first direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the first direction; and operating the device in a second mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of the electrode array in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the array in the second direction and drives ions into and/or out of the device in the second direction.

22. A method of mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry comprising a method as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising detecting the ions, mass analysing the ions or ion mobility analysing the ions.

23. A method of mass spectrometry or ion mobility spectrometry comprising: providing a closed loop ion guide having an ion entry/exit region arranged therein, wherein the ion entry/exit region comprises at least two arrays of electrodes; operating the ion entry/exit region in a first mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction and drives ions into and/or out of the closed loop ion guide in the first direction; and operating the ion entry/exit region in a second mode, wherein DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the second direction and drives ions around the longitudinal axis of the closed loop ion guide, and wherein the ions separate according to their ion mobilities as they pass around the closed loop ion guide.

24. An ion entry/exit device for a mass spectrometer and/or ion mobility spectrometer, said device comprising: at least two arrays of electrodes; at least one DC voltage supply; and control means for varying the electrical potentials applied to the electrodes of said at least two arrays with time; wherein in a first mode of operation said control means successively applies DC potentials to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction for driving ions into and/or out of the device in the first direction; and wherein in a second mode of operation said control means successively applies DC potentials to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the second direction for driving ions into and/or out of the device in the second direction.

25. An ion entry/exit device for a mass spectrometer and/or ion mobility spectrometer, said device comprising: at least one array of electrodes; at least one DC voltage supply; and control means for varying the electrical potentials applied to the electrodes of said at least one array with time; wherein in a first mode of operation said control means successively applies DC potentials to successive electrodes of the at least one array in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction for driving ions into and/or out of the device in the first direction; and wherein in a second mode of operation said control means successively applies DC potentials to successive electrodes of the at least one array in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the second direction for driving ions into and/or out of the device in the second direction.

26. A closed loop ion guide comprising an ion entry/exit device, wherein said ion entry/exit device comprises: at least two arrays of electrodes; at least one DC voltage supply; and control means for varying the electrical potentials applied to the electrodes of said at least two arrays with time; wherein in a first mode of operation said control means successively applies DC potentials to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays in a first direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the first direction for driving ions into and/or out of the closed loop ion guide in the first direction; and wherein in a second mode of operation said control means successively applies DC potentials to successive electrodes of at least one of the electrode arrays in a second, different direction such that a potential barrier moves along the at least one array in the second direction for driving ions around the longitudinal axis of the closed loop ion guide such that the ions separate according to their ion mobilities as they pass around the closed loop ion guide.

27. A mass spectrometer and/or ion mobility spectrometer comprising an ion entry/exit device or closed loop ion guide as claimed in claim 24, 25 or 26.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0094] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0095] FIG. 1A shows a front view of a schematic of an ion mobility separator (IMS) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the drift cell of the IMS device of FIG. 1A, and FIGS. 1C and 1D show different views of the embodiment of FIG. 1A;

[0096] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the ion entry/exit device of the drift cell;

[0097] FIG. 3 shows a schematic of the electrical potentials that are applied to the ion entry/exit device during a mode in which ions are injected/loaded into the entry/exit device from outside of the drift cell;

[0098] FIG. 4 shows the electrical potentials that are applied to the ion entry/exit device during a mode in which ions are driven out of the ion entry/exit region and into the adjacent part of the drift cell;

[0099] FIG. 5A shows a schematic of a preferred embodiment of a spectrometer comprising the IMS device, and FIG. 5B shows a potential energy diagram of the DC potentials applied to the components of the spectrometer in a mode in which ions are being accumulated in the ion entry/exit device of the drift cell;

[0100] FIGS. 6A and 6B show how the potentials applied to the spectrometer are altered in preparation for moving ions from the ion entry/exit device into the axially adjacent part of the IMS drift cell;

[0101] FIGS. 7A and 7B show the DC potentials applied to the spectrometer at a stage when the ions are driven out of the ion entry/exit device into the adjacent part of the IMS drift cell; and

[0102] FIGS. 8A and 8B show the DC potentials applied to the spectrometer at a stage when the ions are ejected from the drift cell at the ion entry/exit device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0103] FIG. 1A shows a front view of a schematic of an ion mobility separator (IMS) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The IMS device 1 comprises a closed-loop drift cell 2 around which the ions are guided in use. The drift cell 2 comprises a plurality of electrodes that act to confine the ions to an axial path that extends around the closed-loop drift cell 2. The drift cell 2 also comprises electrodes that urge the ions along the axial length of the drift cell. The ion guide is filled with a background gas such that as the ions are urged around the drift cell 2 they collide with the gas molecules and separate according to their ion mobilities through the gas. The ions may be urged around the closed-loop drift cell 2 once or multiple times before being extracted through an exit region 4. The ions may be urged around the drift cell 2 by applying one or more electrical potential that travels axially along the drift cell 2, or less preferably by a static DC potential gradient that is arranged axially along the drift cell 2.

[0104] FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the drift cell 2 of the IMS device of FIG. 1A. FIG. 1B shows an embodiment of an electrode unit arrangement 5 that may be used to confine ions to the axis of the ion guiding path in the drift cell 2. At a given point along the axial length of the ion guiding path, the path is preferably defined between two RF electrodes 6 that are spaced apart in a first direction and two DC electrodes 8 that are spaced in a second, preferably orthogonal, direction. RF voltages are applied to the RF electrodes 6 so as to confine the ions between the RF electrodes 6, in the first direction. DC voltages are applied to the DC electrodes 8 so as to confine the ions between the DC electrodes 8, in the second direction. The electrode unit 5 is repeated along the axial length of the drift cell 2 such that ions are confined in the drift cell 2 at all points around the ion guide, except when ions are ejected from the ion entry/exit region 4, which will be described further below. The electrode units 5 are axially spaced along the ion guiding path and one of more DC potential may be successively applied to successive electrode units 5 such that a travelling DC potential travels around the drift cell 2 and hence forces the ions around the drift cell. Alternatively, different DC potentials may be applied to successive electrode units 5 around the ion guide such that a static DC gradient is applied along the axis that forces the ions around the drift cell 2.

[0105] The upper and lower sides of the drift cell 2 may be formed from printed circuit boards having the DC or RF electrodes 6,8 arranged thereon. Alternatively, or additionally, the radially inner and outer sides of the drift cell 2 may be formed from printed circuit boards having the RF or DC electrodes 6,8 arranged thereon.

[0106] FIG. 1C and FIG. 1D show an orthogonal view and a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1A respectively. The drift cell 2 is arranged inside a chamber 10 that is filled with drift gas. Ions are guided into and out of the chamber 10 using RF ion guides 12,14. The RF ion guides 12,14 are also coupled with the ion entry/exit region 4 of the drift cell 2 such that ions can be guided into the drift cell 2 and out of the drift cell 2. In this embodiment, ions are guided into the chamber 10 and into the entry/exit region 4 of the drift cell 2 by input ion guides 12. If the ions are desired to be separated by their ion mobility then the ions are urged in an orthogonal direction to the ion entry direction and are urged around the oval or racetrack ion path of the drift cell 2. As the ions pass along the ion path they separate according to their ion mobility through the drift gas that is present in the chamber 10 and hence the drift cell 2. When ions are desired to be extracted from the drift cell 2 they are ejected in a direction towards the exit RF ion guides 14. The ions are then guided out of the chamber 10 by the exit ion guides 14.

[0107] On the other hand, if ion mobility separation of the ions is not required then ion species can be caused to pass from the input ion guide 12 to the output ion guide 14 directly through the entry/exit region 4 of the drift cell 2 and without passing around the drift cell 2. In other words, the drift cell 2 may be operated in a by-pass mode.

[0108] In a preferred mode of operation, it is possible to extract ions having a desired range of ions mobilities from the drift cell 2. This is achieved by causing ions to traverse around the drift cell 2 so that they separate and then synchronising the activation of one or more ejection voltages at the ion entry/exit region 4 with the time at which the ions of interest are at the entry/exit region 4. The desired ions are therefore ejected from the drift cell 2 and the other ion species remaining in the drift cell 2 can continue to pass through the drift cell 2 and separate according to ion mobility. Alternatively, the remaining ions may be discarded from the drift cell 2, for example, by removal of the RF voltages from the electrodes 6 such that the ions are no longer confined within the drift cell 2.

[0109] The ejected ions having the desired ion mobilities can be immediately transported away from the drift cell 2 to a mass analyser or detector. Alternatively, such ions may be trapped in a storage region whilst the next mobility cycle occurs in the drift cell 2 and until more ions of the same ion mobility range are ejected from the drift cell 2 into the storage region. After sufficient mobility cycles have been performed to accumulate the desired number of ions in the storage region, these ions may then be transported to an analyser for further analysis or to a detector. This method may be used to increase the ion signal of the desired ions. Additionally, or alternatively, the desired ions that have been ejected from the drift cell 2 may be fragmented, activated or dissociated and then reintroduced back into the drift cell such that the ion mobilities of the fragment, activated or product ions can be analysed by the drift cell 2.

[0110] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the ion entry/exit device 4 of the drift cell 2. The ion entry/exit device 4 comprises two parallel, rectangular arrays of electrodes 20,22 that are spaced apart from each other. Each array of electrodes 20,22 comprises a plurality of electrodes arranged in rows and columns. Various electrical potentials are applied to these electrodes so as to manipulate the ions, as will be described in more detail below. The device has four sides that extend between the four edges of the arrays 20,22. Two of the opposing sides are formed by end plates 24,26, wherein each end plate has an orifice 28,30 therein. One of the end plates 26 has an ion injection orifice 30 for injecting ions into the device 4 from outside of the drift cell 2. The opposing end plate 24 has an ion ejection orifice 28 for ejecting ions out of the device 4 and the drift cell 2. The other two opposing sides are junctions with the drift electrodes 32 of the main drift cell 2. One of the junctions, the entrance junction, allows ions to pass into the device 4 from within another part of the drift cell 2. The other junction, the exit junction, allows ions to pass out of the device 4 and into another part of the drift cell 2.

[0111] RF electrical potentials are applied to the electrodes in the arrays of electrodes 20,22 in order to confine ions in the direction between the arrays 20,22. The same phase RF potential is preferably applied to all of the electrodes in the same column of electrodes (a column extends in the direction between the end plates 24,26 having orifices 28,30). Adjacent columns of electrodes are preferably maintained at different RF phases, preferably opposite RF phases. However, it is alternatively contemplated that same phase RF potential may be applied to all of the electrodes in the same row (a row extends in the direction parallel to the apertured plates 24,26). Adjacent rows of electrodes are preferably maintained at different RF phases, preferably opposite RF phases.

[0112] The ion entry/exit device 4 has plurality of modes of operation. According to a first mode of operation the device 4 is operated in a manner that injects or loads ions into the device 4 from outside of the drift cell 2. The device 4 may also be operated in another mode that urges ions out of the ion entry/exit device 4 into an adjacent part of the drift cell 2. The device 4 may also be operated in another mode which ejects ions out of the device 4 to a region outside of the drift cell 2. These modes will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0113] FIG. 3 shows a schematic of the electrical potentials that are applied to the ion entry/exit device 4 and the adjacent parts of the drift cell 2 on either side of the device 4 during a mode in which ions are injected/loaded into the entry/exit device 4 from outside of the drift cell 2. The array of dark and light vertical bars 30 represent the potentials applied to either or both of the electrode arrays 20,22 in the ion entry/exit device 4. The colours of the vertical bars 30 represent the RF phases applied to the electrodes in the arrays 20,22, e.g. light coloured vertical bars represent one RF phase and dark coloured RF bars represent the opposite RF phase. The vertical heights of the vertical bars 30 represent the magnitudes of the DC voltages applied to the electrodes in the array(s) 20,22. It can be seen that relatively high amplitude DC potentials are applied to all of the electrodes in some of the rows of electrodes, and that relatively low amplitude DC potentials are applied to all of the electrodes in the adjacent rows of electrodes. During the mode in which ions are injected/loaded into the device 4, the DC potentials applied to the electrodes in the arrays 20,22 are varied with time such that the high DC voltages are successively applied to successive rows of electrodes in a direction from the ion injection orifice 30 towards the ion ejection orifice 28, and such that DC potential barriers travel in the direction from the ion injection orifice 30 towards the ion ejection orifice 28. Simultaneously, the low DC voltages are successively applied to successive rows of electrodes in a direction from the ion injection orifice 30 towards the ion ejection orifice 28. This causes ions to be forced into the ion entry/exit device 4 by the high amplitude DC voltages, wherein the ions travel in the regions of low DC voltages. The end plate having the exit orifice 28 may be maintained at a DC or RF potential such that ions are prevented from exiting the ion entry/exit device 4 during loading/injection of ions. Alternatively, or additionally, the amplitude of the high DC potentials may decrease as they travel in the direction towards the exit orifice 28. Alternatively, or additionally, a row of electrodes proximal to the exit orifice 28 may be maintained at high DC potentials so that the ions cannot be forced past this row and out of the ion entry/exit device 4 during loading.

[0114] The horizontally elongated bars 32 in FIG. 3 represent the potentials of electrodes in regions of the drift cell 2 that are adjacent to the ion entry/exit device 4. The colours of these horizontal bars represent the RF phases applied to the electrodes, e.g. light-coloured bars represent one RF phase and dark-coloured bars represent the opposite RF phase. The vertical heights at which the horizontally elongated bars 32 are located represent the magnitudes of the DC voltages applied to the electrodes. As can be seen, most of the horizontally elongated bars 32 are at a relatively low DC potential, but some of these bars are at a higher DC potential. These higher DC potentials are successively applied to successive electrodes along the axial length of the drift cell 2 so that a DC potential barrier travels along the axial length of the drift cell 2 and drives ions around the drift cell 2, which will be described in more detail in relation to FIG. 4.

[0115] Referring again to FIG. 3, the vertical heights at which the upper surfaces of the horizontally elongated bars 32 are located represent the magnitudes of the DC voltages applied to the electrodes. It can be seen that the magnitude of the low DC potentials applied to the electrode arrays 20,22 during ion loading/injection is smaller than the DC potentials at which the axially adjacent regions of the drift cell 2 is maintained. As such, the ions are prevented from passing from the ion entry/exit region 4 into the adjacent regions of the drift cell 2 during the ion loading/injection mode.

[0116] Once the ions have been loaded/injected into the ion entry/exit device 4, all of the electrodes in the array 20,22 may be maintained at the relatively low DC potential, i.e. there is no longer a need to drive ions in the direction between the end plates 24,26 having the orifices 28,30 and so the high DC potentials may be replaced by low DC potentials. The two end plates 24,26 may be maintained at DC or RF potentials that prevent ions from exiting through the end plates 24,26. The DC potentials applied to the electrodes in the arrays 20,22 may then be increased to the same value as the low DC potentials of the axially adjacent regions of the drift cell 2. There is then no DC barrier between the ion entry/exit region 4 and the axially adjacent portions of the drift cell 2. As such, ions may then pass easily from the ion entry/exit device 4 into the adjacent portion of the drift cell 2 so as to be separated according to their ion mobilities, as will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0117] FIG. 4 shows the electrical potentials that are applied to the ion entry/exit device 4 and the axially adjacent parts of the drift cell 2 during a mode in which ions are driven out of the ion entry/exit region 4 and into the adjacent part of the drift cell 2. As described above, after ions have been loaded/injected into the ion entry/exit device 4 the DC potentials applied to the arrays of electrodes 20,22 are raised to correspond to the DC potentials of the adjacent parts of the drift cell 2. As such, there is no longer a DC barrier between the ion entry/exit device 4 and the adjacent parts of the drift cell. As shown in FIG. 4, the DC potentials applied to two columns of electrodes in the electrode arrays 20,22 are then increased to high DC voltages relative to the other electrodes in the arrays 20,22. These high DC voltages are successively applied to successive columns in the arrays 20,22 such that the high DC voltages move along the arrays in the axial direction of the drift cell 2, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 4. This causes the ions to be driven out of the ion entry/exit device 4 and through the exit junction. The ions then pass into the axially adjacent portion of the drift region 2. The high DC voltages that drove the ions out of the ion entry/exit device 4 may then be successively applied to successive electrodes along the axial length of the remainder of the drift region 2 so as to continuously drive the ions around the entire drift region 2. Examples of such voltages are shown by the relatively high horizontally elongated bars in FIG. 4.

[0118] The ions are driven around the closed-loop drift cell 2 by the travelling DC voltages and back into the ion entry/exit device 4 through the entrance junction. The ions may be ejected from the drift cell 2 at this point, as will be described in more detail below. Alternatively, the ions may again be driven through the ion entry/exit device 4 by applying the travelling DC potentials to the columns of electrodes in the electrode arrays 20,22 and then driven around the drift cell 2 by the travelling DC potentials applied to the remainder of the drift cell electrodes. The ions may be driven around the drift cell 4 by this process as many times as is desired, until the ions have separated according to their ion mobility as desired. In this mode, the translation of the high DC potentials that drive ions through the ion entry/exit device 4 and into the axially adjacent part of the drift region 2 is preferably synchronised with the translation of the high DC potentials around the rest of the drift region. As such, the ion entry/exit region 4 is substantially ion-optically identical to the remainder of the drift region 2 during the mode of operation in which the ions are translated around the closed-loop drift cell a plurality of times.

[0119] When it is desired to eject ions from the drift cell, the DC potentials applied to the arrays of electrodes 20,22 in the ion entry/exit region 4 may be lowered again relative to the adjacent parts of the drift cell 2 as shown in FIG. 3. DC potentials may then be applied to the arrays of electrodes 20,22 so as to drive ions in the direction from the injection orifice 30 of the injection end plate 26 to the ejection orifice 28 of the ejection end plate 24. This is performed in the same manner as the ion loading/ejection mode of FIG. 3, except that in the ejection mode there is no potential barrier preventing the ions exiting the ion entry/exit device through the ejection orifice 30 of the ejection end plate 26. It will be appreciated that alternatively the ions could be ejected from the ion entry/exit device 4 through the same orifice 30 that they were loaded/injected by translating the high DC potentials in the opposite direction to the loading/injection direction.

[0120] The ion entry/exit region 4 may operate in a bypass mode in which ions are not desired to be driven around the closed-loop drift cell 2, and in which the ions are not caused to separate. This mode is the same as that described in relation to FIG. 3, except that the ions simply pass directly from the entrance orifice 30 and out of the exit orifice 28 without being transmitted orthogonally into the axially adjacent portion of the drift cell 2. The ions may be prevented from passing into the axially adjacent portion of the closed-loop drift cell 2 by the DC potentials on the electrodes arrays 20,22 being lower than those of the adjacent parts of the drift cell 2. The ions may or may not be driven through the ion entry/exit region 4 by the high DC potentials described in relation to FIG. 3.

[0121] FIG. 5A shows a schematic side view of a preferred embodiment of a spectrometer comprising the IMS device. The spectrometer comprises a drift gas chamber 10, an ion trap 40, a helium cell 42, an ion accumulation cell 44, the IMS device 2, an exit cell 46 and an ion transfer cell 48. Electrode gates 50-58 are arranged between the above described successive components. In particular, an entrance gate 54 is arranged upstream of the ion entry/exit device 4 and an exit gate 56 is arranged downstream of the ion entry/exit device 4. The IMS device 2 corresponds to that shown in FIG. 1C.

[0122] FIG. 5B shows a potential energy diagram of the DC potentials applied to the components of the spectrometer in a mode in which ions are being accumulated in the ion entry/exit device 4 of the drift cell 2. Ions are released from the ion trap 40 and are then driven through the helium cell 42 by an axial electric field. The ions then pass through the ion accumulation cell 44 and into the ion entry/exit device 4 through the ion entrance orifice 30 in the entrance end plate 26 described above in relation to FIG. 2. The DC potentials of the electrodes in the electrode arrays 20,22 of the ion entry/exit device 4 are maintained lower than the DC potentials applied to the accumulation cell 44, the entrance gate 54 and the exit gate 56. As such, ions are axially, trapped and accumulate in the ion entry/exit device 4. The ions enter the ion entry/exit device 4 through the entrance orifice 30 of the entrance end plate 26 described above in relation to FIG. 2. A travelling DC wave may be applied to the rows of electrodes in the electrode arrays 20,22 in order to urge ions into the ion entry/exit device 4, as described with reference to FIG. 3. The DC potential of the IMS drift cell 2 (excluding the ion entry/exit device 4) is represented by the horizontal line that is parallel and vertically above the line representing the DC voltage applied to the arrays 20,22 of the ion entry/exit device 4. The potential difference represented by the gap between these two lines prevents ions from passing out of the ion entry/exit device 4 and into the axially adjacent parts of the IMS drift cell 2.

[0123] FIGS. 6A and 6B correspond to FIGS. 5A and 5B, except that they show how the potentials applied to the spectrometer are altered in preparation for moving ions from the ion entry/exit device 4 into the axially adjacent part of the IMS drift cell 2. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 6B, the DC potentials of the entrance gate 54, array electrodes 20,22 and exit gate 56 are raised to the DC potentials illustrated by the horizontal dashed lines. The DC potentials applied to the arrays of electrodes 20,22 are then equivalent to the DC potentials applied to the adjacent parts of the IMS drift cell 2, and hence there is no DC barrier preventing ions from passing from the ion entry/exit device 4 into the adjacent part of the IMS drift cell 2.

[0124] FIGS. 7A and 7B correspond to FIGS. 6A and 6B, except that they show the potentials at a stage when the ions are driven out of the ion entry/exit device 4 into the adjacent part of the IMS drift cell 2. As described above with reference to FIG. 4, the ions are driven out of the exit aperture 28 in the apertured exit plate 24 by applying DC travelling potentials to the columns of electrodes in the arrays of electrodes 20,22. These travelling potentials are illustrated by the series of parallel horizontal lines 60 in FIG. 7B. The ions are then driven around the drift cell 2 by travelling DC potentials such that the ions separate according to their ion mobilities, as has been described above. When the ions have passed around the drift cell 2 the desired number of times, the ions may be ejected at the ion entry/exit device 4. The length of time the potentials of the electrode arrays 20,22 are in the mode shown in FIG. 7B dictates how many passes the ions of given ion mobility make around drift cell 2.

[0125] FIGS. 8A and 8B correspond to FIGS. 7A and 7B, except that they show the DC potentials applied to the spectrometer at a stage when the ions are ejected from the drift cell 2 at the ion entry/exit device 4. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 8B, the DC potentials of the entrance gate 54, array electrodes 20,22 and exit gate 56 are lowered to the DC potentials illustrated by the horizontal dashed lines. The DC potentials of the entrance gate 54, array electrodes 20,22, exit gate 56, exit cell 45 and ion transfer cell 48 progressively decrease such that the ions are urged out of the ion entry/exit device 4 and along the spectrometer towards the ion transfer cell 48. The ions leave the ion entry/exit device 4 through the exit orifice 28 of the exit end plate 24 described above in relation to FIG. 2. A travelling DC wave is applied to the rows of electrodes in the electrode arrays 20,22 in order to urge ions out of the exit orifice 28. This is represented by the series of vertical lines 62 in the electrode array region of FIG. 8B.

[0126] Varying the potentials applied to the ion entry/exit device 4 relative to the remainder of the drift cell 2 during loading or ejection of ions at the ion entry/exit device 4 facilitates ion entry and exit from the drift cell 2 without having to alter the potentials of the other components of the spectrometer that are upstream or downstream. This also enables a bypass mode in which ions are not separated in the drift cell 2. For example, the DC potentials of the entrance gate 54, electrode arrays 20,22 and exit gate 56 may be made equivalent to the DC potentials of the accumulation cell 44 and exit cell 46 such that ions pass continuously from the accumulation cell 44, through the ion entry/exit device 4 and into the exit cell 46 without being separated in the drift cell 2.

[0127] The travelling DC waves applied to the drift cell 2 outside of the ion entry/exit device 4 may be operated continually during the above modes.

[0128] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

[0129] For example, although travelling DC potentials have been described as being used for driving ions around the region of the drift cell 2 outside of the ion entry/exit device 4, static DC gradients may be used instead for this purpose.

[0130] It will be appreciated that drift cells 2 having continuous ion guiding paths of shapes other than circular or oval paths are also contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention.

[0131] The ion entry/exit device 4 may be used for manipulating ions in systems other than ion mobility drift cells 2. For example, the ion entry/exit device 4 may be used to inject ion into or eject ions from another type of device.

[0132] The drift cell 2 (or other type of device) need not be a closed-loop device around which ions are guided. For example, the ion entry/exit device 4 could be used in a linear device. The ions may pass along such a non-closed loop device once, or may be reflected along the device multiple times.

[0133] The geometry of the electrode arrays 20,22 may be varied and need not be arrays having columns and rows of electrodes.

[0134] The direction of the travelling DC potentials in the electrode arrays may be changed or may provide multiple directional travel options.