US 12,235,238 B2
Ion mobility separation device
John Brian Hoyes, Stockport (GB)
Assigned to Micromass UK Limited, Wilmslow (GB)
Appl. No. 17/635,325
Filed by Micromass UK Limited, Wilmslow (GB)
PCT Filed Sep. 17, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/052259
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 14, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/053342, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 25, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 1913378 (GB), filed on Sep. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0291167 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 27/622 (2021.01); G01N 27/623 (2021.01)
CPC G01N 27/623 (2021.01) [G01N 27/622 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of separating ions according to their ion mobility using an ion mobility separation device including a first section comprising a first plurality of electrodes and a second section comprising a second plurality of electrodes, the method comprising:
urging ions through the first section against a first opposing electric field using a first driving force provided by a first set of one or more time varying voltage(s) or voltage waveform(s) applied to the electrodes of the first section, the first opposing field increasing in magnitude along the length of the first section, such that the ions are caused to distribute along the first section at equilibrium positions determined by their mobility;
progressively reducing the magnitude of the first opposing electric field and/or progressively increasing the magnitude of the first driving force over time so that ions sequentially pass from the first section into the second section in order of mobility; and
driving ions through the second section against a second opposing electric field using a second drive force provided by a second set of one or more time-varying voltage(s) or voltage waveform(s) applied to the electrodes of the second section such that ions separate temporally in the second section, wherein the second opposing electric field is substantially uniform along the length of the second section,
wherein the magnitude of the second opposing electric field is progressively reduced and/or the magnitude of the second driving force is progressively increased in tandem with reducing the magnitude of the first opposing electric field and/or increasing the magnitude of the first driving force.