US 12,354,865 B2
Multi-pass mass spectrometer
Anatoly Verenchikov, City of Bar (ME)
Assigned to Micromass UK Limited, Wilmslow (GB)
Filed by Micromass UK Limited, Wilmslow (GB)
Filed on May 26, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/324,421.
Application 18/324,421 is a continuation of application No. 17/539,599, filed on Dec. 1, 2021, granted, now 11,705,320.
Application 17/539,599 is a continuation of application No. 16/636,946, granted, now 11,211,238, issued on Dec. 28, 2021, previously published as PCT/GB2018/052103, filed on Jul. 26, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 1712612 (GB), filed on Aug. 6, 2017; application No. 1712613 (GB), filed on Aug. 6, 2017; application No. 1712614 (GB), filed on Aug. 6, 2017; application No. 1712616 (GB), filed on Aug. 6, 2017; application No. 1712617 (GB), filed on Aug. 6, 2017; application No. 1712618 (GB), filed on Aug. 6, 2017; and application No. 1712619 (GB), filed on Aug. 6, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0386818 A1, Nov. 30, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01J 49/40 (2006.01); H01J 49/42 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 49/406 (2013.01) [H01J 49/403 (2013.01); H01J 49/4225 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A time-of-flight mass analyser comprising:
at least one ion mirror for reflecting or turning ions in a first dimension (X-dimension);
an ion accelerator for pulsing ion packets into the ion mirror; and
an ion detector;
wherein the mass analyser comprises focusing electrodes arranged and configured to control the motion of ions in a second dimension (Z-dimension) orthogonal to the first dimension so as to spatially focus each of the ion packets so that it becomes continuously smaller in the second dimension along the whole of the distance it travels, in the second dimension, from one end of the mass analyser to the other end of the mass analyser.