US 12,394,615 B2
Apparatus and method for pulsed mode charge detection mass spectrometry
Martin F. Jarrold, Bloomington, IN (US); and Aaron A. Todd, Bloomington, IN (US)
Assigned to THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY, Bloomington, IN (US)
Filed by THE TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY, Bloomington, IN (US)
Filed on Aug. 19, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/808,351.
Application 18/808,351 is a continuation of application No. 17/760,501, granted, now 12,112,936, previously published as PCT/US2020/052009, filed on Sep. 22, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/905,921, filed on Sep. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0412967 A1, Dec. 12, 2024
Int. Cl. H01J 49/42 (2006.01); H01J 49/40 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 49/4245 (2013.01) [H01J 49/406 (2013.01); H01J 49/4265 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A charge detection mass spectrometer, comprising:
an ion source configured to generate ions from a sample,
an ion trap having a trapping state in which the generated ions received into a ion inlet of the ion trap are stored therein, and a transmission state in which ions stored therein are released from an ion outlet of the ion trap,
an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT) array including at least two ELITs or ELIT regions, each of the at least two ELITs or ELIT regions including first and second ion mirrors and a charge detection cylinder positioned therebetween, the first ion mirror of each of the at least two ELITs or ELIT regions spaced apart a respective distance from the ion outlet of the ion trap and defining an ion inlet into the respective one of the at least two ELITs or ELIT regions, the first and second ion mirrors of each of the at least two ELITs or ELIT regions having a transmission state in which ions are transmitted therethrough, and a reflection state in which ions entering therein from the charge detection cylinder are reflected back into the charge detection cylinder, and
processing circuitry configured to control the ion trap from the trapping state to the transmission state thereof for a pulse width duration to cause the ion trap to release at least some of the stored ions from the ion outlet thereof to travel toward the ion inlets of the at least two ELITs or ELIT regions and, for each of the at least two ELITs or ELIT regions, to thereafter: (i) control the second ion mirror from the transmission state to the reflection state thereof upon expiration of a first respective delay time from control of the ion trap from the trapping state to the transmission state thereof, and (ii) control the first ion mirror from the transmission state to the reflection state thereof upon expiration of a second delay time from control of the ion trap from the transmission state to the reflection state thereof so as to trap at least one ion in the respective one of the at least two ELITs or ELIT regions,
wherein minimum and maximum values of mass-to-charge ratio of the at least one ion trapped in each of the at least two ELITs or ELIT regions is proportional to a sum of the first and second respective delay times.