US 12,125,692 B2
Complemented ion funnel for mass spectrometer
Alexander A. Makarov, Bremen (DE); Eloy R. Wouters, San Jose, CA (US); Joshua A. Silveira, San Jose, CA (US); Mikhail G. Skoblin, Dolgoprudny (RU); and Viacheslav Kozlovskiy, Chernogolovka (RU)
Assigned to Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Bremen (DE); and Thermo Finnigan LLC, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Bremen (DE); and THERMO FINNIGAN LLC, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/345,549.
Prior Publication US 2022/0399199 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. H01J 49/06 (2006.01); H01J 49/00 (2006.01); H01J 49/24 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 49/066 (2013.01) [H01J 49/0031 (2013.01); H01J 49/24 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of introducing ions generated from an atmospheric ion source into a vacuum chamber of a mass spectrometer system, comprising:
introducing the ions and gas into a first electrode section of an ion transport apparatus of the mass spectrometer system through a slotted bore of an ion transfer tube, the first electrode section comprising a first central longitudinal axis that is contained within a slot plane of the ion transfer tube wherein the ion transport apparatus further comprises:
a second electrode section configured to receive the ions from the first electrode section and comprising a second central longitudinal axis that is not coincident with the first central longitudinal axis; and
an ion outlet aperture configured to receive the ions from the second electrode section and to transfer the ions to the vacuum chamber;
providing voltages to electrodes of the ion transport apparatus that urge the ions to migrate towards the second central longitudinal axis within the first electrode section; and
removing a major portion of the gas through an exhaust port that is offset from the ion outlet aperture,
wherein the introducing of the ions and gas into the first electrode section comprises introducing the ions and gas into an ion tunnel section that comprises:
a plurality of stacked, mutually parallel plate electrodes or ring electrodes, each plate electrode or ring electrode comprising an edge having a respective cutout therein; and
a repeller electrode or repeller electrode assembly, wherein an ion transport volume of the first electrode section is defined between the repeller electrode or repeller electrode assembly and the plurality of plate electrodes or ring electrodes.