Patent · US Expired

Dielectric capillary high pass ion filter

US6486469B1 · kind B1 · utility

33Cited by
15References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 29, 1999
Grant dateNov 26, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 29, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J49/04
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

For delivery of ions from a higher pressure ion source to a mass analyzer operating at high vacuum, high pass ion filtration is effected within a dielectric capillary interface between the higher pressure ionization chamber and the lower pressure environment of a mass analyzer, by application of electrical potentials to end electrodes and to at least one electrode associated with the dielectric capillary between the ends, to create an end-to-end electric field generally opposing gas flow-assisted movement of ions from the upstream end to the downstream end, and to create a steeper voltage gradient along an upstream portion than along a downstream portion of the capillary. The voltage gradient along the steeper upstream portion of the capillary is sufficiently steep to cause ions having drift velocities below a lower limit to stall within the capillary. The respective potentials may be adjusted to increase the steepness of the upstream voltage gradient to increase the drift velocity lower limit.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.