Closed path ion mobility spectrometer having a common ion inlet and outlet

1. An ion mobility spectrometer, comprising:

a first drift tube defining a closed path, the first drift tube responsive to application of at least a first voltage to establish a first electric field therein configured to cause ions within the first drift tube to move along and about the closed path while separating from one another as a function of ion mobility, and

means, coupled to opposed ends of the first drift tube to form part of the closed-path, for selectively passing ions into and out of the first drift tube.

2. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 1 , further comprising a second drift tube configured to supply the ions to the means for selectively passing ions into and out of the first drift tube.

3. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 2 , further comprising a third drift tube configured to pass therethrough ions exiting the means for selectively passing ions into and out of the first drift tube.

4. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 3 , wherein the second and third drift tubes together form respective portions of a linear drift tube responsive to application of at least a second voltage to establish a second electric field therein configured to cause ions therein to move along the linear drift tube while separating from one another as a function of ion mobility.

5. An ion mobility spectrometer, comprising:

a first drift tube responsive to application of at least a first voltage to establish a first electric field therein configured to cause ions within the first drift tube to move along and about the first drift tube while separating from one another as a function of ion mobility, and

a transition region coupled to opposed ends of the first drift tube such that the first drift tube and the transition region together define a closed path, the transition region responsive to application of at least a second voltage to cause the ions to move along and about the closed path, to application of at least a third voltage to selectively pass ions into the first drift tube and to application of at least a fourth voltage to selectively pass ions out of the first drift tube.

6. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 5 , further comprising a second drift tube coupled to an ion inlet of the transition region, the second drift tube responsive to at least a fifth voltage to supply ions to the transition region.

7. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 6 , further comprising a third drift tube coupled to an ion outlet of the transition region, the third drift tube responsive to at least a sixth voltage to pass therethrough ions exiting the transition region.

8. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 5 , wherein the transition region comprises:

a first planar circuit board having a plurality of electrically conductive pads formed thereon,

a second planar circuit board having a plurality of electrically conductive pads formed thereon, wherein the first and second circuit boards are spaced apart from one another to form an ion channel therebetween with the electrically conductive pads of each facing and juxtaposed with one another to form a plurality of pairs of juxtaposed pads, and

at least one voltage source operatively coupled to each of the electrically conductive pads of the first and second planar circuit boards, the at least one voltage source configured to selectively apply the at least the second voltage across at least one of the pairs of juxtaposed pads to establish an electric field therebetween configured to pass ions entering the ion channel from one of the opposed ends of the first drift tube into the other of the opposed ends of the first drift tube such that the ions move along and about the closed path, to selectively apply the at least the third voltage across at least one of the pairs of juxtaposed pads to establish an electric field therebetween configured to steer ions entering the ion channel from a source of ions into the first drift tube and to selectively apply the at least the fourth voltage across at least one of the pairs of juxtaposed pads to establish an electric field therebetween configured to steer ions entering the ion channel from the first drift tube out of and away from the first drift tube.

9. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 8 , further comprising a processor programmed to control the at least one voltage source to selectively apply the at least the second voltage in the form of a set of voltages across at least some of the plurality of pairs of juxtaposed pads to establish a corresponding set of electric fields in the ion channel configured to pass ions entering the ion channel from one of the opposed ends of the first drift tube into the other of the opposed ends of the first drift tube.

10. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 9 , further comprising a processor programmed to control the at least one voltage source to selectively apply the at least the third voltage in the form of a set of voltages across at least some of the plurality of pairs of juxtaposed pads to establish a corresponding set of electric fields in the ion channel configured to steer ions entering the ion channel from the source of ions into the first drift tube.

11. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further programmed to control the at least one voltage source to selectively apply the at least a fourth voltage in the form of another set of voltages across at least some of the plurality of pairs of juxtaposed pads to establish a corresponding another set of electric fields in the ion channel configured to steer ions entering the ion channel from the first drift tube out of and away from the first drift tube.

12. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 10 , further comprising a second drift tube coupled to an ion inlet of the transition region, the second drift tube responsive to at least a fifth voltage to supply ions to the transition region,

wherein the processor is programmed to control the at least one voltage source to selectively apply the at least the third voltage in the form of the set of voltages across at least some of the plurality of pairs of juxtaposed pads to establish the set of electric fields in the ion channel configured to steer ions entering the ion channel from the second drift tube into the first drift tube.

13. The ion mobility spectrometer of claim 12 , further comprising a third drift tube coupled to an ion outlet of the transition region, the third drift tube responsive to at least a sixth voltage to pass therethrough ions exiting the transition region, and

wherein the processor is programmed to control the at least one voltage source to selectively apply the at least the fourth voltage in the form of the another set of voltages across at least some of the plurality of pairs of juxtaposed pads to establish the another set of electric fields in the ion channel configured to steer ions entering the ion channel from the first drift tube into the third drift tube.

14. A method of operating an ion mobility spectrometer having a transition region coupled to opposed ends of a first drift tube such that the first drift tube and the transition region together define a closed path, wherein the first drift tube is responsive to application of at least a first voltage to establish an electric field therein configured to cause ions within the first drift tube to move through the first drift tube while separating from one another as a function of ion mobility, the method comprising:

selectively applying at least a second voltage to the transition region to cause the transition region to pass ions entering the transition region from a source of ions into the first drift tube,

selectively applying at least a third voltage to the transition region to cause the transition region to pass ions entering the transition region from one of the opposed ends of the first drift tube into the other of the opposed ends of the first drift tube such that the ions move along and about the closed path, and

after the ions in the first drift tube have traveled about the closed-path for at least a specified time period or at least a specified number of times, selectively applying at least a fourth voltage to the transition region to cause the transition region to pass at least some of the ions entering the transition region from the first drift tube out of and away from the first drift tube.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the ion mobility spectrometer further includes a second drift tube configured to supply the ions to the transition region,

and wherein selectively applying the at least a second voltage to the transition region establishes at least one electric field within the transition region configured to steer ions entering the transition region from the second drift tube into the first drift tube.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the ion mobility spectrometer further includes a second drift tube configured to pass therethrough ions exiting the transition region,

and wherein selectively applying the at least a fourth voltage to the transition region establishes at least one electric field within the transition region configured to steer ions entering the transition region from the first drift tube into the second drift tube.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the transition region comprises spaced apart planar circuit boards defining a plurality of electrically conductive pads on opposed surfaces of each so as to form an ion channel between the circuit boards with the electrically conductive pads of each of the circuit boards juxtaposed with one another to form a plurality of pairs of juxtaposed pads,

and wherein selectively applying the at least a third voltage to the transition region comprises selectively applying a set of voltages across at least some of the plurality of pairs of juxtaposed pads to establish a corresponding set of electric fields in the ion channel configured to steer ions entering the ion channel from a source of ions into the first drift tube.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the ion mobility spectrometer further includes a second drift tube coupled to an ion inlet of the transition region and configured to supply the ions to the transition region,

and wherein the set of electric fields established in the ion channel is configured to steer ions entering the ion channel from the second drift tube into the first drift tube.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the transition region comprises spaced apart planar circuit boards defining a plurality of electrically conductive pads on opposed surfaces of each so as to form an ion channel between the circuit boards with the electrically conductive pads of each of the circuit boards juxtaposed with one another to form a plurality of pairs of juxtaposed pads,

and wherein selectively applying the at least a fourth voltage to the transition region comprises selectively applying a set of voltages across at least some of the plurality of pairs of juxtaposed pads to establish a corresponding set of electric fields in the ion channel configured to steer ions entering the ion channel from the first drift tube out of and away from the first drift tube.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the ion mobility spectrometer further includes a second drift tube coupled to an ion outlet of the transition region and configured to pass therethrough ions exiting the transition region,

and wherein the set of electric fields established in the ion channel is configured to steer ions entering the ion channel from the first drift tube into the second drift tube.