Granted Patent B2

US 12,228,546 · App. 18/074,630 · Granted Feb 18, 2025

Inventors: John Daniel DeBord (West Grove, PA); Liulin Deng (Chester Springs, PA); Nathan Paul Roehr (Wilmington, DE)

Assignee: MOBILion Systems, Inc.

G01N27/622

Abstract

Claims (51)

1. A system comprising:

a first ion channel extending between a first end and a second end, and configured to receive an ion packet from an ion source at a location along the first ion channel between the first end and the second end;

a controller configured to apply a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal to a first plurality of electrodes adjacent to the first ion channel,

wherein the first plurality of electrodes are configured to generate, based on receipt of the first voltage signal, a first traveling drive potential that travels at a first speed along a first direction, the first direction extending from the first end to the second end, and

wherein the first plurality of electrodes are configured to generate, based on receipt of the second voltage signal, a second traveling drive potential that travels at a second speed along a second direction, the second direction extending from the second end to the first end,

wherein a first ion sub-packet of the ion packet having ions with mobilities above a first threshold mobility value is directed along the first direction to the second end, and a second ion sub-packet of the ion packet having ions with mobilities below the first threshold mobility value is directed along the second direction to the first end.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first ion channel is defined between a first surface and a second surface adjacent to the first surface, wherein the second surface comprises:

a second plurality of electrodes comprising a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode along a third direction lateral to the first direction, wherein the first plurality of electrodes are located between the first electrode and the second electrode and arranged along the first direction.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller includes:

a first plurality of traveling wave control circuits electrically coupled to the first plurality of electrodes, the first plurality of traveling wave control circuits configured to generate a first plurality of traveling wave voltage signals, the first voltage signal includes the first plurality of traveling wave voltage signals; and

a second plurality of traveling wave control circuits electrically coupled to the first plurality of electrodes, the second plurality of traveling wave control circuits configured to generate a second plurality of traveling wave voltage signals, the second voltage signal includes the second plurality of traveling wave voltage signals.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller includes a master control circuit communicatively coupled to the first and the second plurality of traveling wave control circuits, the master control circuit configured to:

determine one or more of amplitudes and/or frequencies of the first and the second plurality of traveling wave voltage signals; and

provide one or more traveling wave control signals to the first and the second plurality of traveling wave control circuits, wherein the one or more traveling wave control signals are indicative of one or more of the amplitudes and/or frequencies of the first and the second plurality of traveling wave voltage signals.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the master control circuit is further configured to determine the first speed of the first traveling drive potential, and the second speed of the second traveling drive potential.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

a second ion channel extending between a third end and a fourth end, and configured to receive the first ion sub-packet,

wherein the controller is configured to apply a third voltage signal and a fourth voltage signal to a third plurality of electrodes adjacent to the second ion channel,

wherein the third plurality of electrodes are configured to generate, based on receipt of the third voltage signal, a third traveling drive potential that travels at a third speed along a third direction, the third direction extending from the third end to the fourth end, and

wherein the third plurality of electrodes are configured to generate, based on receipt of the fourth voltage signal, a fourth traveling drive potential that travels at a fourth speed along a fourth direction, the fourth direction extending from the fourth end to the third end, and

wherein a third ion sub-packet of the first ion sub-packet having ions with mobilities above a second threshold mobility value is directed along the third direction, and a fourth ion sub-packet of the first ion sub-packet having ions with mobilities below the second threshold mobility value is directed along the fourth direction.

7. A method comprising:

providing a first ion channel extending between a first end and a second end, and configured to receive an ion packet from an ion source at a location along the first ion channel between the first end and the second end;

applying a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal to a first plurality of electrodes adjacent to the first ion channel,

generating, by the first plurality of electrodes, a first traveling drive potential that travels at a first speed along a first direction, the first direction extending from the first end to the second end, the generating of the first traveling drive potential based on receipt of the first voltage signal;

generating, by the first plurality of electrodes, a second traveling drive potential that travels at a second speed along a second direction, the second direction extending from the second end to the first,

wherein a first ion sub-packet of the ion packet having ions with mobilities above a first threshold mobility value is directed along the second direction to the first end, and a second ion sub-packet of the ion packet having ions with mobilities below the first threshold mobility value is directed the second direction towards the first end.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first ion channel is defined between a first surface and a second surface adjacent to the first surface, wherein the second surface comprises:

a second plurality of electrodes comprising a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode along a third direction lateral to the first direction, wherein the first plurality of electrodes are located between the first electrode and the second electrode and arranged along the first direction.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

generating, by a first plurality of traveling wave control circuits electrically coupled to the first plurality of electrodes, a first plurality of traveling wave voltage signals, wherein the first voltage signal includes the first plurality of traveling wave voltage signals; and

generating, by a second plurality of DC control circuits electrically coupled to the first plurality of electrodes, a second plurality of DC voltage signals, wherein the second voltage signal includes the second plurality of DC voltage signals.

10. A system comprising:

a first ion channel extending between a first end and a second end, and configured to receive an ion packet from an ion source, the first ion channel being defined between a first surface and a second surface adjacent to the first surface;

a controller configured to apply a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal to a first plurality of electrodes adjacent to the first ion channel, the controller including first and second plurality of traveling wave control circuits electrically coupled to the first plurality of electrodes, the first plurality of traveling wave control circuits being configured to generate a first plurality of traveling wave voltage signals, the second plurality of traveling wave control circuits being configured to generate and a second plurality of traveling wave voltage signals, the first voltage signal includes the first plurality of traveling wave voltage signals and the second voltage signal includes the second plurality of traveling wave voltage signals;

wherein the controller includes a master control circuit communicatively coupled to the first and the second plurality of traveling wave control circuits, the master control circuit configured to:

determine one or more of amplitudes and/or frequencies of the first and the second plurality of traveling wave voltage signals; and

provide one or more traveling wave control signals to the first and the second plurality of traveling wave control circuits, wherein the one or more traveling wave control signals are indicative of one or more of the amplitudes and/or frequencies of the first and second plurality of traveling wave voltage signals;

wherein the first plurality of electrodes are configured to generate, based on receipt of the first voltage signal, a first traveling drive potential that travels at a first speed along a first direction, the first direction extending from the first end to the second end,

wherein the first plurality of electrodes are configured to generate, based on receipt of the second voltage signal, a second traveling drive potential that travels at a second speed along a second direction, the second direction extending from the second end to the first end,

wherein a first ion sub-packet of the ion packet having ions with mobilities above a first threshold mobility value is directed along the first direction, and a second ion sub-packet of the ion packet having ions with mobilities below the first threshold mobility value is directed along the second direction, and

wherein the second surface comprises a second plurality of electrodes comprising a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode along a third direction lateral to the first direction, wherein the first plurality of electrodes are located between the first electrode and the second electrode and arranged along the first direction.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first ion channel is defined between a first surface and a second surface adjacent to the first surface, wherein the second surface comprises:

a second plurality of electrodes comprising a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode along a third direction lateral to the first direction, wherein the first plurality of electrodes are located between the first electrode and the second electrode and arranged along the first direction.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the master control circuit is further configured to determine the first speed of the first traveling drive potential, and the second speed of the second traveling drive potential.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a second ion channel extending between a third end and a fourth end, and configured to receive the first ion sub-packet,

wherein the controller is configured to apply a third voltage signal and a fourth voltage signal to a third plurality of electrodes adjacent to the second ion channel,

wherein the third plurality of electrodes are configured to generate, based on receipt of the third voltage signal, a third traveling drive potential that travels at a third speed along a third direction, the third direction extending from the third end to the fourth end, and

wherein the third plurality of electrodes are configured to generate, based on receipt of the fourth voltage signal, a fourth traveling drive potential that travels at a fourth speed along a fourth direction, the fourth direction extending from the fourth end to the third end, and

wherein a third ion sub-packet of the first ion sub-packet having ions with mobilities above a second threshold mobility value is directed along the third direction, and a fourth ion sub-packet of the first ion sub-packet having ions with mobilities below the second threshold mobility value is directed along the fourth direction.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (165)