IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,376,771
Granted Patent B2
US 12,376,771 · App. 19/074,212 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Mass spectrometry system and method with controlled ion transfer

Inventor: Mazdak Taghioskoui (North Bethesda, MD)
Assignee: Trace Matters Scientific LLC
H01J49/4235H01J49/065
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,376,771
App. No.
19/074,212
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An ion transfer device of a mass spectrometry system that includes a first ion guide such that the first ion guide traps the ions in a first potential well formed by a first potential gradient and a first potential barrier within the first ion guide, and a second ion guide that receives the ions from the first ion guide if the first potential barrier is reduced such that during a time period when the ions travel toward one end of the second ion guide, a second potential barrier is gradually formed by increasing a third voltage applied to a third electrode at the one end of the second ion guide, the second potential barrier preventing the ions from exiting the second ion guide or from colliding with the third electrode.

Claims (79)

1. A mass spectrometry system comprising:

an ion source that produces ions;

a first ion guide that guides or traps the ions within the first ion guide by applying one or more first voltages to a plurality of first electrodes of the first ion guide,

wherein the first ion guide traps the ions in a first potential well formed by a first potential gradient and a first potential barrier within the first ion guide, and

wherein the ions move out of the first ion guide if the first potential barrier is reduced;

a second ion guide that receives the ions from the first ion guide if the first potential barrier is reduced, and guides or traps the ions within the second ion guide by applying one or more second voltages to a plurality of second electrodes of the second ion guide,

wherein, during a time period when the ions travel toward one end of the second ion guide, a second potential barrier is gradually formed by increasing a third voltage applied to a third electrode at the one end of the second ion guide,

wherein the third voltage of the third electrode gradually increases from one voltage value to another voltage value in a predetermined time period, the time period being between 0.01 to 1000 milliseconds,

wherein the second potential barrier is formed before the ions reach the third electrode to prevent the ions from exiting the second ion guide or from colliding with the third electrode, and

wherein the second ion guide traps the ions, and the ions form an ion packet within the second ion guide; and

a mass analyzer that separates the ions of the ion packet based on mass-to-charge ratio of the ions.

2. The mass spectrometry system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of first electrodes of the first ion guide, or the plurality of second electrodes of the second ion guide, or both, are located at least partially inside an enclosure, and

wherein the enclosure is filled with gas to collisionally cool the ions.

3. The mass spectrometry system according to claim 2 ,

wherein the gas is nitrogen, helium, or argon, and

wherein a pressure of the gas inside the enclosure is between 0.0001 to 1 Torr.

4. The mass spectrometry system according to claim 2 , wherein the third electrode is a conductance-limiting orifice plate to limit a flow of the gas.

5. The mass spectrometry system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more first voltages and the one or more second voltages include radio frequency (RF) voltages, and a frequency of the RF voltages is between 0.5 MHz to 5 MHz.

6. The mass spectrometry system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of first electrodes or at least one of the plurality of second electrodes is made of printed circuit boards.

7. The mass spectrometry system according to claim 1 , wherein the ions are trapped for 0.01 to 1000 milliseconds in the first ion guide before moving to the second ion guide.

8. The mass spectrometry system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the third voltage of the third electrode includes:

i) a constant direct current (DC) component that is not time-dependent and remains constant, and

ii) a time-varying DC component that is time-dependent, and

wherein the third voltage of the third electrode is a sum of the constant DC component and the time-varying DC component.

9. The mass spectrometry system according to claim 7 , wherein the time-varying DC component is time-dependent and gradually moves up and down, or ramps up and down, in a triangle or square waveform.

10. The mass spectrometry system according to claim 8 , wherein the triangle or square waveform has a frequency of 0.01 KHz to 100 KHz.

11. An ion transfer device of a mass spectrometry system, the ion transfer device comprising:

a first ion guide that guides or traps ions within the first ion guide by applying one or more first voltages to a plurality of first electrodes of the first ion guide,

wherein the first ion guide traps the ions in a first potential well formed by a first potential gradient and a first potential barrier within the first ion guide, and

wherein the ions move out of the first ion guide if the first potential barrier is reduced; and

a second ion guide that receives the ions from the first ion guide if the first potential barrier is reduced, and guides or traps the ions within the second ion guide by applying one or more second voltages to a plurality of second electrodes of the second ion guide,

wherein, during a time period when the ions travel from the first ion guide to the second ion guide toward one end of the second ion guide, a second potential barrier is gradually formed by increasing a third voltage applied to a third electrode at the one end of the second ion guide,

wherein the third voltage of the third electrode gradually increases from one voltage value to another voltage value in a predetermined time period, the time period being between 0.01 to 1000 milliseconds,

wherein the second potential barrier is formed before the ions reach the third electrode to prevent the ions from exiting the second ion guide or from colliding with the third electrode, and

wherein the second ion guide traps the ions, and the ions form an ion packet within the second ion guide.

12. The ion transfer device according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes of the first ion guide, or the plurality of second electrodes of the second ion guide, or both, are located at least partially inside an enclosure that is filled with gas to collisionally cool the ions.

13. The ion transfer device according to claim 12 ,

wherein the gas is nitrogen, helium, or argon, and

wherein a pressure of the gas inside the enclosure is between 0.0001 to 1 Torr.

14. The ion transfer device according to claim 12 , wherein the third electrode is a conductance-limiting orifice plate to limit a flow of the gas.

15. The ion transfer device according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more first voltages and the one or more second voltages include radio frequency (RF) voltages, and a frequency of the RF voltages is between 0.5 MHz to 5 MHz.

16. The ion transfer device according to claim 11 ,

wherein the ion transfer device further includes an entrance electrode and an exit electrode,

wherein the entrance and the exit electrodes are ion gates controlled by independently-controlled voltages,

wherein decreasing the independently-controlled voltages opens the ion gates for the ions to enter or exit the ion transfer device, and

wherein increasing the independently-controlled voltages closes the ion gates and prevents the ions from entering or exiting the ion transfer device.

17. The ion transfer device according to claim 11 , wherein the ions are trapped for 0.01 to 1000 milliseconds in the first ion guide before moving to the second ion guide.

18. The ion transfer device according to claim 11 ,

wherein the third voltage of the third electrode includes:

i) a constant DC component that is not time-dependent and remains constant, and

ii) a time-varying DC component that is time-dependent, and

wherein the third voltage of the third electrode is a sum of the constant DC component and the time-varying DC component.

19. The ion transfer device according to claim 18 , wherein the time-varying DC component is time-dependent and gradually moves up and down, or ramps up and down, in a triangle or square waveform.

20. The ion transfer device according to claim 19 , wherein the triangle or square waveform has a frequency of 0.01 KHz to 100 KHz.

21. A method for transferring ions, the method comprising:

producing the ion with an ion source;

providing one or more first voltages to a plurality of first electrodes of a first ion guide for guiding or trapping the ions within the first ion guide,

wherein the first ion guide traps the ions in a first potential well formed by a first potential gradient and a first potential barrier within the first ion guide, and

wherein the ions move out of the first ion guide if the first potential barrier is reduced;

providing one or more second voltages to a plurality of second electrodes of a second ion guide for guiding or trapping the ions within the second ion guide;

reducing the first potential barrier for transferring the ions from the first ion guide to the second ion guide; and

during a time period when the ions travel toward one end of the second ion guide, gradually increasing a third voltage applied to a third electrode at the one end of the second ion guide for forming a second potential barrier,

wherein the third voltage of the third electrode gradually increases from one voltage value to another voltage value in a predetermined time period, the time period being between 0.01 to 1000 milliseconds, and

wherein the second potential barrier is formed before the ions reach the third electrode to prevent the ions from exiting the second ion guide or from colliding with the third electrode.

22. The method according to claim 21 ,

wherein the plurality of first electrodes of the first ion guide, or the plurality of second electrodes of the second ion guide, or both, are located at least partially inside an enclosure that is filled with gas to collisionally cool the ions,

wherein the gas is nitrogen, helium, or argon, and

wherein a pressure of the gas inside the enclosure is between 0.0001 to 1 Torr.

23. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the one or more first voltages and the one or more second voltages include radio frequency (RF) voltages, and a frequency of the RF voltages is between 0.5 MHz to 5 MHz.

24. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the ions are trapped for 0.01 to 1000 milliseconds in the first ion guide before moving to the second ion guide.

25. The method according to claim 21 ,

wherein the third voltage of the third electrode includes:

i) a constant direct current (DC) component that is not time-dependent and remains constant, and

ii) a time-varying DC component that is time-dependent, and

wherein the third voltage of the third electrode is a sum of the constant DC component and the time-varying DC component.

26. The method according to claim 25 , wherein the time-varying DC component is time-dependent and gradually moves up and down, or ramps up and down, in a triangle or square waveform.

27. The method according to claim 26 , wherein the triangle or square waveform has a frequency of 0.01 KHz to 100 KHz.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2025
From: TAGHIOSKOUI, MAZDAK
To: TRACE MATTERS SCIENTIFIC LLC
Reel/Frame 070447/0887 →
Continuity (8)
Continuation 18789390 · Jul 30, 2024
Continuation 17570235 · Jan 6, 2022
Continuation 16509016 · Jul 11, 2019
Continuation In Part 16350396 · Jul 12, 2018
Provisional Application 62855089 · May 31, 2019
Provisional Application 62838076 · Apr 24, 2019
Provisional Application 62680592 · Jun 5, 2018
Related Publication 20250210339A1 · Jun 26, 2025
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