MULTI-REFLECTING TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETER WITH ORTHOGONAL ACCELERATION

摘要

The disclosed apparatus includes a multi-reflecting time-of-flight massspectrometer (MR-TOF MS) (11) comprising a pair of grid- free ion mirrors(12), a drift space (13), an orthogonal ion accelerator (14), an optionaldeflector (15), an ion detector (16), a set of periodic lenses (17), and anedge deflector (18). To improve the duty cycle of the ion injection at a lowrepetition rate dictated by a long flight in the MR-TOF MS, multiple measuresmay be taken. The incoming ion beam and the accelerator may be orientedsubstantially transverse to the ion path in the MR-TOF, while the initialvelocity of the ion beam is compensated by tilting the accelerator andsteering the beam for the same angle. To further improve the duty cycle of anymulti-reflecting or multi-turn mass spectrometer, the beam may be time-compressed by modulating the axial ion velocity with an ion guide. Theresidence time of the ions in the accelerator may be improved by trapping thebeam within an electrostatic trap. Apparatuses with a prolonged residence timein the accelerator provide improvements in both sensitivity and resolution.