Flexible Ion Guide Electrode Assembly for Homogeneous Drift Fields
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ion mobility spectrometers have complex and costly drift tubes with restricted portability, compactness, and robustness due to machining requirements, high thermal mass, and susceptibility to contamination, which affect the homogeneity and linearity of the electric field.
Innovation Solution
A flexible electrode assembly with a set of electrodes printed on a single sheet of dielectric material, such as polyimide, allowing for a tubular configuration with overlapping electrodes to reduce complexity, increase robustness, and improve electric field homogeneity, using Zener diodes for voltage stabilization and self-shielding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional drift tube uses a stack of alternating metal and ceramic rings, then mechanical stability is achieved, but weight and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) with thin insulating layers and conductive traces to replace the conventional stack of metal and ceramic rings. The FPC can be rolled into a cylindrical configuration to form the drift tube, achieving mechanical stability through the rolled structure while maintaining low weight due to the thin film nature of the FPC (typically 0.5-2mm thickness).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical assembly of multiple rigid rings with a single flexible circuit board that can be elastically deformed and rolled. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical fastening and alignment of multiple components, reducing overall weight while maintaining structural integrity through the elastic properties of the FPC material.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional drift tube uses a stack of alternating metal and ceramic rings, then mechanical stability is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single flexible circuit board component. The FPC simultaneously provides mechanical support, electrical insulation, electrical conductivity (through printed traces), and structural form (when rolled). This consolidation eliminates the need for separate metal rings, ceramic spacers, and fastening components, dramatically reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible circuit board serves multiple functions: it acts as the insulating barrier between electrodes, provides the structural framework of the drift tube, conducts electricity through printed traces to form electrodes, and enables assembly through its rollable flexibility. This multi-functionality reduces the number of components needed and simplifies the overall device architecture.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional drift tube uses a stack of alternating metal and ceramic rings, then mechanical stability is achieved, but thermal mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin-film construction with FPC thickness typically between 0.5-2mm, replacing thick metal and ceramic rings. This thin-film approach dramatically reduces thermal mass while maintaining mechanical stability through the rolled cylindrical configuration and the inherent flexibility of the FPC material, enabling faster thermal response and reduced start-up times.
4Ease of operation
If a flex-circuit drift tube uses multi-layered and double-sided construction, then electrode functionality is achieved, but flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrode structure into discrete conductive traces on a flexible substrate, allowing each electrode to be independently defined by printed circuit patterns. This segmentation enables the use of a single-layer FPC instead of multi-layered construction, as each electrode trace can be individually routed and connected, maintaining flexibility while achieving full electrode functionality.
5Ease of operation
If a flex-circuit drift tube uses multi-layered and double-sided construction, then electrode functionality is achieved, but minimum radius increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a single-layer flexible circuit board that can be rolled into a tight cylindrical configuration. The thin-film construction (0.5-2mm thickness) and single-layer design allow for a smaller minimum rolling radius compared to multi-layered double-sided flex-circuits, enabling more compact drift tube geometries while maintaining all electrode functionality through optimized trace routing on the single layer.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a cost-effective, portable, and compact ion guide with improved electric field homogeneity and linearity, reduced thermal start-up times, and simplified manufacturing, while maintaining high performance in ion mobility spectrometry applications.
Implementation Method 1
An electric field is applied along an axial length of the drift tube
Implementation Method 2
a first part of the first electrode, provided in a first region of the first surface, overlays a second region of the second surface; wherein the first part of the first electrode overlaps a second part of the first electrode and/or a second part of the second electrode
Data Source
AI summary
An ion guide electrode assembly (10) for an ion-mobility spectrometer is described. The electrode assembly (10) comprises a first sheet (100), having first and second surfaces (110, 120) comprising a plurality of corresponding regions (111, 112, 121, 122). The first sheet (100) comprises a set of N electrodes (130, 140), including a first electrode (130) and a second electrode (140), provided as tracks mutually spaced apart on the first surface (110) thereof. The electrode assembly (10) is arrangeable in a planar configuration and preferably in a tubular configuration. In the tubular configuration, a first part (131) of the first electrode (130), provided in a first region 111 of the first surface (110), overlays a second region (122) of the second surface (120). In the tubular configuration, the first part (131) of the first electrode (130) overlaps a second part (132) of the first electrode (130) and/or a second part (142) of the second electrode (140), provided in a second region (112) of the first surface (110).