Gridless Ion Mirror Imaging TOF Mass Spectrometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional time-of-flight mass spectrometers with electric sectors suffer from low order time and spatial focusing aberrations, leading to poor mass resolution and limited applicability for large fields of view due to chromatic and spatial third-order aberrations.
Innovation Solution
The use of a gridless ion mirror in the ion optics to guide ions from an ion source array to a position-sensitive detector, allowing multiple reflections to compensate for aberrations and achieve high mass and spatial resolutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If electric sectors are used to guide ions in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, then imaging properties and point-to-point transfer are achieved, but mass resolution is destroyed by large chromatic TOF aberrations and spatial third-order aberrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the electric sector components from the ion optical path and replaces them with a gridless ion mirror system. This extraction of the problematic electric sectors eliminates the source of chromatic TOF aberrations and spatial third-order aberrations while maintaining the necessary ion guidance and imaging functions through the gridless mirror architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electrostatic field-based ion guidance system (electric sectors) with a different physical approach using gridless ion mirrors that utilize dynamic electric fields applied during specific time intervals. This substitution eliminates the continuous fringing fields that cause aberrations while achieving the same ion steering and focusing objectives.
2Measurement precision
If electric sectors are used for ion guidance, then first order time-per-energy focusing is achieved, but multiple second order aberrations remain uncompensated
Solution Approach 1:
The gridless ion mirror system incorporates timing-based feedback mechanisms where the reflection timing and phase of ions are controlled through dynamically applied electric fields. This allows for active compensation of second-order aberrations by adjusting the reflection timing to correct for energy spread and angular deviations, achieving superior aberration compensation compared to static electric sector systems.
3Area of stationary object
If sector-based imaging TOF mass spectrometers are used, then small field of view analysis is possible, but they are not suitable for analysis of large field of view due to large spatial third-order aberrations
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the electric sectors that generate fringing fields, the patent eliminates the source of spatial third-order aberrations. The gridless ion mirror system provides a different ion optical approach that does not suffer from the same field edge effects, enabling large field of view imaging without the aberration penalties that limit sector-based systems.
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
This configuration significantly improves mass and spatial resolution, enabling the analysis of larger fields of view with minimal ion scattering and interference, thus enhancing the throughput and accuracy of mass spectrometry.
Implementation Method 1
ion optics includes at least one gridless ion mirror for reflecting ions
Implementation Method 2
time-of-flight mass spectrometer
Implementation Method 3
allowing multiple reflections to compensate for aberrations and achieve high mass and spatial resolutions
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3~4C
Figure 5
AI summary
A time-of-flight mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising ion optics that map an array of ions at an ion source array (71) to a corresponding array of positions on a position sensitive ion detector (79). The ion optics include at least one gridless ion mirror (76) for reflecting ions, which may compensate for various aberrations and allows the spectrometer to have relatively high mass and spatial resolutions.