Helical Plate Ion Guide for Compact High-Resolution IMS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ion guide designs for ion mobility spectrometers are complex to manufacture, prone to electrical failures due to numerous connections, and have limitations in resolution and ion mobility range.
Innovation Solution
The design features a set of plate electrodes with multiple apertures arranged in a curved stack, creating a continuous ion flight path with a helical or spiral shape. This configuration reduces the number of electrodes and connections required, enhancing manufacturing simplicity and robustness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional ion guide design with multiple stacked electrodes is used to achieve high resolution in ion mobility spectrometry, then the resolution increases with the length of the drift region, but the device becomes too large for commercial instrumentation and requires a large number of electrodes and electrical connections
Solution Approach 1:
The ion guide is segmented into a single electrode with multiple apertures arranged in a curved pattern, rather than using multiple stacked electrodes. Each aperture acts as an independent ion transmission channel, allowing the long drift path to be folded back on itself within a compact volume. This segmentation of the drift path into multiple segments through different apertures resolves the contradiction by achieving long effective path length without requiring many separate electrode components.
Solution Approach 2:
The drift path is extended into the third dimension by arranging apertures in a curved, three-dimensional pattern within the single electrode structure. Ions traverse through multiple apertures in sequence, creating a folded drift path that occupies a compact spatial footprint while maintaining the required long interaction length for high resolution. This dimensional folding allows the device to achieve commercial instrumentation size while preserving resolution performance.
2Measurement precision
If multiple stacked electrodes are used to create a long drift path, then high resolution is achieved, but the manufacturing cost increases and the risk of electrical failure increases due to numerous connections
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple electrode functions are merged into a single electrode structure with multiple apertures. The single electrode eliminates the need for multiple electrical connections between stacked electrodes, thereby reducing the risk of electrical failures while maintaining the long drift path necessary for high resolution ion mobility separation.
3Volume of moving object
If the drift path is folded into a compact structure, then the device size is reduced for commercial instrumentation, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is designed as a single component with multiple apertures segmented throughout its structure, allowing the compact folded drift path to be achieved through one piece manufacturing rather than assembling multiple electrodes. This segmentation within a single component maintains manufacturing simplicity while achieving compact device size.
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 design achieves high ion mobility spectrometer resolution in a compact form, with fewer electrodes and connections, leading to improved accuracy, reduced manufacturing costs, and a higher duty cycle compared to traditional designs.
Implementation Method 1
A RF voltage is applied to the electrodes in order to confine ions radially within the ion guide
Implementation Method 2
A DC or transient DC voltage is applied to at least some of the electrodes in order to urge ions along the ion guide
Implementation Method 3
In IMS, ions are pushed down a gas filled drift tube by an electric field and separate spatially according to their ion mobilities
Data Source
AI summary
An ion guide may comprise a set of plate electrodes, each plate electrode having a plurality of apertures formed therethrough. The set of plate electrodes are spatially arranged such that a relative positioning of each plurality of apertures of a respective plate electrode of the set of plate electrodes and respective adjacent plate electrodes of the set of plate electrodes defines a continuous ion flight path through the respective plurality of apertures of each plate electrode of the set of plate electrodes. The continuous ion flight path has a helical-based and/or spiral-based shape.