Non-Planar Ion Mobility Device Curved Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ion mobility technologies face challenges in miniaturization and achieving high resolution due to their reliance on planar surfaces, leading to inefficiencies in ion manipulation and loss, especially when trying to extend drift lengths in practical physical lengths.
Innovation Solution
An ion mobility device with a single, non-planar surface featuring arrays of inner RF and outer DC electrodes, where the electrodes can be phased and voltage-controlled to create complex electric fields, allowing for ion confinement and movement, and a transparent enclosure to prevent interference, enabling efficient ion separation and manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional planar surface electrodes are used to define electric fields, then device structure is simple, but ion mobility resolution is low and ion losses occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a curved surface electrode instead of a conventional planar surface. The electrode is formed with a specific curvature radius to define a drift region, creating a three-dimensional electric field configuration that improves ion mobility resolution while maintaining device simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional planar electrode surface to a three-dimensional curved surface, adding a spatial dimension to the electric field configuration. This dimensional change enables better ion confinement and separation without significantly increasing device complexity
2Measurement precision
If drift length is extended to achieve high ion mobility resolution, then measurement precision improves, but physical device length increases
Solution Approach 1:
By curving the electrode surface, the patent creates a compact drift region that achieves effective ion separation over a shorter physical distance. The curvature allows ions to follow a defined path that maximizes separation efficiency within a compact footprint
Solution Approach 2:
The curved electrode design effectively nests the drift region within a compact structure, allowing the ion mobility measurement function to be achieved in a minimized physical space while maintaining the necessary drift length for high resolution
3Volume of moving object
If device is miniaturized for field deployment, then portability improves, but ion manipulation effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The curved electrode surface maintains effective electric field configuration even in miniaturized devices. The specific curvature radius is designed to ensure proper ion confinement and manipulation while reducing overall device volume for portability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the curvature radius parameter to achieve the right balance between device miniaturization and ion manipulation effectiveness. By carefully selecting this geometric parameter, the device maintains reliability while achieving compact dimensions
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 device effectively prevents ion losses and achieves high resolution by using a combination of RF and DC fields with a non-planar surface design, allowing for efficient ion separation and manipulation, even in miniaturized forms, and can be integrated with detectors for precise measurements.
Implementation Method 1
A combination of RF and DC fields are applied to arrays of inner and outer electrodes coupled to the surface to create confining and driving fields that move ions through the device
Implementation Method 2
method and device for ion mobility separation
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
Methods and devices for ion separations or manipulations in gas phase are disclosed. The device includes a single non-planar surface. Arrays of electrodes are coupled to the surface. A combination of RF and DC voltages are applied to the arrays of electrodes to create confining and driving fields that move ions through the device. The DC voltages are static DC voltages or time-dependent DC potentials or waveforms.