Patent ID: 7148477
Filing Date: 2006-12-12
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A field ion mobility analytical system comprising: a pair of electrode banks defining between them a flow path, an ion separator and an ion detector, said separator and said detector for making trajectory-based ion species identification of ions flowing in said flow path between said banks, said electrodes being separated by an analytical gap, each said bank comprising at least one separator electrode for forming said ion separator, at least one said bank having a plurality of electrodes, at least one of said plurality of electrodes comprising a detector electrode, an electrical controller input for applying a time-varying voltage to said ion separator and generating a transverse time-varying electric field between said separator electrodes while the ions are flowing along the flow path for controlling the paths of said ions in said separator, said field causing selected ions of said flow of ions to contact said detector electrode based on ion mobility in the field and consequent ion trajectory, said ions contacting said detector being identifiable based at least in part on said trajectory.