Patent ID: 8013296
Filing Date: 2011-09-06
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
1. A charged-particle condensing device that operates in a gas of approximately one atmosphere in which charged particles have been formed and are accelerated towards a surface that contains at least one orifice through which they can move to an evacuated mass spectrometer or a gas-filled mobility spectrometer characterized by the fact that the charged-particle condensing device comprises an array of many closely spaced electrodes or conductive surface strips placed on said surface or positioned a short distance above said surface such that an opening is left for the charged particles to move to said at least one orifice with RF-voltages being applied between neighboring said electrodes or conductive strips causing RF-fields that keep the charged particles hovering above said electrodes or conductive strips so that they can be pushed towards said orifice by fields caused by additional DC-potentials being applied to neighboring said electrodes or conductive strips.