Patent ID: 7385187
Filing Date: 2008-06-10
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
1. A multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF MS) comprising: an ion source; an ion receiver downstream from said ion source; at least one ion mirror assembly intermediate said ion source and said ion receiver and elongated in a shift direction for improving sensitivity and resolution of the MR-TOF MS; a drift space intermediate said ion mirror assembly; and a lens assembly disposed within said drift space along said at least one shift direction and with a period in said shift direction corresponding to ion shift per integer number of ion reflections, said ion source, ion receiver, ion mirror assembly and said drift space arranged to provide a folded ion path between said ion source and said ion receiver composed of at least one reflection by said ion mirror assembly for separating ions in time according to their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) so that a flight time of the ions is substantially independent of ion energy.