Patent ID: 6917036
Filing Date: 2005-07-12
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for separating ions in the gas phase, comprising: a high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometer comprising two electrodes defining an analyzer region therebetween, the two electrodes disposed in a spaced apart arrangement for allowing ions to propagate therebetween and for providing an electric field within the analyzer region resulting from the application of an asymmetric waveform voltage to at least one of the two electrodes and from the application of a compensation voltage to at least one of the two electrodes, for selectively transmitting a first ion type in the analyzer region at a given combination of asymmetric waveform voltage and compensation voltage; a probe signal generator for generating a probe signal which when applied to the selectively transmitted ions results in detectable light including information relating to the selectively transmitted ions within the analyzer region; and, an optical port disposed adjacent to the analyzer region for propagating the detectable light including information relating to the selectively transmitted ions therethrough, wherein the probe signal generator comprises an electrical controller that is in electrical communication with at least one of the two electrodes for applying the asymmetric waveform voltage to the at least one of the two electrodes.