Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An ion transport apparatus for a mass spectrometer or an ion mobility spectrometer comprising:(a) a plurality of strip electrodes disposed in a series on a flat substrate;(b) an ion outlet aperture in the substrate disposed adjacent to a first one of the plurality of strip electrodes;(c) a cage electrode at least pa ally enclosing the plurality of strip electrodes and the ion outlet aperture;(d) an extraction electrode disposed adjacent to the ion outlet aperture;(e) a radio frequency (RF) voltage generator operable to supply an oscillatory RF voltage to each of the plurality of strip electrodes such that an RF phase difference exists between each pair of adjacent electrodes; and(f) at least one DC voltage source operable to supply a first DC voltage to the cage electrode, a second DC voltage to the extraction electrode and a respective DC bias voltage to each of the plurality of electrodes,wherein each strip electrode comprises a respective width such that the electrode strip widths of a series of the plurality of electrodes progressively increase away from the first one of the plurality of electrodes. 2. An ion transport apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of strip electrodes comprise a plurality of concentric electrodes such that the first one of the plurality of electrodes is the innermost one of the plurality of concentric electrodes. 3. An ion transport apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of concentric electrodes comprise a plurality of circular rings. 4. An ion transport apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the cage electrode comprises a hollow circular cylinder. 5. An ion transport apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein the cage electrode comprises a hollow rectangular cylinder. 6. An ion transport apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of concentric electrodes comprises a plurality of rectangular rings. 7. An ion transport apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the flat substrate comprises a printed circuit board comprising electrical connections providing the oscillatory RF voltage and the DC bias voltages to the plurality of strip electrodes. 8. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the extractor electrode comprises an ion transfer tube. 9. A multiple ion source system for a mass spectrometer or an ion mobility spectrometer comprising:(a) an ion transport apparatus comprising:(i) a plurality of concentrically disposed strip electrodes on a flat substrate, each strip electrode comprising a respective width such that the electrode strip widths of a series of the plurality of strip electrodes progressively increase away from an innermost one of the plurality of electrodes;(ii) an ion outlet aperture in the substrate disposed adjacent to an innermost one of the plurality of strip electrodes;(iii) a cage electrode at least partially enclosing the plurality of strip electrodes and the ion outlet aperture;(iv) an ion transfer tube comprising an extraction electrode disposed adjacent to the ion outlet aperture;(v) a radio frequency (RE) voltage generator operable to supply an oscillatory RF voltage to each of the plurality of strip electrodes such that an RF phase difference exists between each pair of adjacent electrodes; and(vi) at least one DC voltage source operable to supply a first DC voltage to the cage electrode, a second DC voltage to the extraction electrode and a respective DC bias voltage to each of the plurality of electrodes; and(b) a plurality of ion sources circumferentially disposed about the plurality of concentrically disposed strip electrodes such that, in operation of each respective ion source, ions are emitted in the direction of at least a portion of the plurality of strip electrodes. 10. A multiple ion source system as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of concentric electrodes comprises a plurality of circular rings. 11. A multiple ion source system as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of concentric electrodes comprises a plurality of rectangular rings. 12. A multiple ion source system as recited in claim 11, wherein the plurality of ion sources are disposed such that, in operation of each respective ion source, ions are emitted in the direction of a corner section of the plurality of strip electrodes. 13. A multiple ion source system as recited in claim 12, further comprising at least one shield disposed so as to block a direct line of between the plurality of ion sources and the ion outlet aperture. 14. A multiple ion source system as recited in claim 9, wherein the flat substrate comprises a printed circuit board comprising electrical connections providing the oscillatory RF voltage and the DC bias voltages to the plurality of concentrically disposed strip electrodes. 15. An improved mass spectrometer system comprising an atmospheric pressure ionization chamber receiving ions from an atmospheric pressure ionization source, an intermediate-pressure chamber, an ion transfer tube operable to transfer the ions from the atmospheric pressure ionization chamber to the intermediate pressure chamber and a high-vacuum chamber operable to receive the ions from the intermediate-pressure chamber and having a mass analyzer therein, the improvement comprising:(a) a plurality of strip electrodes, each strip electrode having a respective width, disposed in a series on a flat substrate within the intermediate-pressure chamber such that ions exiting the ion transfer tube are directed towards a portion of the plurality of strip electrodes, wherein the widths of a series of the plurality of electrodes progressively increase away from a first one of the plurality of electrodes;(b) an ion outlet aperture in the substrate disposed adjacent to the first one of the plurality of strip electrodes, the outlet aperture operable to transfer the ions out of the intermediate-pressure chamber towards the high-vacuum chamber;(c) a cage electrode within the intermediate-pressure chamber at least partially enclosing the plurality of strip electrodes and the ion outlet aperture;(d) an extraction electrode disposed adjacent to the ion outlet aperture;(e) a radio frequency (RF) voltage generator operable to supply an oscillatory RF voltage to each of the plurality of strip electrodes such that an RF phase difference exists between each pair of adjacent electrodes; and(f) at least one DC voltage source operable to supply a first DC voltage to the cage electrode, a second DC voltage to the extraction electrode and a respective DC bias voltage to each of the plurality of electrodes. 16. An improved mass spectrometer system as recited in claim 15, further comprising at least one shield disposed so as to block a direct line of between the ion transfer tube and the ion outlet aperture. 17. An improved mass spectrometer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the plurality of strip electrodes comprises a plurality of concentric electrodes such that the first one of the plurality of electrodes is the innermost one of the plurality of concentric electrodes. 18. An improved mass spectrometer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the flat substrate comprises a printed circuit board comprising electrical connections providing the oscillatory RF voltage and the DC bias voltages to the plurality of strip electrodes.