Patent ID: 8921777

Claim:
An ion source comprising: one or more nebulisers and one or more targets; wherein said one or more nebulisers are arranged and adapted to nebulise one or more eluents emitted by one or more liquid chromatography separation devices over a period of time; wherein said one or more eluents have a liquid flow rate selected from the group consisting of: (i) 1-10 μL/min; (ii) 10-50 μL/min; (iii) 50-100 μL/min; (iv) 100-200 μL/min; (v) 200-300 μL/min; (vi) 300-400 μL/min; (vii) 400-500 μL/min; (viii) 500-600 μL/min; (ix) 600-700 μL/min; (x) 700-800 μL/min; (xi) 800-900 (xii) 900-1000 μL/min; (xiii) 1000-1500 μL/min; (xiv) 1500-2000 μL/min; (xv) 2000-2500 μL/min; and (xvi) >2500 μL/min; wherein said one or more nebulisers are arranged and adapted to emit, in use, a stream predominantly of droplets which are caused to impact upon said one or more targets and to ionise said droplets to form a plurality of ions; wherein a mean axial impact velocity of said droplets upon said one or more targets is ≧20 m/s; and wherein said one or more targets are arranged <10 mm from an exit of said one or more nebulisers.