Patent ID: 8669521

Claim:
A time of flight detector for use in a mass spectrometer comprising: a source of ionized molecules for analysis, wherein a first electrical signal indicating an ion initiation time is provided, and an acceleration field accelerating the ionized molecules in an electric field; a cavity of conductive material providing an electromagnetically tuned cavity, the cavity having an opening positioned to receive the ionized molecules after acceleration by the acceleration field along an axis into the cavity; an antenna communicating with the cavity to receive a second electrical signal caused by electromagnetic resonance of the cavity induced by passage of the ionized molecules along the axis into the cavity; detection electronics receiving the first and second electrical signals to distinguish a time of arrival of the ionized molecules in the cavity along the axis into the cavity relative to the ion initiation time; and a display providing a spectrographic output distinguishing among the ionized molecules according to their mass to charge ratio.