Patent ID: 7019285

Claim:
An apparatus for analyzing chemical species comprising: (a) a time-of-flight mass analyzer with an ion pulsing region and a detector, (b) an ion source for producing ions forming an ion beam from said chemical species, (c) a two-dimensional multipole ion guide having an ion guide axis and having an entrance end where ions enter said ion guide from said ion source and an exit end where ions exit said ion guide, wherein said two-dimensional multipole ion guide comprises a plurality of spaced apart rods parallel to each other and to said ion guide axis and extending from said entrance end to said exit end, and wherein said two-dimensional ion guide functions to trap ions within said ion guide in directions orthogonal to said ion guide axis, (d) means to controllably trap ions in said ion guide in the direction of said ion guide axis and controllably release ions from said ion guide into said pulsing region, (e) means for pulsing said ions, transferred into said pulsing region, into said time-of-flight mass analyzer for mass analysis, and (f) means for detecting said mass analyzed ions with said detector.