Patent ID: 8513600

Claim:
A mass spectrometer system comprising: an ion conduit for receiving ions from an ion source, the ion conduit having an internal operating pressure; a boundary member defining a curtain gas chamber containing the ion conduit; a curtain gas supply for providing a curtain gas directed by the boundary member to an inlet of the ion conduit to dry and decluster the ions and to provide a gas flow into the ion conduit, and a curtain gas outflow out of a curtain gas chamber inlet and wherein the curtain gas supply is adjustable to vary a curtain gas flow rate of the curtain gas to the inlet of the ion conduit; a mass spectrometer at least partially sealed to, and in fluid communication with, the ion conduit for receiving the ions from the ion conduit; a vacuum chamber surrounding the mass spectrometer for maintaining the mass spectrometer at a vacuum pressure lower than the internal operating pressure, such that the vacuum chamber is operable to draw the gas flow including the ions through the ion conduit and into the vacuum chamber; and, a gas outlet for drawing a gas outflow from the gas flow located between the ion conduit and the mass spectrometer to increase the gas flow rate through the ion conduit, the gas outlet being located between the ion conduit and the mass spectrometer and wherein the gas outlet is adjustable to vary the gas outflow from the gas flow and vary the increase in the gas flow rate.