Patent ID: 7659505

Claim:
An ion source, comprising: at least one gas source, providing a pressurized gas; a vessel defining a channel; a gas inlet extending from the gas source into said channel, for introducing a gas flow into the channel; a sample inlet extending into the channel for introducing a sample within said channel; an ionizer to ionize the sample in the channel; an outlet extending from said channel into a region defined by a plenum; said vessel sufficiently sealed to allow said channel to be pressurized, at a pressure in excess of 100 Torr; and wherein said at least one gas source maintains the pressure of the channel at a pressure in excess of 100 Torr and the pressure exterior to said channel in said region defined by said plenum at a pressure in excess of 0.1 Torr and provides a gas flow that sweeps across said ionizer to guide and entrain ions from said ionizer to said outlet.