Patent ID: 8829433

Claim:
Apparatus for separating ions according to one or more physico-chemical properties, wherein said apparatus is arranged and adapted to create an ion channel in which ions are confined in use, wherein ions are confined within said ion channel in a first plane or confinement direction by DC voltages, DC potentials or electrostatic potentials and ions are confined within said ion channel in a second plane or confinement direction by RF voltages, RF potentials or pseudo-potentials, wherein said second plane or confinement direction is substantially orthogonal to said first plane or confinement direction; wherein said ions are caused to separate according to said one or more physico-chemical properties along an axis of said ion channel or along said ion channel towards a first end and wherein said apparatus is further arranged and adapted to move said axis of said ion channel or said ion channel away from said first end, wherein an effect of moving said axis of said ion channel or said ion channel away from said first end is to increase an effective path length along which ions separate according to said one or more physico-chemical properties; and wherein said apparatus comprises: a first device arranged and adapted to cause ions to separate according to said one or more physico-chemical properties in a first direction or along said axis of said ion channel or along said ion channel with a velocity which is substantially dependent upon said one or more physico-chemical properties; and a second device arranged and adapted to drive said ions in a second direction with a velocity which is substantially independent of said one or more physico-chemical properties.