Patent ID: 7388193

Claim:
An apparatus for analyzing ions comprising: a flight tube having a single straight longitudinal axis; a means for generating ions with a trajectory along said axis of the flight tube; a means for electrostatic deflection disposed positioned in the flight tube substantially parallel to said axis and offset from said axis in a first direction wherein the means for electrostatic deflection is controllable and has at least one first state of non-deflection and at least one second state of deflection and wherein in the at least one second state of deflection at least a portion of the ions are deflected in a direction substantially orthogonal to said axis of said flight tube wherein said deflection occurs according to a predetermined time sequence; and an ion detector positioned in the flight tube substantially parallel to said axis and offset from said axis in a second direction, opposite the first direction such that at least a portion of the ions that are deflected in the trajectory substantially orthogonal to said axis impinge on the ion detector.