Patent ID: 7138642

Claim:
A device for outputting ions, the device comprising: a first housing; and a second housing, wherein said first housing comprises at least one pneumatic element that segregates the space within the first housing into a gas reservoir and an ion expansion chamber, the gas reservoir being in axisymmetric gas communication with the ion expansion chamber and in gas communication with the exterior of said first housing; wherein said second housing comprises at least one pneumatic element that segregates the space within the second housing into an axial trajectory region and a gas sink region, the gas sink region being in axisymmetric gas communication with the axial trajectory region and in gas communication with the exterior of said second housing; wherein the first housing expansion chamber is axially aligned with and in gas and ion communication with the second housing axial trajectory region and wherein the second housing axial trajectory region is in axial alignment with and in ion communication with an ion outlet of the device, wherein ions introduced into the ion expansion chamber are guided during use along the device axis from the expansion chamber through the axial trajectory region to the ion outlet by pneumatic and electrostatic fields, and wherein the pneumatic and electrostatic fields are superposed.