Patent ID: 7960711

Claim:
A remote reagent ion generator comprising: a. an electrospray ion source at or near atmospheric pressure, comprising an enclosure having an entry means for a gas at one end thereof, said enclosure having a first electrode disposed therein adjacent to said entry means and a counter-electrode with an opening adjacent and in close proximity to said first electrode, said is first electrode comprises a capillary or tube for receiving a liquid and said first electrode is electrically biased relative to said counter-electrode to produce an electrospray liquid jet and plume, said plume comprised of an aerosol of highly charged droplets, gas-phase ionic species, and combinations thereof; b. a saddle-field element or electrode with an opening or aperture disposed at a location downstream and in close proximity to said counter-electrode, electrostatic potential and relative position of said element to said counter-electrode arranged to create a field-free or near field-free passage or region downstream from said element by cancelling or negating said electric potentials of said ion source required to electrospray said liquid, said potential of said element is at or near a midpoint potential between said potentials said first electrode and said counter-electrode; c. a means for defining a field-free or near field-free sample reaction region at or near atmospheric pressure, said means located adjacent and in close proximity to said saddle-field element and separated therefrom by said passage, said passage arranged to allow said liquid jet, aerosol and ionic species to pass through; and d. a means to deliver said aerosol and gas-phase ionic species away from said ion source, through said openings and passage, and towards said reaction region; whereby substantially all said aerosol and ion species in said passage are urged out of said passage into said reaction region.