Patent ID: 7358488

Claim:
A multi-device interface for use in mass spectrometry for interfacing one or more ion sources to one or more downstream devices, wherein the multi-device interface comprises: a) three or more multipole rod sets configured as either an input rod set or an output rod set depending on potentials applied to the multipole rod sets; wherein, the multipole rod sets that are configured as an input rod set have an inlet portion and an outlet portion, the inlet portion being connectable to one of the one or more ion sources for receiving ions generated therefrom and transmitting the generated ions to the outlet portion; and, wherein, the multipole rod sets that are configured as an output multipole rod set have an inlet portion and an outlet portion, the inlet portion being adjacent to the outlet portion of at least one of the multipole rod sets that are configured as an input rod set to receive and transmit the generated ions to the outlet portion of the output multipole rod set, the outlet portion of the output multipole rod set being connectable to a downstream device; and, wherein, at least two of the multipole rod sets are configured as input rod sets or at least two of the multipole rod sets are configured as output rod sets.