Patent ID: 7378651

Claim:
A high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS) apparatus for separating one type of ion from a mixture including a plurality of different types of ions, comprising: a plurality of first electrode portions, each first electrode portion of the plurality of first electrode portions having a first length and an outer surface that is at least partially curved in a direction transverse to the first length; a plurality of second electrode portions interleaved in a repeating sequence with the plurality of first electrode portions, each second electrode portion of the plurality of second electrode portions having a second length and an outer surface that is at least partially curved in a direction transverse to the second length, a space between the outer surface of a first electrode portion and the outer surface of an adjacent second electrode portion defining a portion of an analytical gap for separating the one type of ions from the mixture including the plurality of different types of ions; and, at least an electrical controller for electrically coupling to at least one of the plurality of first electrode portions and the plurality of second electrode portions, for applying an asymmetric waveform voltage between the plurality of first electrode portions and the plurality of second electrode portions and for applying a direct current voltage between the plurality of first electrode portions and the plurality of second electrode portions so as to establish an electric field within the portion of the analytical gap, whereby ions propagating along a direction that is transverse to both the first length and the second length are separated in the portion of the analytical gap between the outer surface of the first electrode portion and the outer surface of the adjacent second electrode portion.