Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J49/00—Particle spectrometers or separator tubes
  • H01J49/26—Mass spectrometers or separator tubes
  • H01J49/34—Dynamic spectrometers
  • H01J49/40—Time-of-flight spectrometers
  • H01J49/406—Time-of-flight spectrometers with multiple reflections
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J49/00—Particle spectrometers or separator tubes
  • H01J49/02—Details
  • H01J49/06—Electron- or ion-optical arrangements
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J49/00—Particle spectrometers or separator tubes
  • H01J49/02—Details
  • H01J49/06—Electron- or ion-optical arrangements
  • H01J49/061—Ion deflecting means, e.g. ion gates
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J49/00—Particle spectrometers or separator tubes
  • H01J49/26—Mass spectrometers or separator tubes
  • H01J49/34—Dynamic spectrometers
  • H01J49/40—Time-of-flight spectrometers
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J49/00—Particle spectrometers or separator tubes
  • H01J49/26—Mass spectrometers or separator tubes
  • H01J49/34—Dynamic spectrometers
  • H01J49/40—Time-of-flight spectrometers
  • H01J49/405—Time-of-flight spectrometers characterised by the reflectron, e.g. curved field, electrode shapes

Definitions

• This invention relates to a multireflection time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer.
• TOF time-of-flight
• Mass spectrometry is a well known analytical tool for identification and quantitative analysis of elements, compounds and so forth.
• the key qualities of a mass spectrometer are its resolving power, mass accuracy and sensitivity.
• One specific form of mass spectrometry, time- of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) involves accelerating ions in an electric field and then drifting them to a detector at a known distance. Ions of different mass to charge ratios (m/z) but having the same kinetic energy move at different velocities towards the detector and so separate according to their m/z.
• the resolving power of TOF-MS is typically related to the flight length: the longer the distance between the location of ion packet formation and the detector, the greater the resolving power. To an extent, therefore, the resolution of a TOF-MS can be improved by maximizing the linear distance between the electric field and the detector. However, beyond a certain linear separation, practical problems arise as the instrument size increases, leading to increased cost, additional pumping requirements, and so forth.
• MR TOF-MS multireflection time-of-flight mass spectrometry
• two coaxial mirrors are provided (see, for example, US-A-3 , 226-543 , US-A-6, 013 , 913 , US-A-6, 107, 625 or WO-A-2002/103747) .
• the problem with such an arrangement is that it severely limits the mass range that can be analyzed. This is because, as the ions of different m/z separate, the initial single pulse of ions becomes a train of pulses whose duration depends on the flight length they have travelled and the range of m/z ions within the train.
• Multireflection ion mirrors for TOF-MS that addressed this limited mass range are described in GB-A-2, 080, 021 to
• each mirror provides a single reflection and is functionally independent of the other mirrors.
• the arrangement of Wollnik addresses the limited mass range of other prior art devices, it does not offer a practical solution which could implement the large number of ion mirrors in the case where a large ion incidence angle provides higher resolution.
• SU-A-I, 725, 289 describes a TOF-MS with two opposed planar ion mirrors that allows for repeated reflections in a direction generally transverse to a drift direction (Y) .
• Y drift direction
• Unlimited beam divergence in that drift (Y) direction limits the usefulness of this design with modern ion sources (electrospray, MALDI etc) .
• a method of reflecting ions in a multireflection time of flight mass spectrometer comprising: providing an ion mirror having a plurality of electrodes, the ion mirror having a cross section with a first, minor axis (Y) and a second, major axis (X) each perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (z) of the ion mirror which lies generally in the direction of time of flight separation of the ions in the mirror; guiding ions towards the ion mirror; applying a voltage to the electrodes so as to create an electric field which: (a) causes the mean trajectory of the ions to intersect a plane of symmetry of the ion mirror which contains the longitudinal (z) and major axes (X) of the mirror;
• embodiments of the present invention in its first aspect, provide for a MR TOF MS wherein ions move across a minor axis (Y) (such as, for example, a short side) of an ion mirror thereof as they undergo reflection within the ion mirror.
• a minor axis such as, for example, a short side
• ions have a "shift direction" which is across a major axis of the ion mirror.
• multiple ion mirrors can be stacked adjacent to one another with a relatively limited (shallow) angle of reflection within each mirror.
• a large path length through a MR TOF MS can be created whilst adjacent mirrors can be shielded from one another by the presence of the mirror electrodes themselves. Furthermore, space charge effects are reduced.
• cartesian coordinate axes X, Y and Z are employed, it is to be understood that this is merely for ease of explanation and that the absolute orientation of the MR TOF MS is not important.
• the longitudinal axis in defining the longitudinal axis to be generally in the direction of TOF separation it is recognized that the ions actually have a mean path through the ion mirror that is not parallel with the electrodes thereof at all times.
• the longitudinal direction is simply intended to identify the cartesian direction which lies orthogonal to the sectional axes .
• a voltage may be applied to the electrodes so as to create an electric field which causes ions to cross the plane of symmetry at least three times.
• ions described a "gamma" shape viewed in a plane containing the longitudinal and minor axes of the ion mirror.
• the electric field of the ion mirror may be arranged to enhance spatial focussing by causing the ions to undergo spatial compression at least once (and preferably twice) during passage through the ion mirror.
• the ion mirror forms part of a stack of ion mirrors together constituting a first ion mirror arrangement.
• a second ion mirror arrangement is also provided, opposed to the first ion mirror arrangement. Ions are directed into the first ion mirror of the first mirror arrangement where they reflect back towards the second ion mirror arrangement, and are then reflected into a second ion mirror of the first ion mirror arrangement, back to the second ion mirror arrangement and so forth.
• ions describe a series of "gamma" shaped loops within the first ion mirror arrangement, being reflected back each time by the second ion mirror arrangement. In this way, a "shift" direction in the direction of the minor axis of each ion mirror of the first ion mirror arrangement is established. Spatial focussing within each ion mirror of the first ion mirror arrangement obviates the need to have spatial focussing means elsewhere which is a significant drawback of the Verentchikov arrangement described above.
• the second ion mirror arrangement likewise comprises a plurality of (for example, four) ion mirrors, each opposed to a corresponding ion mirror within the first ion mirror arrangement.
• the second ion mirror arrangement has a plane of symmetry containing a longitudinal axis generally perpendicular to a plane of reflection of the second ion mirror arrangement, and a minor axis of the cross section of the second ion mirror arrangement, and ions intersect that plane of symmetry of the second ion mirror arrangement as they reflect within it.
• This plane of symmetry of the second ion mirror arrangement is, preferably, perpendicular to the plane of symmetry defined by the longitudinal and minor axes of each ion mirror in the first ion mirror arrangement .
• ions having passed through the first and second ion mirror arrangements may be passed to a further ion processing device such as a fragmentation chamber or the like.
• ions may be reflected back through the MR TOF MS and, most preferably, reflected once again in the forward direction to make a total of three passes through the MR TOF MS. Because of the difference in time of flight of ions of different mass to charge ratios, increasing the number of passes through the device beyond three leads to an undesirably small mass range of analysis, in a similar manner to that described in relation to the coaxial mirror arrangement of the prior art.
• a method of reflecting ions in a multireflection time of flight mass spectrometer comprising: providing a first ion mirror having a plurality of electrodes and defining a longitudinal axis generally orthogonal to a plane of reflection of ions within the first ion mirror; providing a second ion mirror generally opposed to the first ion mirror, the second ion mirror having a plurality of electrodes and defining a longitudinal axis generally orthogonal to a plane of reflection of ions within the second ion mirror; guiding ions towards the first ion mirror; supplying a voltage to the electrodes of the first ion mirror so as to create an electric field which causes the ions entering the first ion mirror to be reflected back out of it; directing ions reflected out of the first ion mirror into the second ion mirror; supplying a voltage to the electrodes of the second ion mirror so as to create an electric field which causes the ions
• a method of reflecting ions in a multireflection time of flight mass spectrometer comprising: providing a first ion mirror arrangement including at least one ion mirror which has a longitudinal axis generally perpendicular with a plane of reflection of ions within that at least one ion mirror; the or each ion mirror further having electrodes define a cross section with a first, minor axis and a second, major axis each orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the, or the respective, ion mirror; providing a second ion mirror arrangement including at least one ion mirror which has a longitudinal axis generally- perpendicular with a plane of reflection of ions within that at least one ion mirror; the or each ion mirror further having electrodes define a cross section with a first, minor axis and a second, major axis each orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the, or the respective, ion mirror, wherein the or each
• the invention also extends to a multireflection time of flight mass spectrometer (MR TOF MS) comprising: a first ion mirror arrangement including at least one ion mirror which has a longitudinal axis generally perpendicular with a plane of reflection of ions within that at least one ion mirror; the or each ion mirror further having electrodes define a cross section with a first, minor axis and a second, major axis each orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the, or the respective, ion mirror; a second ion mirror arrangement including at least one ion mirror which has a longitudinal axis generally perpendicular with a plane of reflection of ions within that at least one ion mirror; the or each ion mirror further having electrodes define a cross section with a first, minor axis and a second, major axis each orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the, or the respective, ion mirror; means for supplying a voltage to the electrodes of the first and second
• a multi-reflection time of flight arrangement having a first Z -axis which lies generally in the direction of time of flight, the arrangement comprising: a first set of at least one mirrors providing focussing in a Y-direction; a second set of at least one mirrors providing focussing in a X-direction; and at least one time focal point; wherein Z, Y and X span a 3 -dimensional space.
• a multi-reflection time of flight mass analyzer comprising: a multiply folded flight path defining a longitudinal direction; a first set of elongated electrodes arranged along a first transversal axis, said first set of elongated electrodes arranged to provide folding of the flight path and focusing in the direction of a second transversal axis; and a second set of elongated electrodes arranged along a third transversal axis, said second set of elongated electrodes arranged to provide folding of the flight path and providing focusing along a fourth transversal axis; wherein the first and the third axis are inclined to one another and the second and the fourth axis are inclined to one another.
• Figure IA shows a third angle elevation of a preferred embodiment of a multireflection time of flight mass spectrometer, with Type 1 and Type 2 opposed ion mirror arrangements ;
• Figure IB shows a third angle elevation of one of the ion mirrors of the Type 1 ion mirror arrangement shown in Figure 1.
• Figure 2 shows a part of the arrangement of Figure 1, in the plane YZ thereof ;
• Figure 3 shows a section through the MR TOF MS of Figure 1 in the plane YZ thereof, along with exemplary ion trajectories in that plane,-
• Figure 4 shows, in section in the XY plane, one possible arrangement of electrodes within a Type 2 ion mirror of Figure 1, along with some suitable voltages;
• Figure 5 shows, again in section in the YZ plane of Figure 1, one possible arrangement of electrodes within a ion mirror of the Type 1 ion mirror arrangement in Figure 1, along with some suitable voltages;
• Figure 6 shows, again in section in the YZ plane, an alternative arrangement of ion mirrors embodying the present invention.
• Figure 7 shows, again in section in the YZ plane, a third embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 8 shows a mass spectrometer system comprising an ion source, a linear trap and the MR TOF MS of Figure 3..
• Figure 9 shows, in section in the XZ plane, ion trajectories focussed on a time-focal point.
• Figure 10 shows, in section in the XY plane, a further embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure IA shows a third angle projection (perspective) view of a multireflection time of flight mass spectrometer (MR TOF MS) .
• the MR TOF MS includes two separate ion mirror arrangements.
• the first ion mirror arrangement 10 forms one of a pair of systems of planar mirrors which are designated "Type 1" in the following description.
• the MR TOF MS of Figure 1 also includes a second ion mirror arrangement 20 which is generally orthogonal with the first ion mirror 10 and designated "Type 2" in the following description.
• the first ion mirror arrangement 10 comprises, in the preferred embodiment of Figure IA, four ion mirrors stacked on top of each other in a direction parallel with the Y axis 300 as shown in figure IA.
• Figure IB shows a single mirror of the first ion mirror arrangement.
• Each ion mirror comprises a set of electrodes (a preferred embodiment of which is shown in Figure 5 below) which, when energized, create an electric field within each ion mirror.
• the electrodes extend only part way along the longitudinal axis (in the Z direction 200 of Figure 1) of each ion mirror so that there is a field free region between the second ion mirror arrangement 20 and the electrodes of the ion mirrors of the first ion mirror arrangement 10.
• the Figure shows the Type 2 mirror to be rotated by 90° with respect to the Type 1 mirror, this is also not a requirement of the invention. Other degrees of rotation are contemplated in this invention.
• the intention is to provide inclined and preferably- orthogonal mirror arrangements which cooperate in the generation of separated temporal and spatial foci.
• the simplest embodiment of the apparatus of the invention has orthogonal mirror arrangements .
• Each ion mirror of the first ion mirror arrangement has two planes of symmetry, a first containing the X and Z axes 400, 200, and a second containing the Y and Z axes. It is the first plane of symmetry, in the XZ direction, that is of most relevance for the ion mirrors in the first ion mirror arrangement 10, as will be explained in further detail in connection with Figures 2 and 3 in particular.
• the second ion mirror arrangement 20 comprises a single ion mirror which likewise has two planes of symmetry (in the XZ and YZ planes) but, here, it is the plane of symmetry in the YZ plane that is of most interest.
• Ions are generated by an ion source 30 which is outside of the MR TOF MS.
• ions are ejected towards the MR TOF MS.
• ions are accelerated through an electric field of known magnitude and are then allowed to drift without further acceleration towards the MR TOF MS .
• ions are then directed towards the ion mirror arrangements 10, 20 and, after a first reflection in the second ion mirror arrangement 20, arrive at a slot 35a of a mirror 10a, seen best in Figure 2, and which is formed in a front face of a first, upper (in the Y direction) ion mirror of the ion mirror arrangement 10. It will be seen that ions arrive at the aperture 35a at an angle ⁇ to the plane of symmetry as identified above (that is, the plane of symmetry in the XZ plane) . Thus, the ion trajectory passes through that plane of symmetry for a first time at or around the entrance slot of 35a the first ion mirror 10a.
• Ions continue generally in the direction that they enter the first ion mirror 10a since the first part of the ion mirror 10a in the longitudinal direction is a field free region without electrodes 47. Approximately one third of the way into the ion mirror (that is, approximately one third of the distance between the entrance slot 35a and the plane at which reflection occurs further along the longitudinal axis) , ions enter an electric field established by a plurality of electrodes 37.
• the electric field has the effect of spatially focussing the ion for a first time at a saddle point 38.
• the ions then continue in a direction generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ion mirror 10a before being reflected back at a turning point 45 defining a plane of reflection. It is at this point 45, where the ions change direction, that they intersect the plane of symmetry in the XZ plane for a second time.
• the ions are then spatially focussed for a second time at a second saddle point 39 and then carry on again in a direction generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ion mirror 10a, before exiting the electric field of the ion mirror 10a into the field free region 47.
• the ions are deflected before leaving the electric field of the ion mirror 10a so that they once more have a component of movement in the Y direction. Thus they intersect the plane of symmetry in the XZ plane of the ion mirror 10a for a third and final time, again generally in the region of the elongate slot 35a as they pass back out of the ion mirror 10a.
• the shape described by the ions may be likened, generally, to the Greek "gamma” and ions intersect the plane of symmetry three times .
• the flight path is arranged such that a projection of the flight path onto the plane containing the longitudinal direction (Z) and the minor (Y) direction crosses over itself once for each entry into one of the first mirrors 10.
• ions Having passed back through the elongate aperture 35a, ions continue moving right to left in Figure 3 and enter the orthogonal second ion mirror arrangement (Type 2) .
• the ions remain generally in the plane of symmetry (YZ) of the second ion mirror arrangement 20 but intersect the longitudinal (Z) axis thereof at an acute angle which may or may not be the angle ⁇ at which ions entering the first ion mirror arrangement 10 intersect the plane of symmetry of that mirror.
• ions travel generally in a straight line back towards the first ion mirror arrangement 10 where they enter an elongate slot 35b of a second ion mirror 10b of the first ion mirror arrangement 10 which is adjacent the first ion mirror 10a of it, but whose longitudinal axis is displaced in the Y direction.
• the second ion mirror 10b is preferably of a identical construction to the first ion mirror 10a and thus has a set of electrodes extending part way along the longitudinal axis to provide an electric field for reflection of ions entering the second ion mirror 10b.
• Ions again describe the "gamma" shape through the second ion mirror 10b so that they intersect the plane of symmetry of the second ion mirror 10b three times and so that ions leaving the second ion mirror 10b do so in a direction that has a component in the Y direction again.
• Ions then pass back into the second ion mirror arrangement 20 where they are reflected at an angle to the longitudinal axis and thus continue with a component in the Y direction downwards (when viewed in the orientation of Figures 1, 2 and 3) .
• Ions then enter a third ion mirror 10c of the first ion mirror arrangement 10, execute the loop "gamma" trajectory in it and are directed back again into the second ion mirror arrangement 20 for a further time. Here they are reflected again, still with a component of drift in the Y direction downwards, into a fourth and final ion mirror 1Od of the first ion mirror arrangement 10.
• ions exit the elongate slot 35d of the fourth ion mirror 1Od after which they arrive at detector 52, for detection. Only after the fourth ion mirror 1Od of the first ion mirror arrangement 10a do aberrations of 1st, 2nd and 3rd order achieve a minimum and thus provide an optimized quality of time of flight focussing.
• the second mirror arrangement 20 reduces spatial dispersion of ions in a second direction orthogonal or at least at an angle to the focusing direction of the mirror arrangement 10.
• the second mirror arrangement 20 provides focusing in that second direction.
• Figure 9 shows a preferred configuration where the focal length of the second mirror assembly equals the Z-elongation of the ion flight path. That is an incident parallel beam is focused to a focal point at the turning point and vice versa.
• This configuration requires an even number of reflections to go from parallel to parallel beam or from focused to focused, so it is best suited for multi- reflection configurations. In exchange it carries the advantage of a maximised focal length, reducing errors.
• the preferred configuration has the first mirror assembly orthogonal to the second in the sense that the respective other mirror assembly does not affect the behaviour of the former in its main focusing direction.
• Type 1 and Type 2 mirrors are orthogonal .
• the arrangement of Figures 1, 2 and 3 significantly increases the total path length between the acceleration region upstream of the MR TOF MS and the detector.
• the flight path may be increased further (effectively doubled) by reversing the direction of ion travel in the ion mirror arrangements 10, 20 as shown in Figure 3 by the lower dashed line opposite the fourth ion mirror 1Od of the first ion mirror arrangement 10.
• a second deflector 40 may be used to straighten the trajectories on their entrance into the second ion mirror arrangement 20 as they exit the fourth ion mirror 1Od of the first ion mirror arrangement 10, and then return ions exactly on the incoming trajectory.
• ions may be deflected in the X direction by third deflector 41, and captured by a second detector 50 located above the plane of the drawing in the X direction.
• the third deflector 41 could be energized only after all the ions of interest have passed through the MR TOF MS on the forward pass, and this of course limits the mass range, since heavy ions are just passing the third deflector 41 when relatively lighter ions are already coming back.
• This limitation is of limited practical concern as RF transmission devices normally used in the ion source 30 impose much more stringent limitations on the mass range.
• the flight path may be increased still further by employing a fourth deflector 42 instead of the third deflector 41.
• the fourth deflector straightens up the path of the ions but keeps them generally in the YZ plane (in contrast to third deflector 41 which deflects ions up out of the YZ plane for detection at second detector 50) - see the upper part of Figure 3.
• Ions whose trajectories have been straightened relative to the longitudinal axis of the second ion mirror arrangement 20 are reflected within so as to return back along a path generally parallel with the direction in which they enter the field of the second ion mirror arrangement 20, following which they are deflected back into the first ion mirror arrangement 10 at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the first ion mirror 10a so as to traverse a path through the two ion mirror arrangements 10, 20 similar to the path traversed during the first pass there through.
• ions in this embodiment, pass through the MR TOF MS three times, twice in the forward direction and once the "reverse" direction, they arrive at the elongate slot 35d of the fourth ion mirror 1Od of the first ion mirror arrangement 10 and first deflector 43 is then activated to deflect the ions up out of the plane of the paper of Figure 3 (in the X direction) towards the first detector 51.
• the first deflector 43 is switched on once heavy m/z have passed it on their way back from deflection by the second deflector 40. Then ions are taken away from their second forward pass onto the first detector 51, with light m/z first followed by heavier m/z. In this case, the ratios of times of flight are about 2.4:1.
• ions may instead be removed from the plane of transmission through the MR TOF MS in the X direction to another stage of mass analysis (not shown in the Figures) .
• a fragmentation device may be situated out of the plane of Figure 3 (in the X direction) so that, following fragmentation, ions can be reinjected into the same MR TOF MS or into another mass analyser.
• a mass spectrometer incorporating the invention can comprise a first mass selector, which can be a multipole, an ion trap, or a time of flight instrument, including an embodiment of the invention, or an ion mobility device and any known collision, fragmentation or reaction device and a further mass analyzer which can preferably be an embodiment of the invention or - especially when the first mass analyzer is an embodiment of the invention - another mass analyzer, like a reflectron TOF or an ion trapping mass analyzer, e.g. an RF-ion trap, or an electrostatic trap or any type of FT/MS. Both mass analyzers can have separate detection means. Alternatively a low cost version could have detection means only after the second mass analyzer.
• an apparatus of the invention incorporates a chromatograph and an atmospheric pressure ion source or a laser desorption ion source.
• each ion mirror 10a- 1Od of the first ion mirror arrangement 10 as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 are planar, there is no requirement that they should be so formed.
• elliptic or circular cross section ion mirrors could equally be employed.
• the cross section of each ion mirror has a major and minor axis (that is, the sections are, for example, rectangular or elliptical) , with the "gamma" shaped ion trajectories in each ion mirror causing a drift direction of the ions to be established in the Y direction, which is the direction of the minor rather than the major axis.
• the major axes of the first set of mirrors (Type 1) and the second set of mirrors (Type 2) are different to each other.
• the mirrors preferably comprise elongated electrodes or electrode elements in the shape of rods or plates which are arranged along the respective major axis of the mirror.
• the mirrors can be closed at the minor sides with similar electrode arrangements to eliminate fringing fields. These closing elements could also be PCBs which mimic the ideal field as found in the centre of the arrangements .
• the mirrors can be open at the minor sides if those sides are sufficiently far from the path of the ion beam.
• electrodes may be formed by stamping or electrochemical etching.
• a preferred implementation employs flat plates on its edges to minimise fringing fields, so as to constitute a planar mirror.
• the flat plates are located, in preference, at least one mirror height away from the ion trajectories, and preferably more than 1.5 to 2 mirror heights.
• the second ion mirror arrangement 20 may likewise be a single planar mirror (as shown in Figure 1) or it may be a single elliptical mirror.
• additional layers of Type 2 mirrors may be employed above or below the single second ion mirror arrangement 20 of Figure 1 (that is, in the +Y and/or -Y directions) .
• Ions may be transferred from layer to layer using a pair of opposing deflector plates that allow ions to enter each Type 2 mirror arrangement always along the plane of symmetry.
• multiple mirrors could instead of a single ion mirror in each Type 2 mirror arrangement, which may be planar or non planar (e.g. elliptic or circular in cross section) .
• FIG. 6 Such an arrangement is shown in Figure 6, where all mirrors in the first and second ion mirror arrangements are Type 1, with a single planar lens 60 formed between them.
• the planar lens 60 acts to focus ions in the "X" direction, that is, into the plane of paper of Figure 6, since without the crossed planes of symmetry of earlier embodiments ( Figure 1, for example) , there is no other source of ion focussing in that direction.
• the forward pass through the MR TOF MS of Figure 6 could be reversed by using deflectors 40 and 41 to double the flight length as shown by the dashed lines - detector 50 is once again located above or below the plane of the drawing of Figure 6. Still a further increase in the flight length may be achieved by passing ions back through the arrangement of Figure 6 for a third time (in the "forward" direction once more) as has been described previously in connection with Figure 3. Furthermore, multiple layers of the lens 60 could be employed .
• Figure 7 shows still a further embodiment which extends the principles of Figure 6 further.
• the ion mirrors may instead be oriented towards a common centre with a circular lens 70 in the middle, so that ions move around a generally circular arrangement of ion mirrors.
• the mirrors may instead be elliptical in cross section, or of other geometric shape. This may be advantageous since an elliptical cross section mirror, for example, may provide spatial focussing also perpendicular to the plane of trajectory. Of course, it is necessary to organise that orthogonal focussing so that aberrations are not significantly increased. By employing elliptical cross section mirrors, it may be that the lens 60/70 of Figures 6 and 7 may not be necessary.
• the space focusing in the transversal plane of figures 6 and especially 7 can be arranged by using two types or orientations of mirrors, each providing focusing in a different transversal direction, and both cooperating in creation of the desired longitudinal (time) focal points.
• Figure 8 shows a mass spectrometer system 100, which includes an MR TOF MS as described above.
• the specific embodiment of MR TOF MS shown in figure 8 is that of figure 3 though the figure 6 or figure 7 embodiments could of course equally be employed.
• the system includes an ion source 110 such as an electrospray or MALDI source. This generates a quasicontinuous stream of ions that are guided via lens 120 into a collision cell 130.
• ions are (optionally) fragmented and then guided via second lens 140 into a linear trap 150.
• the linear trap 150 may take various forms such as a linear quadrupole, hexapole or octapole trap with straight elongate rods, or it may be curved (that is, has curved elongate rods with a constant section and a constant rod separation along the direction of elongation) . Most preferably, the linear trap 150 is curved but with a non- linear sectional area along the axis of elongation, such as is described in our co-pending application no. GB 0626025.1, the contents of which are incorporated herein entirely.
• ions generated in the ion source 110 pass through the lens 120, and into the fragmentation cell 130. Here they may be fragmented or not depending upon the ions being analysed and the user's choice. They then pass via second lens 140 into the linear trap 150 where they are captured and cooled. Some crude mass selection may also take place within the linear trap 150. Ion packets are then ejected generally in a direction the curved axis of elongation of the linear trap, as is described in the above referenced GB 0626025.1, and are focussed downstream of the trap 150. They then pass into the second ion mirror arrangement 20 and continue onwards as described above in connection with figure 3.
• ions may be deflected out of the plane of the drawing such as for example by deflector 41 deflecting ions to detector 50 out of the plane of the paper.
• FIG. 4 One specific embodiment of the Type 2 mirror is shown in XZ section in Figure 4, and a specific embodiment of the Type 1 mirror also is shown in section in the YZ plane in Figure 5.
• Figures 4 and 5 show the geometric and electric parameters of the ion mirrors in detail.
• a series of voltages are supplied from a power supply (not shown) to the electrodes of each, and potentials are applied to a set of precision- ground metallic rods.
• the rods may be formed of stainless steel, invar or metal-coated glass, for example.
• a set of thin or thick metal plates, or printed circuit boards could be used to provide the same effect.
• the specific voltages employed in the preferred embodiment for the second and first ion mirror arrangements 20, 10 are shown in tables in Figures 4 and 5 respectively, for ions accelerated by 2kV..
• Figure 10 shows another preferred embodiment that allows use of the multi-reflection assembly in 1-pass, 3 -pass, and 5- to (2*n-l)-pass mode.
• the 1-pass mode will allow quick low resolution mass analysis
• 3 -pass mode will provide higher resolution analysis over a mass range that approximately matches the mass range of an RF- ion trap operated at a fixed frequency and the higher pass modes providing high resolution "zoom" modes of operation of a smaller mass range.
• An injector trap 210 is preferably (but not necessarily) oriented parallel to one of the transversal directions and parallel to the elongation direction of at least one of the mirror sets .
• it can be positioned outside the plane of ion movement, decoupling its properties from the longitudinal motion.
• the injector trap 210 may be a curved non-linear RF ion trap such as that disclosed in the applicant's co-pending application published as WO 2008 081334, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
• Ions can enter the injector trap directly from an ion source, or through a first mass analyzer and an optional first reaction device which could also be part of the first mass analyzer.
• a single detector 290 can be used for all single- and multi-pass analyzing modes.
• Y deflectors 221, 222, 223 organize entry, reflection and exit of ions in this device as shown in the figure.
• the detector element 290 is again parallel to the injector trap 210 and a transversal main direction 230.
• the detector element 290 can be in the plane of ion movement or out of plane .
• the preferable overall flight length of an MR TOF MS in accordance with preferred embodiments lies in the range of 10 to 200 metres, with an overall length of the system being between about 0.5 to 1 metre.
• the average ion acceleration is preferably in the range of 1 to 20kv, 2kv being used in the arrangements of Figures 4 and 5.
• the arrangements thus described provide a large increase in the path length relative to a single reflection time of flight mass spectrometer, but at the same time enhance spatial focussing, improved shielding of ion packets from each other to minimize space charge effects, and provide a simplified ion injection scheme due to the removal of spatial conflict between the ion source and the fringing fields of an ion mirror.
• the mirror system depicted schematically in Figure 10 has second order time of flight focusing at the detector, and if the beam is reversed, at the plane passing through the exit of the injector. That is to say, all energy and spatial aberration coefficients are zero to second order. It has a minimum (but not zero) 3 rd order time focus coincident with the 2 nd order time focusing point.
• the mirror system produces focal points in X and Y that are not coincident with the time focal points. This has benefits for the detector, as it spreads the ion beam over a larger surface, whist during its extended passage through the instrument it has been contained in X and Y, and not allowed to diverge so as to be too large to detect.
• the ions are not focused for the majority of their passage, reducing space charge effects, especially as the focus points in X are never the same as those in Y, giving line foci, never point foci.
• This embodiment has time focus points at a Z-X plane at the exit of the injector, and at the detector plane. This is because when travelling in a forward direction only after the passage through the fourth ion mirror 1Od of the first ion mirror arrangement do aberrations of 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd order achieve a minimum.
• the injector 210 is displaced in X so that it does not interfere with the ion beam path when performing more than one pass of the mirror system, and ions emitted from the injector are deflected into the Z-Y plane by an X-deflector.
• the detector is shown not displaced but having its centre plane lying in the Z-Y plane in this embodiment.
• an additional X deflector is required (not shown in Figure 10) . If the detector 290 is displaced out of the plane in this way, any aberrations due to the action of the X deflector 240 may be substantially cancelled by the action of the additional X deflector, if suitably designed.
• the cancelling effect of the Y-deflectors 221, 222, 223 means the detector 290 lies perpendicular to the ion beam at best time-focus, and is not tilted.
• a single detector can be used when odd numbers of passes are performed. For these reasons this arrangement is preferred over that of Figure 3.
• the collimator 220 comprises an entry lens and two "button" lenses (not shown for clarity) contained in a shielding enclosure.
• the collimator is coupled to the ion injector and is also out of the Z-Y plane.
• the injector and collimator produce a beam of ions suitable for injection into the mirror system, the beam being tilted with respect to the Z-Y plane, intersecting with it in the vicinity of the X-deflector 240.
• the X deflector deflects the ion beam into the plane of the mirror system.
• Y deflector 222 is energised so that it deflects the ion beam along the trajectory 250.
• Mirror 20 sends the beam back through Y deflector 222 and back through the mirror system.
• Y deflector 221 is energized so that it deflects the ion beam along trajectory 260.
• the beam then passes back through the mirror system substantially along the same trajectory as on the first forward pass.
• This deflection arrangement can be used one or more times to increase the flight path through the mirror system, the beam ultimately reaching detector 290.

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