Ion mobility spectrometer clear-down
First Claim
1. A method of clearing down an ion mobility spectrometer, the ion mobility spectrometer comprising an ionization region, and a drift region, the method comprising:
- receiving a clear-down trigger; and
responsive to receipt of the clear-down trigger, fast-switching between a positive ion mode and a negative ion mode, wherein the fast-switching purges residual sample from the ionization region and/or the drift region of the ion mobility spectrometer, wherein, in the positive ion mode, an electric field is provided in a first direction from the ionization region along the drift region and in the negative ion mode the direction of the electric field is reversed, wherein no sample is added during the clear down, and wherein fast clearing-down comprises at least one of;
operating in positive ion mode for less than one second before switching to operating in negative ion mode and operating in negative ion mode for less than one second, oroperating in negative ion mode for less than one second before switching to operating in positive ion mode and operating in positive ion mode for less than one second.
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Abstract
Method and systems for managing clear-down are provided. The method can include generating a clear-down trigger associated with an ion mobility spectrometer and operating the ion mobility spectrometer in fast clear-down mode in response to the clear-down trigger. Methods and systems can further provide that where the ion mobility spectrometer operates in fast-switching mode, the ion mobility spectrometer alternating a plurality of times between operation according to a positive ion mode and operation according to a negative ion mode, and further operating according to the positive ion mode for less than about 1 second before switching to the operation according to the negative ion mode, and operating according to the negative ion mode for less than about 1 second before switching to the operation according to the positive ion mode.
11 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of clearing down an ion mobility spectrometer, the ion mobility spectrometer comprising an ionization region, and a drift region, the method comprising:
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receiving a clear-down trigger; and responsive to receipt of the clear-down trigger, fast-switching between a positive ion mode and a negative ion mode, wherein the fast-switching purges residual sample from the ionization region and/or the drift region of the ion mobility spectrometer, wherein, in the positive ion mode, an electric field is provided in a first direction from the ionization region along the drift region and in the negative ion mode the direction of the electric field is reversed, wherein no sample is added during the clear down, and wherein fast clearing-down comprises at least one of; operating in positive ion mode for less than one second before switching to operating in negative ion mode and operating in negative ion mode for less than one second, or operating in negative ion mode for less than one second before switching to operating in positive ion mode and operating in positive ion mode for less than one second. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of clearing down an ion mobility spectrometer, the ion mobility spectrometer comprising an ionization region, and a drift region, the method comprising:
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receiving a clear-down trigger; and responsive to receipt of the clear-down trigger, fast-switching between a positive ion mode and a negative ion mode, wherein the fast-switching purges residual sample from the ionization region and/or the drift region of the ion mobility spectrometer, wherein, in the positive ion mode, an electric field is provided in a first direction from the ionization region along the drift region and in the negative ion mode the direction of the electric field is reversed, wherein no sample is added during the clear down, and wherein fast clearing-down comprises at least one of; operating in positive ion mode for 10 milliseconds to one minute before switching to operating in negative ion mode and operating in negative ion mode for 10 milliseconds to one minute, or operating in negative ion mode for 10 milliseconds to one minute before switching to operating in positive ion mode and operating in positive ion mode for 10 milliseconds to one minute. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A ion mobility spectrometer comprising:
- an ionization region including an ionization source that is configured to fast-clear down the ion mobility spectrometer, wherein no sample is added during the clear down, to purge residual sample that remains in the ionization region after receipt of a clear-down trigger by;
operating in positive ion mode for less than one second before switching to operating in negative ion mode and operating in negative ion mode for less than one second, or operating in negative ion mode for less than one second before switching to operating in positive ion mode and operating in positive ion mode for less than one second. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- an ionization region including an ionization source that is configured to fast-clear down the ion mobility spectrometer, wherein no sample is added during the clear down, to purge residual sample that remains in the ionization region after receipt of a clear-down trigger by;
Specification