Apparatus and method for adjustment of ion separation resolution in FAIMS
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controllably varying specificity of a FAIMS-based ion separation, comprising:
- a first electrode comprising a first electrode surface;
a second electrode comprising a second electrode surface, the second electrode spaced-apart from the first electrode along a first direction such that the second electrode surface faces the first electrode surface and overlaps therewith along a second direction that is normal to the first direction so as to define a FAIMS analyzer region therebetween, the FAIMS analyzer region having an ion inlet end and an ion outlet end, the first electrode and the second electrode movable one relative to the other along the second direction for varying a length of the FAIMS analyzer region between the ion inlet end and the ion outlet end; and
,an actuator for controllably relatively moving the first electrode along the second direction relative to the second electrode, for varying the length of the FAIMS analyzer region between the ion inlet end and the ion outlet end.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for controllably varying specificity of a FAIMS-based ion separation includes a FAIMS analyzer region defined between a first electrode surface and a second other electrode surface. The FAIMS analyzer region is in communication with an ionization source for providing a flow of ions including a known ion, and with an ion outlet for extracting ions including the known ion from the FAIMS analyzer region. The first and second electrode surfaces are for having an asymmetric waveform voltage applied thereacross for defining an average ion flow path for the known ion traversing therebetween. An actuator is provided for controllably moving the first electrode surface relative to the second electrode surface for controllably varying the length of the average ion flow path.
9 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controllably varying specificity of a FAIMS-based ion separation, comprising:
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a first electrode comprising a first electrode surface; a second electrode comprising a second electrode surface, the second electrode spaced-apart from the first electrode along a first direction such that the second electrode surface faces the first electrode surface and overlaps therewith along a second direction that is normal to the first direction so as to define a FAIMS analyzer region therebetween, the FAIMS analyzer region having an ion inlet end and an ion outlet end, the first electrode and the second electrode movable one relative to the other along the second direction for varying a length of the FAIMS analyzer region between the ion inlet end and the ion outlet end; and
,an actuator for controllably relatively moving the first electrode along the second direction relative to the second electrode, for varying the length of the FAIMS analyzer region between the ion inlet end and the ion outlet end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for controllably varying specificity of a FAIMS-based ion separation, comprising:
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a first generally cylindrical inner electrode having a first length; a second generally cylindrical inner electrode having a second length, the second generally cylindrical inner electrode axially aligned with and longitudinally spaced-apart from the first generally cylindrical inner electrode so as to define a circumferential gap between facing ends thereof, the circumferential gap defining an ion inlet; an outer generally cylindrical electrode having a third length and disposed in a concentric overlapping arrangement with the first generally cylindrical inner electrode and with the second generally cylindrical inner electrode, the outer generally cylindrical electrode defining an ion outlet within a portion thereof, a space between the second generally cylindrical inner electrode and the outer generally cylindrical electrode defining a FAIMS analyzer region, an average ion flow path being defined through said FAIMS analyzer region between the ion inlet and the ion outlet; and
,an actuator for relatively translating the outer generally cylindrical electrode relative to both the first generally cylindrical inner electrode and the second generally cylindrical inner electrode, so as to vary a length of the average ion flow path between the ion inlet and the ion outlet. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for controllably varying specificity of a FAIMS-based ion separation, comprising:
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providing a FAIMS analyzer region having an ion inlet for introducing a flow of ions thereto and having an ion outlet for extracting a subset of the flow of ions that is selectively transmitted along an average ion flow path between the ion inlet and the ion outlet; introducing a first flow of ions into the FAIMS analyzer region via the ion inlet; selectively transmitting a subset of the first flow of ions along the average ion flow path through the FAIMS analyzer region; relatively translating the ion inlet relative to the ion outlet so as to provide an average ion flow path of a different length through the FAIMS analyzer region; and
,transmitting ions of a second flow of ions along the average ion flow path of a different length. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for controllably varying specificity of a FAIMS-based ion separation, comprising:
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a FAIMS analyzer region defined between a first electrode surface and a second other electrode surface, the FAIMS analyzer region in communication with an ionization source for providing a flow of ions including a known ion, and with an ion outlet for extracting ions including the known ion from the FAIMS analyzer region, the first and second electrode surfaces for having an asymmetric waveform voltage applied thereacross for defining an average ion flow path for the known ion traversing therebetween; and
,an actuator for controllably moving the first electrode surface relative to the second electrode surface for controllably varying the length of the average ion flow path.
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24. An apparatus for controllably varying specificity of a FAIMS-based ion separation, comprising:
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a FAIMS analyzer region controllably switchable between a low specificity mode of operation and a high specificity mode of operation and defined by at least a space between a plurality of spaced-apart electrode surfaces, the FAIMS analyzer region in communication with an ionization source for providing a flow of ions including a known ion, and with an ion outlet for extracting ions including the known ion from the FAIMS analyzer region, wherein switching between the low specificity mode of operation and the high specificity mode of operation is accomplished by repositioning at least one electrode surface of the plurality of spaced-apart electrode surfaces relative to another electrode surface of the plurality of spaced-apart electrode surfaces.
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Specification