Method of separating ions
First Claim
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1. A method of separating ions according to their ion mobility, comprising:
- (i) accumulating a first population of ions in a first region of an ion mobility separator;
(ii) separating said first population of ions according to their ion mobility in said first region of said ion mobility separator and in a second region of said ion mobility separator; and
(iii) accumulating a second population of ions in said first region of said ion mobility separator after said first population of ions have exited the first region, and whilst said first population of ions are being separated according to their ion mobility in said second region of said ion mobility separator,wherein step (ii) comprises accumulating said second population of ions in an ion trap upstream of said first region, whilst said first population of ions are being separated according to their ion mobility in said first region of said ion mobility separator, wherein said ion trap is external to said ion mobility separator,wherein said first region of said ion mobility separator switches between a trapping mode in steps (i) and (iii), in which ions are substantially trapped within said first region and not separated according to their ion mobility, and an ion mobility separation mode in step (ii), in which ions are separated according to their ion mobility within said first region.
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates generally to a method of separating ions according to their ion mobility, comprising (i) accumulating a first population of ions in a first region of an ion mobility separator, (ii) separating said first population of ions according to their ion mobility in said first region of said ion mobility separator, and (iii) accumulating a second population of ions in said first region of said ion mobility separator while said first population of ions are being separated according to their ion mobility in said ion mobility separator.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of separating ions according to their ion mobility, comprising:
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(i) accumulating a first population of ions in a first region of an ion mobility separator; (ii) separating said first population of ions according to their ion mobility in said first region of said ion mobility separator and in a second region of said ion mobility separator; and (iii) accumulating a second population of ions in said first region of said ion mobility separator after said first population of ions have exited the first region, and whilst said first population of ions are being separated according to their ion mobility in said second region of said ion mobility separator, wherein step (ii) comprises accumulating said second population of ions in an ion trap upstream of said first region, whilst said first population of ions are being separated according to their ion mobility in said first region of said ion mobility separator, wherein said ion trap is external to said ion mobility separator, wherein said first region of said ion mobility separator switches between a trapping mode in steps (i) and (iii), in which ions are substantially trapped within said first region and not separated according to their ion mobility, and an ion mobility separation mode in step (ii), in which ions are separated according to their ion mobility within said first region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An ion mobility spectrometer or separation device comprising:
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an ion mobility separator comprising a first region arranged and adapted to accumulate consecutive populations of ions; and a control system arranged and adapted; (i) to accumulate a first population of ions in said first region of said ion mobility separator; (ii) to separate said first population of ions according to their ion mobility in said first region of said ion mobility separator and in a second region of said ion mobility separator; and (iii) to accumulate a second population of ions in said first region of said ion mobility separator after said first population of ions have exited the first region, and whilst said first population of ions are being separated according to their ion mobility in said second region of said ion mobility separator, wherein step (ii) comprises accumulating said second population of ions in an ion trap upstream of said first region, whilst said first population of ions are being separated according to their ion mobility in said first region of said ion mobility separator, wherein said ion trap is external to said ion mobility separator, wherein said first region of said ion mobility separator switches between a trapping mode in steps (i) and (iii), in which ions are substantially trapped within said first region and not separated according to their ion mobility, and an ion mobility separation mode in step (ii), in which ions are separated according to their ion mobility within said first region. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method of separating ions in a device, wherein the device comprises a first region, an ion trap upstream of the first region and a second region downstream of the first region, wherein the first and second regions form part of an ion mobility separator and said ion trap is external to said ion mobility separator, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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(i) driving a first population of ions through the first and second regions so as to separate a first population of ions, whilst accumulating a second population of ions in the ion trap; (ii) after the first population of ions has exited the first region, but prior to the first population of ions exiting the second region, transferring the second population of ions into the first region and trapping the second population of ions within the first region; and
then(iii) driving the second population of ions through the first and second regions so as to separate the second population of ions, whilst accumulating a third population of ions in the ion trap; (iv) repeating steps (ii) and (iii) for the third and further populations of ions so as to successively separate the third and further populations of ions, wherein said first region switches between a trapping mode in step (ii), in which ions are substantially trapped within said first region and not separated according to their ion mobility, and an ion mobility separation mode in steps (i) and (iii), in which ions are separated according to their ion mobility within said first region.
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20. An apparatus comprising a device for separating ions and a control system, wherein the device comprises a first region, an ion trap upstream of the first region and a second region downstream of the first region,
wherein the first and second regions form part of an ion mobility separator and said ion trap is external to said ion mobility separator, wherein the control system is arranged and adapted: -
(i) to drive a first population of ions through the first and second regions so as to separate the first population of ions, for example according to their ion mobility, whilst accumulating a second population of ions in the ion trap; (ii) after the first population of ions has exited the first region, but prior to the first population of ions exiting the second region, to transfer the second population of ions into the first region and trap the second population of ions within the first region; and
then(iii) to drive the second population of ions through the first and second regions so as to separate the second population of ions, for example according to their ion mobility, whilst accumulating a third population of ions in the ion trap; and (iv) to repeat steps (ii) and (iii) for the third and further populations of ions so as to successively separate the third and further populations of ions, for example according to their ion mobility, wherein said first region of said ion mobility separator switches between a trapping mode in step (ii), in which ions are substantially trapped within said first region and not separated according to their ion mobility, and an ion mobility separation mode in steps (i) and (iii), in which ions are separated according to their ion mobility within said first region.
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Specification