METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CALIBRATING THE MOBILITY AXIS OF AN ION MOBILITY SPECTRUM

摘要

Methods and devices are provided for calibrating the mobility axis of an ion mobility spectrum and determining the mobility characteristic of ion species from an ion mobility spectrum, in particular for calibrating the drift time axis of an ion mobility spectrum acquired by a drift type ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). An ion mobility spectrometer uses an ion source that comprises a first ionization region which is fluidly coupled to a sample source, a second ionization region which is spatially separated from the first ionization region and fluidly coupled to a calibrant reservoir, and electrical means for controlling the transfer of sample ions from the first region into the second ionization region or into a third region of the ion source wherein the third region is fluidly coupled to the first and second ionization region and located closer to a mobility analyzer than the first and second ionization region.

主权项

1. An ion mobility spectrometer with an ion source and a mobility analyzer, the ion source comprising:
a first ionization region which is fluidly coupled to a sample source, a second ionization region which is spatially separated from the first ionization region and fluidly coupled to a calibrant reservoir, and an ion transfer system that controls the transfer of ions from one ionization region to the other and/or from at least one ionization region to a third region of the ion source, wherein the third region is fluidly coupled to the first and second ionization regions and located closer to the mobility analyzer than the first and second ionization regions.