A Miniature Ion Trap Particle Mass Spectrometer with an Integrated Optical and Charge Detection System

A miniature ion trap particle mass spectrometer with both optical and charge detection systems was constructed in this work. The instrument was initially constructed with an open architecture and mounted on a 600 × 450 mm optical bench. With further compact integration, the system can be accommodated within an aluminum enclosure with dimensions of 333 × 221 × 192 mm and a total mass of approximately 8 kg. In the optical detection mode, the stationary star pattern ion motion was observed by detecting the scattered light, and the <i>m</i>/<i>Z</i> value of the particle ion was calculated accurately. In the charge detection mode, the particle <i>m</i>/<i>Z</i> value, the charge number <i>Z,</i> and the particle mass were determined quickly. These two working modes can be switched freely. By using 3 μm polystyrene size standards and mice red blood cells as the sample, the feasibility of this instrument was demonstrated.