A new segmented monolithic reflectron lens capability in the patented Resistive Glass line of products has been announced by Photonis USA. According to the company, the monolithic lenses can replace traditional stacked ring reflectron lenses currently used in mass spectrometers while simplifying the cleaning and assembly process currently required for stacked ring lenses.
Reflectron lenses are used in time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers to create an electrostatic field to alter ion flow, providing for a longer flight path and therefore greater resolution. Current reflectron-type TOF-MS instruments use complex multi-piece stacked ring assemblies which carry time consuming assembly and cleaning processes. They also require the use of a voltage divider in each layer to control the electric field.
A reflectron lens made with Resistive Glass provides a solid assembly replacement for a stacked ring assembly, with the same ability to alter ion flow, becoming a form-fit-function replacement for the multi-piece stacked ring assemblies. This new technology enables instrument designers to produce non-linear and dynamic fields within the lens, which augments instrument performance. The new manufacturing capability can support rings or axial lines and can be designed for use as collision cells and ion guides.
Resistive glass is manufactured in a patented process that creates an electric field to guide or direct charged particles. It consists of alkali-doped lead silicate glass that has been reduced to make the surface a semiconductor.