The size and cost of conventional mass spectrometers have limited their use in field applications. Miniaturization has been limited by the tradeoff between throughput and resolution. Recently, a solution to this tradeoff has been demonstrated by using spatially coded apertures in magnetic sector mass spectrometers, including a simple 90-degree magnetic sector and the double focusing Mattauch-Herzog sector geometry (Amsden, J. J.; et al. <i>Annu. Rev. Anal. Chem. </i>2017, 10, 141-156.). We recently demonstrated the compatibility of the cycloidal mass analyzer with aperture coding with a laboratory proof of concept instrument, that showed a &gt;10x increase in throughput without a change in resolution, and discussed opportunities to improve aperture imaging and total system size and weight (Amsden, J. J.; et al., <i>J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. </i>2018, 29, (2), 360-372.). This paper describes the design and performance of a prototype miniature instrument incorporating a membrane inlet, both carbon nanotube field emission and thermionic emission that are electron ionization sources, and an array detector aimed at environmental analysis of natural gas and other volatile organic compounds. The prototype instrument is 15 x 20 x 8 inches and weighs approximately 40 lbs.

Prototype coded aperture miniature mass spectrometer using a cycloidal sector mass analyzer

256th National Meeting (2018)

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