An atmospheric pressure ion lens that improves nebulizer assisted electrospray ion sources

An atmospheric pressure ion lens improves the performance and ease of use of a nebulizer assisted electrospray (ion spray) ion source. The lens is comprised of an oblong-shaped stainless steel ring attached to an external high voltage power supply. The lens is located near the tip of the conductive sprayer, and is maintained at a potential less than that of the sprayer. The ion lens improves the shape of the equipotential lines in the vicinity of the sprayer tip. This lens gives approximately a 2-fold reduction in the signal RSD, a 2-fold increase in the ion signal, an increase in the number of multiply charged ions, and a much broader range of usable sprayer positions. (C) 2002 American Society for Mass Spectrometry.