Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) is an analytical technology that separates analyte mixtures into their component compounds and then detects what these compounds are.

Separation of compounds is based on the specific drift times that ionised compounds need to pass a fixed distance (drift tube) in a defined electric field. The drift time of each substance is determined by the mass and geometric structure of its own ions. These parameters determine the number and rate of collisions with the drift tube walls that, in turn, impact upon the speed of transit through the drift tube. An electrometer then measures the resulting ion current as a function of time.

IMS is an ideal tool to analyse gaseous and liquid headspace samples. Its ultra-sensitivity and rapidity make it ideal for situations where quick results are required, when compound levels are low or where analysis is better done on-site rather than in a laboratory.