The invention provides an ion extraction pulser. The ion extraction pulser may be used independently or in conjunction with a mass spectrometry system. The mass spectrometry system includes an ion source for producing ions, an ion optics system downstream from the ion source for selecting and directing ions, and a detector down stream from the ion optics system for detecting the ions selected and directed by the ion optics system. The ion optics system includes one or more ion extraction pulsers. The ion extraction pulser includes a mesh plate for applying a pulse for extracting ions from an ion beam; a first filter plate adjacent to the mesh plate for filtering ions extracted by the mesh plate; a guard plate adjacent to the first filter plate for further directing ions filtered by the first filter plate; and a second filter plate adjacent to the first guard plate for further filtering ions directed from the guard plateThe invention also provides methods for extracting, selecting and processing ions using ion extraction pulsers.