Mass spectrometry probes and systems for ionizing a sample

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10991564-B2
Application number	US-202016732568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2020
Priority date	Dec 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

The invention generally relates to mass spectrometry probes and systems for ionizing a sample. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a mass spectrometry probe including a substrate in which a portion of the substrate is coated with a material, a portion of which protrudes from the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for analyzing a biological molecule, the method comprising:
providing a mass spectrometry probe comprising a paper substrate in which a portion of the paper substrate is coated with an electrically conductive material that is not a biological molecule or a solvent, in a manner that a plurality of nanoscale features protrude from the paper substrate, the plurality of nanoscale features configured to act as a plurality of electrodes and upon application of a voltage of 3 volts or less, providing a field strength high enough to cause field emission of microscale solution droplets at the plurality of nanoscale features at a voltage that does not cause fragmentation of the biological molecule; connecting the mass spectrometry probe to a voltage source, wherein the voltage source is configured to generate a voltage of 3 volts or less; contacting the mass spectrometry probe with the biological molecule; ionizing the biological molecule that has contacted the mass spectrometry probe; and analyzing the ionized biological molecule in a mass spectrometer.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material comprises one or more electrically conductive nanotubes.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the electrically conductive nanotubes are carbon nanotubes.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the carbon nanotubes coat an external surface of the paper substrate.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein prior to the ionizing step, the method further comprises applying the solvent to the mass spectrometry probe.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the solvent is continuously supplied to the mass spectrometry probe.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the mass spectrometry probe is separate from the solvent.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the solvent assists in at least one of separation, extraction, and ionization of the biological molecule.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein pneumatic assistance is not required to transport the biological molecule through the mass spectrometry probe.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the paper is filter paper.

11. A method for analyzing a sample, the method comprising: providing a mass spectrometry probe comprising a paper substrate and a plurality of carbon nanotubes, the mass spectrometry probe configured such that a portion of each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes protrudes from the paper substrate forming a plurality of nanoscale features that extend from the paper substrate, the plurality of nanoscale features configured to act as a plurality of electrodes and upon application of a voltage of 3 volts or less, providing a filed strength high enough to cause field emission of microscale solution droplets at a voltage that does not cause fragmentation of a biological molecule; connecting the mass spectrometry probe to a voltage source, wherein the voltage source is configured to generate a voltage of 3 volts or less; contacting the mass spectrometry probe with the biological molecule; ionizing the biological molecule that has contacted the mass spectrometry probe; and analyzing the ionized biological molecule in a mass spectrometer.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the carbon nanotubes coat an external surface of the paper substrate.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein prior to the ionizing step, the method further comprises applying a solvent to the mass spectrometry probe.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the solvent is continuously supplied to the mass spectrometry probe.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the mass spectrometry probe is separate from the solvent.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the solvent assists in at least one of separation, extraction, and ionization of the biological molecule.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein pneumatic assistance is not required to transport the biological molecule through the mass spectrometry probe.

18. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the paper is filter paper.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the filter paper comprises a pointed tip.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the filter paper does not comprise a pointed tip.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Cooks Robert Graham
• Sarkar Depanjan
• Pradeep Thalappil
• Narayanan Rahul

Classifications

• H01J49/16 Primary

  using surface ionisation, e.g. field-, thermionic- or photo-emission · CPC title

• H01J49/0409

  Sample holders or containers (containers for retaining a material to be analyzed, B01L3/50, for DNA, C12Q1/6834, for biological materials, G01N33/543) · CPC title

• H01J49/0013

  Miniaturised spectrometers, e.g. having smaller than usual scale, integrated conventional components · CPC title

• H05K1/18

  structurally associated with non-printed electric components (H05K1/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01J49/165 Primary

  Electrospray ionisation · CPC title