Synchronization of ion generation with cycling of a discontinuous atmospheric interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016118236-A1
Application number	US-201514936197-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 9, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2011
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention generally relates to methods and devices for synchronization of ion generation with cycling of a discontinuous atmospheric interface. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a system for analyzing a sample that includes a mass spectrometry probe that generates sample ions, a discontinuous atmospheric interface, and a mass analyzer, in which the system is configured such that ion formation is synchronized with cycling of the discontinuous atmospheric interface.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A system comprising:
a substrate comprising a plurality of hollow emitters; a voltage source that is not in contact with the substrate; and a mass spectrometer, wherein the system is configured such that voltage from the voltage source is inductively applied to only a single hollow emitter of the plurality of hollow emitters at a given time, the inductive application of voltage resulting in ejection of sample from the single hollow emitter and formation of ions of the sample that enter the mass spectrometer.

22 . The system according to claim 21 , wherein the system further comprising a mechanism that moves the substrate.

23 . The system according to claim 21 , wherein the mass spectrometer is a bench-top mass spectrometer or a miniature mass spectrometer.

24 . The system according to claim 23 , wherein the mass spectrometer comprises a mass analyzer selected from the group consisting of: a quadrupole ion trap, a rectalinear ion trap, a cylindrical ion trap, a ion cyclotron resonance trap, and an orbitrap.

25 . The system according to claim 21 , wherein the plurality of hollow emitters are identical.

26 . The system according to claim 21 , wherein the plurality of hollow emitters are evenly spaced apart from each other.

27 . The system according to claim 21 , wherein the voltage source is about 2 millimeters from the substrate.

28 . The system according to claim 21 , wherein the voltage is pulsed.

29 . A method for analyzing a sample, the method comprising:
(a) providing sample to each of a plurality of hollow emitters; (b) inductively applying voltage from a voltage source to a single hollow emitter of the plurality of hollow emitters at a given time, thereby ejecting the sample from the single hollow emitter and forming ions of the sample; (c) receiving the ions of the sample to the mass spectrometer; and (d) analyzing the ions of the sample in the mass spectrometer.

30 . The method according to claim 29 , further comprising, moving the substrate and repeating steps (b) through (c) of the method.

31 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the mass spectrometer is a bench-top mass spectrometer or a miniature mass spectrometer.

32 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the mass spectrometer comprises a mass analyzer selected from the group consisting of: a quadrupole ion trap, a rectalinear ion trap, a cylindrical ion trap, a ion cyclotron resonance trap, and an orbitrap.

33 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the plurality of hollow emitters are identical.

34 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the plurality of hollow emitters are evenly spaced apart from each other.

35 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the sample is no more than 1,000 ng.

34 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the sample is no more than 1,000 ng.

35 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the voltage source is about 2 millimeters from the plurality of hollow emitters.

36 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the voltage is pulsed.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Cooks Robert Graham
• Duncan Jason
• Huang Guangming
• Li Guangtao
• Yan Xin
• Sokol Ewa
• Li Xin

Classifications

• H01J49/0445

  with means for introducing as a spray, a jet or an aerosol (electrospray ion sources H01J49/165) · CPC title

• H01J49/4205

  Device types · CPC title

• H01J49/0031

  Step by step routines describing the use of the apparatus (H01J49/0081 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01J49/04 Primary

  Arrangements for introducing or extracting samples to be analysed, e.g. vacuum locks; Arrangements for external adjustment of electron- or ion-optical components · CPC title

• Y10T436/24

  Nuclear magnetic resonance, electron spin resonance or other spin effects or mass spectrometry · CPC title