Systems and methods for relay ionization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018040464-A1
Application number	US-201615556401-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 9, 2015
Publication date	Feb 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for relay ionization of a sample. In certain aspects, the invention provides systems that include an ion source that generates ions, a sample emitter configured to hold a sample, and a mass spectrometer. The system is configured such that the ions generated by the ion source are directed to interact with the sample emitter, thereby causing the sample to be discharged from the sample emitter and into the mass spectrometer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for analyzing a sample, the system comprising:
an ion source that generates ions; a sample emitter configured to hold a sample; and a mass spectrometer; wherein the system is configured such that the ions generated by the ion source are directed to interact with the sample emitter in order to cause the sample to be discharged from the sample emitter and into the mass spectrometer.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sample emitter is a hollow body and the sample is held within the hollow body.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein a proximal portion of the hollow body is open ended and the ions from the ion source are directed to interact with and enter a proximal end of the hollow body, thereby causing the sample to be discharged from a distal end of the sample emitter and into the mass spectrometer.

4 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein a proximal portion of the hollow body is sealed and the ions from the ion source are directed to interact with the proximal end of the hollow body, thereby causing the sample to be discharged from a distal end of the sample emitter and into the mass spectrometer.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sample emitter is a solid body and the sample is held on an exterior portion of the solid body.

6 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the system is configured such that the ions from the ion source are directed to interact with a proximal end of the solid body, thereby causing the sample to be discharged from a distal end of the sample emitter and into the mass spectrometer.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sample emitter is selected from the group consisting of: a hollow capillary in which a proximal and distal end are open; a hollow capillary in which a proximal end is sealed and a distal end is open; a steel needle comprising an inner bore; a solid steel needle; a porous material; and a combination thereof.

8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the ion source is an electrospray source.

9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the ion source is an plasma discharge source.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the mass spectrometer is a bench-top or miniature mass spectrometer.

11 . A method for analyzing a sample, the method comprising:
generating ions from an ion source; directing the ions to interact with a sample emitter comprising a sample in order to cause the sample to be discharged from the sample emitter; and analyzing the discharged sample in a mass spectrometer.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the sample emitter is a hollow body and the sample is held within the hollow body.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein a proximal portion of the hollow body is open ended and the ions from the ion source are directed to interact with and enter a proximal end of the hollow body, thereby causing the sample to be discharged from a distal end of the sample emitter and into the mass spectrometer.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein a proximal portion of the hollow body is sealed and the ions from the ion source are directed to interact with the proximal end of the hollow body, thereby causing the sample to be discharged from a distal end of the sample emitter and into the mass spectrometer.

15 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the sample emitter is a solid body and the sample is held on an exterior portion of the solid body.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the ions from the ion source are directed to interact with a proximal end of the solid body, thereby causing the sample to be discharged from a distal end of the sample emitter and into the mass spectrometer.

17 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the sample emitter is selected from the group consisting of: a hollow capillary in which a proximal and distal end are open; a hollow capillary in which a proximal end is sealed and a distal end is open; a steel needle comprising an inner bore; a solid steel needle; a porous material; and a combination thereof.

18 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the ion source is an electrospray source.

19 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the ion source is an plasma discharge source.

20 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the sample is a biological sample.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Cooks Robert Graham
• Li Anyin
• Hollerbach Adam

Classifications

• H01J49/165 Primary

  Electrospray ionisation · CPC title

• H01J49/167

  Capillaries and nozzles specially adapted therefor; (electrostatic spraying per se B05B5/00) · CPC title

• H01J49/00

  Particle spectrometers or separator tubes · CPC title

• H01J49/04

  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

• H01J49/0409 Primary

  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