Failure detection method, failure detection system, and electrospray ion source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024182291-A1
Application number	US-202418437338-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 9, 2024
Priority date	Jan 13, 2022
Publication date	Jun 6, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention is characterized by involving a light source irradiating the inside of an ion source with light, a camera acquiring intensity as information of scattered light by droplets generated by electrospraying, and a processing device storing, in a storage unit, determination reference information indicating a relationship between a parameter of a channel system of a liquid chromatography device and the intensity, in which the processing device executes: acquiring the intensity from the camera; comparing the acquired intensity with the determination reference information; and determining a failure of a channel system in the liquid chromatography device by detecting a change in the scattered light relative to a value of the determination reference information based on the acquired intensity by comparing the acquired intensity with the determination reference information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A failure detection method comprising:
providing:
a light source configured to irradiate an inside of an electrospray ion source with light;
a scattered light information acquisition device configured to acquire scattered light information that is information of scattered light scattered by a droplet generated by electrospraying; and
a processing device configured to store, in a storage unit, determination reference information indicating a relationship between a parameter of a channel system of a liquid chromatography device in a normal state and the scattered light information,
by the processing device,
acquiring the scattered light information from the scattered light information acquisition device;
comparing acquired scattered light information with the determination reference information;
detecting a change in the scattered light relative to a value of the determination reference information based on the acquired scattered light information; and
determining a failure of a channel system in the liquid chromatography device based on the change in the scattered light.

2 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing device
acquires the scattered light information when a mixing ratio of a plurality of solvents introduced into the electrospray ion source changes.

3 . The failure detection method according to claim 2 , wherein
the processing device
acquires information with respect to a continuous change in the scattered light information when the mixing ratio of the plurality of solvents continuously changes.

4 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing device
acquires the scattered light information when a flow rate of a solvent introduced into the electrospray ion source changes.

5 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein
the scattered light information is intensity of the scattered light.

6 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein
a liquid chromatography mass spectrometer including the electrospray ion source
switches at least two modes;
the at least two modes includes an analysis mode during ion measurement and a monitoring mode during state monitoring, and
in the monitoring mode, at least one of a flow rate and a temperature in the monitoring mode is lowered relative to one in the analysis mode.

7 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein
a variation in the scattered light information caused by a droplet generated by electrospraying is used as an evaluation index for determining the failure.

8 . The failure detection method according to claim 7 , wherein
the scattered light information is intensity of the scattered light, and when the intensity decreases in a pulsed manner, the processing device determines that air bubbles are contaminated in a solvent flowing through the channel system.

9 . The failure detection method according to claim 7 , wherein
the scattered light information is intensity of the scattered light, and when the intensity decreases not in a pulsed manner, the processing device determines that liquid feeding is unstable due to a failure of a pump that feeds a solvent flowing through the channel system.

10 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein
parameters of the channel system are set by a plurality of values, and the scattered light information acquisition device acquires the scattered light information at each of the plurality of values.

11 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein
the determination reference information stores at least information about a relationship between a flow rate of a solvent flowing through the channel system and the scattered light information, a relationship between a mixing ratio of the solvent in the channel system and the scattered light information, and a variation in information of the scattered light when no failure occurs in the channel system.

12 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the channel systems are provided in which each of the channel systems includes a separation column, the parameter for each of the plurality of channel systems is sequentially changed, and the light irradiates from the channel system to the droplet generated in the electrospray ion source in which the parameter has been changed in the channel system.

13 . The failure detection method according to claim 1 , wherein
the light is a laser sheet.

14 . A failure detection system comprising:
a light source configured to irradiate an inside of an electrospray ion source with light; a scattered light information acquisition device configured to acquire scattered light information that is information of scattered light scattered by a droplet generated by electrospraying; and a processing device that stores, in a storage unit, determination reference information indicating a relationship between a parameter of a channel system of a liquid chromatography device in a normal state and the scattered light information, wherein the processing device includes:
a scattered light information acquisition unit configured to acquire the scattered light information from the scattered light information acquisition device; and
a determination processing unit configured to determine a failure of a channel system in the liquid chromatography device by detecting a change in acquired scattered light information relative to a value of the determination reference information by comparing the acquired scattered light information and the determination reference information.

15 . An electrospray ion source comprising, in a housing:
a light source installation portion where a light source that irradiates an inside of the electrospray ion source with light is installed; and installation portion where a scattered light information acquisition device that acquires scattered light information that is information of scattered light scattered by a droplet generated by electrospraying is installed.

16 . The electrospray ion source according to claim 15 , wherein
the scattered light information acquisition device installation portion includes a transparent member.

17 . The electrospray ion source according to claim 15 , wherein
the scattered light information acquisition device installation portion is provided in a position facing a pore of a mass spectrometer.

18 . The electrospray ion source according to claim 15 , wherein
the scattered light information acquisition device installation portion is provided in a direction orthogonal to a direction of a pore of a mass spectrometer.

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• Kumano Shun
• Hasegawa Hideki
• Suguyama Masuyuki

Classifications

• H04N23/68

  for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations · CPC title

• G02B27/646 Primary

  compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake (movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68) · CPC title

• B81B7/02 Primary

  containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] (B81B7/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B81B3/0072 Primary

  For controlling internal stress or strain in moving or flexible elements, e.g. stress compensating layers · CPC title

• B81C1/00666

  Treatments for controlling internal stress or strain in MEMS structures · CPC title