Automated adjustment of capillary voltage based on the elution conditions to retain optimal ionization conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9659760-B2
Application number	US-201415022576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2014
Priority date	Sep 20, 2013
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A method of Electrospray ionization is disclosed comprising passing a sample liquid through a liquid chromatography column, monitoring a liquid chromatography back pressure and varying a voltage applied to an Electrospray ionization source electrode in dependence upon said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of Electrospray ionisation comprising:
passing a sample liquid through a liquid chromatography column;
monitoring a liquid chromatography back pressure; and
varying a voltage applied to an Electrospray ionisation source electrode in dependence upon said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure.

2. A method as claimed claim 1 , wherein said voltage is applied to said Electrospray ionisation source electrode in order to ionise said sample liquid.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said voltage is applied to a capillary of said Electrospray ionisation ion source, wherein the application of said voltage to said capillary ionises said sample liquid passing through and emerging from said capillary.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
pre-determining, predicting or estimating a relationship between said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure and an optimal value of said voltage for ionising a sample; and
varying said voltage applied to said Electrospray ionisation source electrode in dependence upon said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure using said pre-determined, predicted or estimated relationship.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a relationship between said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure and an optimal value of said voltage for ionising a sample during one or more initial liquid chromatography runs; and
varying said voltage applied to said Electrospray ionisation source electrode in dependence upon said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure using said determined relationship during one or more subsequent liquid chromatography runs.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising:
determining a second different relationship between said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure and an optimal value of said voltage for ionising a sample during one or more liquid chromatography runs; and
varying said voltage applied to said Electrospray ionisation source electrode in dependence upon said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure using said determined second relationship during one or more subsequent liquid chromatography runs.

7. A method of mass spectrometry comprising a method of Electrospray ionisation comprising:
passing a sample liquid through a liquid chromatography column;
monitoring a liquid chromatography back pressure; and
varying a voltage applied to an Electrospray ionisation source electrode in dependence upon said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure.

8. An Electrospray ionisation system comprising:
a liquid chromatography column;
an Electrospray ionisation source; and
a control system arranged and adapted:
(i) to monitor a liquid chromatography back pressure while a sample liquid is passed through said liquid chromatography column; and
(ii) to vary a voltage applied to an electrode of said Electrospray ionisation source in dependence upon said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure.

9. An Electrospray ionisation system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said voltage is applied to said electrode of said Electrospray ionisation source in order to ionise said sample liquid.

10. An Electrospray ionisation system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said voltage is applied to a capillary of said Electrospray ionisation source, wherein the application of said voltage to said capillary ionises said sample liquid passing through and emerging from said capillary.

11. An Electrospray ionisation system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said control system is arranged and adapted:
(i) to pre-determine, predict or estimate a relationship between said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure and an optimal value of said voltage for ionising a sample; and
(ii) to vary said voltage applied to said Electrospray ionisation source electrode in dependence upon said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure using said pre-determined, predicted or estimated relationship.

12. An Electrospray ionisation system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said control system is arranged and adapted:
(i) to determine a relationship between said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure and an optimal value of said voltage for ionising a sample during one or more initial liquid chromatography runs; and
(ii) to vary said voltage applied to said Electrospray ionisation source electrode in dependence upon said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure using said determined relationship during one or more subsequent liquid chromatography runs.

13. An Electrospray ionisation system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said control system is arranged and adapted:
(i) to determine a second different relationship between said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure and an optimal value of said voltage for ionising a sample during one or more liquid chromatography runs; and
(ii) to vary said voltage applied to said Electrospray ionisation source electrode in dependence upon said monitored liquid chromatography back pressure using said determined second relationship during one or more subsequent liquid chromatography runs.

Assignees

• Micromass Ltd

Inventors

• Gordon David
• Hooper Alexander
• Kenny Daniel James
• Moulds Richard Barrington
• Pugh David
• Whyatt Kate

Classifications

• H01J49/165

  Electrospray ionisation · CPC title

• G01N30/7266

  by electric field, e.g. electrospray · CPC title

• H01J49/167 Primary

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

• H01J49/0031 Primary

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