Method and system for formation and withdrawal of a sample from a surface to be analyzed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9779926-B2
Application number	US-201414245324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2014
Priority date	Mar 5, 2009
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A method and system for formation and withdrawal of a sample from a surface to be analyzed utilizes a collection instrument having a port through which a liquid solution is conducted onto the surface to be analyzed. The port is positioned adjacent the surface to be analyzed, and the liquid solution is conducted onto the surface through the port so that the liquid solution conducted onto the surface interacts with material comprising the surface. An amount of material is thereafter withdrawn from the surface. Pressure control can be utilized to manipulate the solution balance at the surface to thereby control the withdrawal of the amount of material from the surface. Furthermore, such pressure control can be coordinated with the movement of the surface relative to the port of the collection instrument within the X-Y plane.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for sampling a surface, comprising:
a surface sampling probe defining a solvent liquid supply conduit and a sample liquid removal conduit, the solvent liquid supply conduit being connectable to a solvent source, the surface sampling probe having a tip, the solvent liquid supply conduit having an outlet opening at the tip, and the sample liquid removal conduit having an inlet opening at the tip;
a first flow control for controlling the flow rate of solvent liquid from the solvent source to the outlet opening of the solvent liquid supply conduit at the tip;
a gas inlet in fluid communication with a distal region of the sample liquid removal conduit for directing a flow of gas in a manner and at a flow rate sufficient to withdraw the sample liquid from sample liquid removal conduit;
a second flow control for controlling the flow rate of gas through the gas inlet and thereby the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit; the first flow control for controlling the flow rate of solvent liquid and the second flow control for controlling the flow rate of gas being independently adjustable to provide for the selection between at least a solvent liquid deposit condition where the flow rate of solvent liquid through the solvent liquid supply conduit exceeds the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit, and a sample liquid removal condition where the flow rate of solvent liquid through the solvent liquid supply conduit is less than the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface sampling probe comprises an outer tube and an inner tube, the outer and inner tubes defining the solvent liquid supply conduit and the sample liquid removal conduit.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the outer tube defines the solvent liquid supply conduit and the inner tube defines the sample liquid removal conduit.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface to be sampled is disposed substantially within an X-Y plane and is spaced from the probe along a Z-coordinate axis, and wherein the system further includes means for moving the surface and the probe relative to one another within the X-Y plane so that any number of X-Y coordinate locations along the surface can be positioned adjacent the probe for sample-collecting purposes.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a processor, the processor directing the means for moving the probe relative to the sample surface to X-Y coordinates for sample collecting purposes.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is operable to control at least one of the first flow control for controlling the flow rate of solvent liquid from the solvent source to the outlet opening of the solvent liquid supply conduit at the tip, and the second flow control for controlling the flow rate of gas through the gas inlet and thereby the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the processor controls at least one of the first flow control for controlling the flow rate of solvent liquid from the solvent source to the outlet opening of the solvent liquid supply conduit at the tip, and the second flow control for controlling the flow rate of gas through the gas inlet and thereby the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal, so as to select between at least a solvent liquid deposit condition where the flow rate of solvent liquid through the solvent liquid supply conduit exceeds the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit, and a sample liquid removal condition where the flow rate of solvent liquid through the solvent liquid supply conduit is less than the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a processor, the processor being operable to control at least one of the first flow control for controlling the flow rate of solvent liquid from the solvent source to the outlet opening of the solvent liquid supply conduit at the tip, and the second flow control for controlling the flow rate of gas through the gas inlet and thereby control the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas inlet is a nebulizing gas inlet.

10. A method of sampling a surface, comprising the steps of:
providing a surface sampling probe system, the system comprising a surface sampling probe defining a solvent liquid supply conduit and a sample liquid removal conduit, the solvent liquid supply conduit being in liquid communication with a solvent source, the surface sampling probe having a tip, the solvent liquid supply conduit having an outlet opening at the tip, and the sample liquid removal conduit having an inlet opening at the tip; the surface sampling probe system further comprising a first flow control for controlling the flow rate of solvent liquid from the solvent source to the outlet opening of the solvent liquid supply conduit at the tip; a gas inlet in fluid communication with a distal region of the sample liquid removal conduit for directing a flow of gas in a manner and at a flow rate sufficient to withdraw sample liquid from the sample liquid removal conduit; and a second flow control for controlling the flow rate of gas through the gas inlet and the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit; and,
independently controlling the first flow control for controlling the flow rate of solvent liquid and the second flow control for controlling the flow rate of gas so as to provide for the selection between at least a solvent liquid deposit condition where the flow rate of solvent liquid through the solvent liquid supply conduit exceeds the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit, and a sample liquid removal condition where the flow rate of solvent liquid through the solvent liquid supply conduit is less than the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the surface sampling probe comprises an outer tube and an inner tube, the outer and inner tubes defining the solvent liquid supply conduit and the sample liquid removal conduit.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the outer tube defines the solvent liquid supply conduit and the inner tube defines the sample liquid removal conduit.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the surface to be sampled is disposed substantially within an X-Y plane and is spaced from the probe along a Z-coordinate axis, and wherein the method further includes the step of moving the surface and the probe relative to one another within the X-Y plane so that a plurality of X-Y coordinate locations along the surface are positioned adjacent the probe for sample-collecting purposes.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising a processor, the processor directing the moving of the probe relative to the sample surface to X-Y coordinates for sample collecting purposes.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the processor operates to control at least one of the first flow control for controlling the flow rate of solvent liquid from the solvent source to the outlet opening of the solvent liquid supply conduit at the tip, and the second flow control for controlling the flow rate of gas through the gas inlet and thereby the flow rate of sample liquid through the sample liquid removal conduit.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the processor controls at least one of the first flow control for controlling the flow

Assignees

• Ut Battelle Llc

Inventors

• Van Berkel Gary J
• Kertesz Vilmos

Classifications

• G01N35/1095 Primary

  for supplying the samples to flow-through analysers (for a specific analyser see relevant groups, e.g. under G01N15/00, G01N21/00, G01N27/00, G01N30/00, H01J49/00) · CPC title

• H01J49/0459

  for solid samples · CPC title

• H01J49/045

  with means for using a nebulising gas, i.e. pneumatically assisted · CPC title

• G01N2001/1031

  Sampling from special places · CPC title

• H01J49/167

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