Multinozzle emitter arrays for ultrahigh-throughput nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9793477-B2
Application number	US-201314137840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2013
Priority date	Jun 29, 2011
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

The present invention provides for a structure comprising a plurality of emitters, wherein a first nozzle of a first emitter and a second nozzle of a second emitter emit in two directions that are not or essentially not in the same direction; wherein the walls of the nozzles and the emitters form a monolithic whole. The present invention also provides for a structure comprising an emitter with a sharpened end from which the emitter emits; wherein the emitters forms a monolithic whole. The present invention also provides for a fully integrated separation of proteins and small molecules on a silicon chip before the electrospray mass spectrometry analysis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a structure, the structure being circularly-shaped, a plurality of emitters defined on a circumference of the structure, a plurality of access holes defined in a first planar surface of the structure, a plurality of channels defined in the structure, each of the plurality of access holes being in fluid communication with one of the plurality of channels, each of the plurality of channels being in fluid communication with one of the plurality of emitters, a first emitter being defined by a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface, a right surface, and an end surface, either the top surface and the bottom surface or the left surface and the right surface of the first emitter being sharpened to taper to the end surface; and
a plurality of nozzles disposed in the end surface of each of the plurality of emitters, each of the plurality of nozzles protruding from the end surface of each of the plurality of emitters, the plurality of nozzles being in fluid communication with the channel of the emitter, and each of the plurality of nozzles including an end from which the nozzle is operable to emit a liquid.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises materials selected from a group consisting of silicon and glass.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises a nanotube.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the other of the top surface and the bottom surface or the left surface and the right surface of the first emitter are also sharpened to taper to the end surface to form a four-side sharpened end.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises ten or more emitters.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first emitter of the plurality of emitters includes ten or more nozzles disposed in the first emitter.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein an opening of a first nozzle of the plurality of nozzles has a cross-section with a longest linear dimension equal to or less than about 20 microns.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a first silicon wafer and a second silicon wafer bonded to one another.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of nozzles disposed in a second emitter of the plurality of emitters is disposed along a line.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first nozzle of the plurality of nozzles comprises SiO 2 .

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first nozzle of the plurality of nozzles has a cross-section that is an essentially circular shape or an essentially square shape.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first nozzle of the plurality of nozzles protrudes about 200 microns from one of the plurality of emitters.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is defined by walls having a thickness of about 0.7 microns or about 1.8 microns.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first nozzle of the plurality of nozzles has a cross-section of about 2 microns to 10 microns by about 2 microns to 10 microns.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Wang Daojing
• Mao Pan
• Wang Hung-Ta
• Yang Peidong

Classifications

• G01N30/7206

  interfaced to gas chromatograph (interfaces in general for introducing or extracting samples to be analysed with specially adapted mass spectrometer, see H01J49/04) · 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

• H01J49/0018 Primary

  Microminiaturised spectrometers, e.g. chip-integrated devices, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems [MEMS] · CPC title

• H01J49/167

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

• B01L3/5027

  by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip · CPC title