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US 10,541,121 B2Granted
Ion source
AssigneeMicromass UK Limited
InventorsMichael Raymond Morris, Steven Derek Pringle, Richard Ellson, Richard Stearns, Lars Majlof, Ian Sinclair
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of ionising a sample is provided, comprising providing a fluid sample, wherein the fluid sample contains an analyte, applying one or more pulses of acoustic energy to the fluid sample to cause a spray of the fluid sample to eject from the surface of the fluid sample, and applying an AC, RF or alternating voltage to the fluid sample using an electrode.
Claims19
A method, comprising:
- providing a fluid sample, wherein the fluid sample contains an analyte, and an inlet orifice for a mass spectrometer, wherein a distance is defined between a surface of the fluid sample and the inlet orifice;
- applying one or more pulses of acoustic energy to the fluid sample to cause a drop, stream or spray of the fluid sample to eject from the surface of the fluid sample;
- and
- maintaining a substantially constant distance between a surface of the fluid sample and the inlet orifice in response to a change in level or volume of the fluid sample.
1 more element
An ion source comprising:
- a sample holder and an acoustic transducer, wherein said sample holder is for containing a fluid sample, and said acoustic transducer is arranged and adapted to apply one or more pulses of acoustic energy to said fluid sample to cause a spray of said fluid sample to eject from a surface of said fluid sample;
- and
- a control system arranged and adapted to apply an AC, RF or alternating voltage to said fluid sample using an electrode, and to maintain a constant distance between an inlet orifice of an ion inlet device and a surface of the fluid sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.