Intelligently controlled spectrometer methods and apparatus
AssigneeExcellims Corporation
InventorsMark A Osgood, Ching Wu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to improving the ability of a hyphenated instrument to analyze a sample benefiting from having the first instrument's analysis of the same sample. A fast switching mechanism can be used as the interface between an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) and a mass spectrometer (MS) such that the obtained IMS spectrum is converted into a timing diagram that controls the vacuum inlet's size dynamically during analysis of a neutral and/or charged chemical and/or biological species such that a smaller pumping system can be used.
Claims16
An apparatus of a hyphenated instrument comprising:
- a. a first instrument that is used to conduct a first measurement of a sample with a first detector;
- based on which a timing diagram is generated;
- b. a mechanism that controls a vacuum inlet structure that is
- first adjusted by opening and/or closing the vacuum inlet to dynamically maintain the pressure of a vacuum, then
- subsequently controlled by opening and/or closing the vacuum inlet according to the timing diagram;
- and
- c. a second instrument that is used to conduct a second measurement of at least some part of the sample with a second different detector.
A method for operating a hyphenated instrument comprising:
- a. conducting a first measurement of a sample using a first instrument with a first detector;
- b. generating a timing diagram based on the first measurement;
- c. adjusting a vacuum inlet structure of a second instrument,
- first by opening and/or closing the vacuum inlet to dynamically maintain the pressure of the vacuum, then
- subsequently by opening and/or closing the vacuum inlet according to the timing diagram;
- and
- d. conducting a second measurement of at least some part of the sample using the second instrument with a second different detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.