Portable mems GC-MS system
AssigneeMass Tech, Inc.
InventorsVladimir M. Doroshenko, Victor V. Laiko
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for sample analysis using a portable gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) is provided. The GC-MS system includes an injector configured to accept a sample containing a mixture of chemicals and release at least part of the sample for a separation by GC, a MEMS GC column with an integrated heater configured to accept and at least partly separate the mixture of chemicals, and a mass analyzer in a vacuum chamber configured to accept and mass-analyze the released separated chemicals. The MEMS GC column with the integrated heater is located mostly inside the MS vacuum chamber.
Claims33
An apparatus for analysis of chemical samples using a gas chromatography (GC) interfaced with a mass spectrometer (MS), comprising:
- an injector configured to inject a sample containing a mixture of chemicals;
- a GC column configured to receive at least part of the sample and separate at least partly the mixture of chemicals contained in the at least part of the sample, said GC column having a GC column inlet to accept said at least part of the sample, and a GC column outlet to release the at least partly separated chemicals of the mixture;
- a heater attached to the GC column,
- a mass analyzer configured to mass-analyze the released at least partly separated chemicals;
- and
- a vacuum system configured to generate a vacuum, the mass analyzer being located inside the vacuum system,
- wherein most of an external surface of the GC column is located inside said vacuum system and exposed to the vacuum.
A method for analysis of chemical samples using a gas chromatography (GC) column interfaced with a mass spectrometer (MS), comprising the steps of:
- generating a vacuum;
- positioning most of an external surface of the GC column to be exposed to the vacuum;
- injecting a sample containing a mixture of chemicals into the GC column;
- heating said GC column in the vacuum so the chemicals of the mixture are at least partly separated by the GC column;
- and
- mass-analyzing the chemicals separated by the GC column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.