Pulsatile flow atmospheric real time ionization
AssigneeIonsense, Inc.
InventorsScott Oro, Brian D Musselman
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Abstract
In an embodiment of the present ambient ionization experiment, the abundance of background chemicals relative to ions of interest is decreased by pulsing the carrier gas used to generate the excited species directed at the sample. The excited species are stepwise directed at the sample reducing the overall abundance of background chemicals introduced into the ionizing region. In an embodiment of the present ambient ionization experiment, the combination of stepping the sample in front of the excited species and pulsing the carrier gas used to generate the excited species increases the sensitivity of detection.
Claims20
An ionizer for pulsed atmospheric ionization of a sample comprising:
- a first atmospheric pressure chamber comprising:
- an inlet for a carrier gas;
- a first electrode;
- a counter-electrode;
- and
- an outlet port;
- a power supply configured to energize the first electrode and the counter-electrode to provide a current between the first and counter-electrodes to generate a discharge;
- and
- a pulse generator configured to pulse the carrier gas into the first atmospheric pressure chamber to generate two or more pulses of carrier gas forming ions of the sample.
A device for ionizing a sample comprising:
- a first atmospheric pressure chamber comprising:
- an inlet for a carrier gas;
- a first electrode;
- a counter-electrode;
- and
- an outlet port;
- a power supply configured to energize the first and the counter-electrode to provide a current between the first and counter-electrodes to generate a discharge;
- and
- a pulse generator configured to introduce the carrier gas to the first atmospheric pressure chamber to generate two or more pulses of carrier gas, where a duration of two or more pulses of carrier gas is for a time t1, where the two or more pulses of carrier gas are separated by a time t2, where interaction of the two or more pulses of carrier gas with the discharge during t1 generates one or more ionizing species, where a gaseous contact between the one or more ionizing species and the two or more pulses of carrier gas directs the one or more ionizing species formed at atmosphere through the outlet port at the sample, thereby generating one or more sample ions.
A method of ionizing an analyte with a pulsed flow atmospheric pressure ionization device comprising:
- (a) energizing a first electrode relative to a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode, where the first electrode and the second electrode are located in a chamber, where the chamber comprises a gas inlet and an exit, where energizing the first electrode relative to the second electrode generates a discharge;
- (b) introducing two or more pulses of carrier gas through the gas inlet into the chamber, where a duration of the two or more pulses of carrier gas is for a time t1, where the two or more pulses of carrier gas are separated by a time t2;
- (c) generating ions, electrons, and excited state species of the two or more pulses of carrier gas;
- and
- (d) directing the ions, electrons, excited state species at the analyte.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.