Pulsatile flow atmospheric real time ionization
AssigneeIonsense, Inc.
InventorsScott Oro, Brian Musselman
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Abstract
This disclosure presents inventions for ionization, for example, for use in mass spectrometer devices and methods. In an embodiment, a device is provided for introduction of pulses of a first carrier gas into an ionization chamber and introduction of a second carrier gas into the ionization chamber. Electrodes in the chamber ionize the carrier gas and direct the ionized gas toward a sample for analysis. The second carrier gas can either assist in washing out the first carrier gas or may become ionized along with the first carrier gas to improve ionization of an analyte. In an embodiment, a method for producing ionized carrier gasses is provided.
Claims4
An ionizer for pulsed atmospheric ionization of a sample comprising:
- an atmospheric pressure chamber comprising:
- a first inlet for a first 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 first pulse generator configured to pulse the first carrier gas into the first atmospheric pressure chamber starting at time t1 and ending at time t2;
- and
- a second pulse generator configured to pulse the second carrier gas into the atmospheric pressure chamber starting at time t2 and ending at time t1 for a subsequent pulsing of the first carrier gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.