Transfer line, GCMS arrangement and mounting assembly
AssigneeMicromass UK Limited
InventorsCarl Chen, Richard Jarrold, Pham Hoang Vu Ngo, William Ngo, Dennis Ong, Richard Tyldesley-Worster, Arvind Rangan, Chris Wheeldon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A transfer line for a GCMS arrangement, the transfer line comprising: a transfer probe having a probe bore to receive a GC column; a sealing cap movably mounted at a first end of the transfer probe; and a resilient element arranged to bias the sealing cap away from the first end of the transfer probe.
Claims20
A transfer line for a gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS) arrangement, the transfer line comprising:
- a transfer probe having a probe bore to receive a gas chromatography (GC) column;
- a sealing cap movably mounted for linear translation at a first end of the transfer probe;
- and
- a bias element arranged to bias the sealing cap away from the first end of the transfer probe.
A method of assembling a gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS) arrangement comprising:
- providing a transfer line comprising:
- a transfer probe having a probe bore to receive a gas chromatography (GC) column;
- a sealing cap movably mounted for linear translation at a first end of the transfer probe;
- and
- a bias element arranged to bias the sealing cap away from the first end of the transfer probe,
- providing a source block for an ion source, the source block comprising an engagement surface provided with a transfer port;
- arranging the source block such that the transfer port is parallel to the transfer line;
- translating the source block in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the transfer line until the sealing cap of the transfer line engages with the engagement surface of the source block, causing the sealing cap to be displaced linearly inwardly on the transfer probe;
- and
- translating the source block further in the direction until the probe bore of the transfer probe is substantially co-axial with the transfer port of the source block.
A system comprising:
- a transfer line comprising:
- a transfer probe having a probe bore to receive a gas chromatography column;
- a sealing cap movably mounted for linear translation at a first end of the transfer probe;
- and
- a bias element arranged to bias the sealing cap away from the first end of the transfer probe,
- the transfer probe having at least one auxiliary fluid bore, the probe bore and the at least one auxiliary fluid bore terminating on an axial end face of the transfer probe and spaced apart from one another;
- and
- a source block for an ion source, the source block comprising an engagement surface for engagement with the transfer probe in use, wherein the source block comprises a transfer port and at least one auxiliary fluid transfer channel, wherein the transfer port and the at least one auxiliary fluid transfer channel are arranged so as to substantially align, in use, with a respective one of the probe bore and at the at least one auxiliary fluid bore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.