Direct Atmospheric Pressure Sample Analyzing System

A method of analyzing a sample, the method comprising:

• providing an ion mobility spectrometer comprising an inlet, an ionization region, a ion separation region, and a detector, arranged such that the ionization region is downstream of the inlet, the ion separation region is downstream of the ionization region, and the detector is downstream of the ion separation region;
• introducing an analyte sample into the ionizing region of the ion mobility spectrometer;
• ionizing the analyte sample in-situ within the ionizing region of the ion mobility spectrometer, wherein the ionizing occurs under ambient pressure via a plasma ionization source;
• separating ions of the ionized analyte sample under ambient pressure within the ion separation region;
• and
• detecting at least a portion of the ions under ambient pressure with the detector of the ion mobility spectrometer;
• wherein an electric field at the inlet of the ion mobility spectrometer is greater than an electric field produced by the plasma ionization source when both the ion mobility spectrometer and the plasma ionization source are activated;
• and
• wherein both the plasma ionization source and the ion mobility spectrometer are not activated when the analyte sample is introduced into the ionizing region of the ion mobility spectrometer.

An ambient analyte identification process comprising:

• providing an ion mobility spectrometer with an inlet and a reaction region in a drift tube;
• applying an electric field at the inlet of the ion mobility spectrometer;
• placing a sample through the inlet, and into the reaction region of the ion mobility spectrometer;
• and
• ionizing the sample in the reaction region of the ion mobility spectrometer with an ambient plasma ionization source;
• wherein ionization of the sample occurs in-situ within the electric field gradient of the ion mobility spectrometer;
• wherein the ions travel through the drift tube which has the applied electric field and a carrier buffer gas that opposes the ions' motion;
• and
• wherein a detector in proximity to a distal end of the drift tube can distinguish different analyte species based on an ions' mass, charge, size and shape, such that the migration time through the tube is characteristic of different ions.

A sample analysis system comprising:

• an ambient plasma ionization source;
• an ion mobility spectrometer located distal the ambient plasma ionization source, the ion mobility spectrometer having an inlet and a reaction region;
• and
• an ambient transport assembly to transfer ions from the ambient plasma ionization source to the reaction region of the ion mobility spectrometer.

A method of sample analysis comprising:

• generating ions with an ion generator at a first electric potential;
• injecting the ions from the ion generator into the ion measurement device;
• and
• identifying the ions with an ion measurement device at a second electric potential;
• wherein the first electric potential is lower than the second electric potential;
• and
• wherein since the first electric potential is lower than the second electric potential, injecting the ions from the ion generator to the ion measurement device occurs.