Apparatus and method for thermal assisted desorption ionization systems
AssigneeIonsense, Inc.
InventorsJordan Krechmer, Brian D. Musselman
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method and device to desorb an analyte using heat to allow desorption of the analyte molecules, where the desorbed analyte molecules are ionized with ambient temperature ionizing species. In various embodiments of the invention a current is passed through a mesh upon which the analyte molecules are present. The current heats the mesh and results in desorption of the analyte molecules which then interact with gas phase metastable neutral molecules or atoms to form analyte ions characteristic of the analyte molecules.
Claims20
A device for identifying substances comprising:
- a spectrometer configured for analyzing an analyte, with an entrance for accepting one or more analyte ions and a detector for detecting analyzed analyte ions;
- an atmospheric pressure source configured for generating ionizing species;
- a mesh positioned between the atmospheric pressure source and the spectrometer;
- and
- a supply adapted to periodically heat the mesh, where the analyte is introduced on or near the mesh, where one or more analyte molecules desorbed from the mesh interact with the ionizing species generated by the atmospheric pressure source to form the one or more analyte ions which enter the spectrometer and are analyzed.
A device for ionizing substances comprising:
- an atmospheric pressure source configured for generating ionizing species;
- a mesh;
- and
- a supply adapted to periodically heat the mesh, where an analyte introduced on or near the mesh, where one or more analyte molecules desorbed from the mesh interact with the ionizing species generated by the atmospheric pressure source to form a plurality of analyte ions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.