Sample Digestion for Mass Spectrometry
AssigneeThe Rosalind Franklin Institute
InventorsZoltan Takats, Daniel McGill, Daniel Simon
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for analysing organic molecules of a condensed phase sample are disclosed. Such a method may comprise generating a plasma using an electrical discharge, carrying out a plasma treatment of the condensed phase sample by exposing the condensed phase sample to the plasma so as to generate fragments of the organic molecules within the condensed phase sample, and following completing the plasma treatment, using a mass spectrometer of other analysis device to detect the fragments, and characterising the fragments, the molecules or the sample using the detected fragments. The fragments may in particular arise from backbone fragmentation of the organic molecules.
Claims40
A method of analysing organic molecules of a condensed phase sample, comprising:
- generating a plasma using an electrical discharge;
- exposing the condensed phase sample to the plasma so as to generate fragments of the organic molecules;
- and
- detecting the fragments using a mass spectrometer.
Apparatus for analysing organic molecules of a condensed phase sample, comprising:
- a plasma generator arranged to use an electrical discharge to generate a plasma;
- a substrate carrier for receiving a substrate carrying the condensed phase sample for exposing the condensed phase sample to the generated plasma such that the plasma generates fragments of the organic molecules within the condensed phase sample;
- and
- a mass spectrometer arranged to subsequently receive and detect the generated fragments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.