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US 6,144,029 AGranted
Method for trace detection by solvent-assisted introduction of substances into an ion mobility spectrometer
AssigneeBruker Saxonia Analytik GmbH
InventorJoachim Adler
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method and an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) for the detection of contaminations by explosives, drugs, wood preservatives or the like. The substance traces collected on a carrier material, e.g. cellulose, are dissolved in a solvent for detection using an IMS and are vaporized together with this solvent from a sample dispenser in the reaction compartment of the IMS. In this way, the sample dispenser can be operated at a considerably lower temperature.
Claims21
Method for detection of traces of semivolatile dangerous compounds with an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS), comprising the following steps:
- a) applying the compound traces on a dry or wet carrier material,
- b) wetting the compound traces on the carrier material by a solvent, thereby solving some molecules of the traces,
- c) introducing the wet carrier material into a sample dispenser,
- d) heating the carrier material inside the sample dispenser to a vaporization temperature, whereby solvent and compounds are released as vapors from the carrier material,
- e) transporting the vapors into an ion source of the IMS,
- f) ionizing molecules of the compounds by proton or charge transfer, passing the ions through an IMS drift chamber, detecting ion current as a function of time, and identifying the ions by their mobility.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.