Atmospheric pressure ion sources

An apparatus for producing ions from sample substances comprising:

• (a) an ion source operated at substantially atmospheric pressure comprising a chamber;
• (b) a vacuum region with a least one vacuum chamber;
• (c) an orifice into said vacuum region;
• (d) an inlet to introduce gas into said chamber;
• (e) a heater housing located in said chamber proximate said orifice, said heater housing being connected to said inlet and comprising a heater to heat said gas within said heater housing to form heated gas, said heater assembly having an exit through which said heated gas exits said heater assembly to heat said orifice;
• whereby a liquid sample substance is delivered to said chamber in which ions are created from said sample substance, and said ions are directed into said orifice of said capillary tube.

An apparatus for producing ions from sample substances comprising:

• (a) an ion source operated at substantially atmospheric pressure comprising a chamber;
• (b) a vacuum region with a least one vacuum stage;
• (c) an orifice into said vacuum region from said chamber;
• (d) an inlet to introduce gas into said chamber at substantially atmospheric pressure;
• (e) a heater mounted inside said chamber to heat said gas introduced through said inlet to said heater concurrently heating said orifice and an endplate configured in said chamber whereby a liquid sample substance is delivered to said chamber in which ions are created from said sample substance and said ions are directed into said orifice.

An apparatus for producing ions from sample substances comprising:

• (a) an ion source operated at substantially atmospheric pressure comprising a chamber;
• (b) a vacuum region with a least one vacuum stage;
• (c) a capillary tube having an entrance orifice from said chamber into said vacuum region;
• (d) an inlet to introduce gas into said chamber at substantially atmospheric pressure;
• (e) a heater mounted inside said chamber to heat said gas from said inlet, said heated gas heating said orifice and an endplate configured in said chamber;
• (f) said capillary tube configured with a separate heater located along its length;
• whereby a liquid sample substance is delivered to said chamber in which ions are created from said sample substance and said ions are directed into said orifice.

An apparatus, for analyzing chemical species comprising:

• (a) an ion source operated at substantially atmospheric pressure comprising a chamber;
• (b) a vacuum region with a least one vacuum stage;
• (c) a mass analyzer and detector configured in said vacuum region;
• (d) an orifice into said vacuum region from said chamber;
• (e) an inlet to introduce gas into said chamber at substantially atmospheric pressure;
• (f) a heater housing located in said chamber proximate said orifice, said heater housing being connected to said inlet and comprising a heater to heat said gas within said heater housing to form heated gas, said heater assembly having an exit through which said heated gas exits said heater assembly to heat said orifice;
• whereby a liquid sample substance is delivered to said chamber in which ions are created from said sample substance, and said ions are directed into said orifice.

A method of producing ions from a sample substance comprising:

• (a) utilizing an atmospheric pressure ion source with a chamber, a vacuum region and an orifice into said vacuum region from said chamber;
• (b) introducing bath gas into said chamber substantially at atmospheric pressure through an inlet;
• (c) locating a heater in said chamber between said inlet and said chamber;
• (d) passing said bath gas through said heater to heat said bath gas;
• (e) exiting said heated bath gas proximate said orifice to heat said orifice,
• (f) introducing a liquid sample substance into said ion source,
• (g) producing ions in said ion source, and delivering said ions into said vacuum region by passing said ions and said liquid sample by said orifice.

Apparatus for producing ions from a sample substance comprising:

• (a) an atmospheric pressure ion source with a chamber, a first heater mounted inside said chamber, a vacuum region, a capillary connected between said chamber, and said vacuum region passing ions into said vacuum region, a second heater positioned on said capillary, said capillary having an entrance orifice and an exit orifice;
• (b) an inlet for carrying bath gas into said chamber substantially at atmospheric pressure;
• (c) said bath gas passing from said inlet through said first heater to be heated thereby, said first heater directing the heated bath gas toward said capillary entrance orifice to heat said orifice, whereby said capillary is heated by two independent sources of heat;
• wherein said vacuum region is connected to a mass analyzer.