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US 6,646,257 B1Granted
Multimode ionization source
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorsSteven M. Fischer, Darrell L. Gourley, James L. Bertsch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for use with a mass spectrometer. The multimode ionization source of the present invention provides one or more atmospheric pressure ionization sources (i.e. electrospray, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and/or atmospheric pressure photoionization) for ionizing molecules. A method of producing ions using the multimode ionization source is also disclosed. The apparatus and method provide the advantages of the combined ion sources without the inherent disadvantages of the individual sources.
Claims17
A multimode ionization source, comprising:
- (a) a source housing;
- (b) a nebulizer disposed in said housing and having an orifice for providing a charged aerosol;
- (c) a drying device adjacent to said orifice of said nebulizer for drying said charged aerosol;
- (d) a corona needle disposed in said housing and positioned downstream from said nebulizer for further ionizing said charged aerosol;
- (e) a conduit having an orifice adjacent to said corona needle for receiving ions from said charged aerosol;
- (f) a first electrode interposed between the orifice of the nebulizer and the orifice of the conduit for producing ions from the orifice of the nebulizer;
- and
- (g) a second electrode interposed between the first electrode and the orifice of the conduit and positioned upstream from the corona needle for directing ions from the first electrode toward the orifice of the conduit.
5 more elements
A multimode ionization source, comprising:
- (a) an electrospray ionization source for providing a charged aerosol;
- (b) a drying device adjacent to said electrospray ionization source for drying said charged aerosol;
- (c) an atmospheric pressure ionization source downstream from said electrospray ionization source for further ionizing said charged aerosol;
- and
- (d) a conduit adjacent to said atmospheric pressure ionization source and having an orifice for receiving ions from said charged aerosol;
- wherein the drying device includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the second electrode assisting in steering ions toward the conduit.
3 more elements
A mass spectrometer for multimode ion production, comprising:
- (a) a multimode ionization source, comprising:
- i. an electrospray ionization source for providing a charged aerosol;
- ii. a drying device adjacent to said electrospray ionization source for drying said charged aerosol;
- iii. an atmospheric pressure ionization source downstream from said electrospray ionization source for further ionizing said charged aerosol;
- and
- iv. a conduit adjacent to said atmospheric pressure ionization source and having an orifice for receiving ions from said charged aerosol;
- wherein the drying device includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the second electrode assisting in steering ions toward the conduit;
- and
- (b) a detector downstream from said multimode ionization source for detecting said ions produced by said multimode ionization source.
6 more elements
A method of producing ions using a multimode ionization source, comprising:
- (a) producing a charged aerosol by electrospray ionization;
- (b) drying said charged aerosol produced by said electrospray ionization;
- (c) guiding the charged aerosol downstream using electrodes;
- (d) ionizing said charged aerosol using a second atmospheric pressure ionization source downstream from the electrodes;
- and
- (e) detecting said ions produced from said multimode ionization source.
3 more elements
A multimode ionization source, comprising:
- (a) a first atmospheric pressure ionization source for providing a charged aerosol;
- (b) a drying device adjacent to said first atmospheric pressure ionization source for drying said charged aerosol;
- (c) a second atmospheric pressure ionization source downstream from said first atmospheric pressure ionization source for further ionizing said dried charged aerosol;
- and
- (d) a conduit adjacent to said second atmospheric pressure ionization source and having an orifice for receiving ions from said dried charged aerosol;
- wherein the drying device includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the second electrode assisting in steering ions toward the conduit.
3 more elements
A method of producing ions using a multimode ionization source, comprising:
- (a) producing a charged aerosol by a first atmospheric pressure ionization source;
- (b) drying said charged aerosol;
- (c) guiding the charged aerosol downstream from the first atmospheric pressure source using electrodes;
- and
- (d) ionizing said dried charged aerosol using a second atmospheric pressure ionization source downstream from the electrodes.
2 more elements
A multimode ionization source, comprising:
- (a) an electrospray ionization source for providing a charged aerosol;
- (b) a drying device adjacent to said electrospray ionization source for drying said charged aerosol;
- (c) an atmospheric pressure ionization source downstream from said electrospray ionization source for further ionizing said charged aerosol;
- and
- (d) a conduit adjacent to said atmospheric pressure ionization source and having an orifice for receiving ions from said charged aerosol;
- wherein the atmospheric pressure ionization source includes an atmospheric pressure photo-ionization source (APPI).
3 more elements
A mass spectrometer for multimode ion production, comprising:
- (a) a multimode ionization source, comprising:
- i. an-electrospray ionization source for providing a charged aerosol;
- ii. a drying device adjacent to said electrospray ionization source for drying said charged aerosol;
- iii. an atmospheric pressure ionization source downstream from said electrospray ionization source for further ionizing said charged aerosol;
- and
- iv. a conduit adjacent to said atmospheric pressure ionization source and having an orifice for receiving ions from said charged aerosol;
- wherein the atmosheric pressure ionization source includes an atmospheric pressure photo-ionization source (APPI);
- and
- (b) a detector downstream from said multimode ionization source for detecting said ions produced by said multimode ionization source.
6 more elements
A method of producing ions using a multimode ionization source, comprising:
- (a) producing a charged aerosol by electrospray ionization;
- (b) drying said charged aerosol produced by said electrospray ionization;
- (c) ionizing said charged aerosol using a second atmospheric pressure ionization source downstream from the electrodes;
- and
- (d) detecting said ions produced from said multimode ionization source;
- wherein the second atmospheric pressure ionization source includes an atmospheric pressure photoionization source (APPI).
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.