Atmospheric pressure ion source

A non-radioactive atmospheric pressure device for ionization of analytes comprising:

• a first atmospheric pressure chamber having an inlet for carrier gas, a first electrode therein, and a counter-electrode for creating an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• a second atmospheric pressure chamber adjacent the first chamber and having a port into the first chamber at one end and an electrode at the other end;
• a third atmospheric pressure chamber adjacent the second chamber and having a port into the second chamber and an outlet port for the carrier gas, said first electrode, and ports being more or less aligned;
• and
• means for contacting gas containing excited-state species flowing out of the outlet port with an analyte at atmospheric pressure near ground potential.

A non-radioactive atmospheric pressure device for ionization of analytes comprising:

• a first atmospheric pressure chamber having an inlet for carrier gas, a first electrode at one end, and a counter-electrode at the other end for creating an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• a second atmospheric pressure chamber adjacent the first chamber and having a port into the first chamber at one end and having an electrode at the other end, and an outlet port for the carrier gas, the ports being sized to restrict flow;
• and
• a grounded or charged grid electrode at the output port for emission of charged particles upon contact with an excited-state species, said first electrode and ports being substantially aligned.

A non-radioactive atmospheric pressure device for ionization of analytes comprising:

• a first atmospheric pressure chamber having an inlet for carrier gas, a first electrode at one end, and a counter-electrode at the other end for creating an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• a second atmospheric pressure chamber adjacent the first chamber and having a port into the first chamber at one end and having an electrode at the other end, and an outlet port for the carrier gas, the ports being sized to restrict flow;
• and
• a grounded or negatively charged grid electrode at the output port for emission of electrons upon contact with excited-state species, said first electrode and ports being substantially aligned.

A non-radioactive atmospheric pressure device for ionization of analytes comprising:

• a first atmospheric pressure chamber having an inlet for carrier gas, a first electrode therein, and a counter-electrode for creating an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• a second atmospheric pressure chamber adjacent the first chamber and having a port into the first chamber at one end and an electrode at the other end;
• a third atmospheric pressure chamber adjacent the second chamber and having a port into the second chamber and an outlet port for the carrier gas;
• and
• a grounded or negatively charged grid electrode at the output port for emission of electrons upon contact with excited-state species, said first electrode and ports being more or less aligned.

A non-radioactive atmospheric pressure device for ionization of analytes comprising:

• a first atmospheric pressure chamber having an inlet and exhaust for carrier gas, a first electrode therein, and a counter-electrode for creating an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• a second atmospheric pressure chamber adjacent the first chamber and having a flow restricting port into the first chamber at one end and an electrode at the other end, and having an inlet and outlet for optional cooling of reactant gases;
• a third atmospheric pressure chamber adjacent the second chamber and having a flow restricting port into the second chamber and having an inlet and outlet for analyte gas or vapor;
• and
• an outlet port for ionized products of the interaction of the carrier gas and the analyte gas or vapor, said first electrode and ports being more or less aligned.

A non-radioactive atmospheric pressure device for ionization of analytes comprising:

• a first atmospheric pressure chamber having an inlet for carrier gas, a first electrode therein, and a counter-electrode for creating an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• at least one intermediate atmospheric pressure chamber adjacent the first chamber and one of said intermediate chambers having a flow restricting port into the first chamber and having an inlet for optional cooling of reactant gases;
• a final atmospheric pressure chamber adjacent one of said intermediate chambers and having a port into an intermediate chamber, and having an inlet for analyte gas or vapor;
• and
• an outlet port for ionized products of the interaction of the carrier gas and the analyte gas or vapor, said first electrode and ports being substantially aligned.

A method of producing analyte, analyte fragment, and/or analyte adduct ions for spectrographic analysis comprising the steps of:

• introducing a carrier gas into a first atmospheric pressure chamber having a first electrode at one end and a counter-electrode at the other end and applying a potential to the first electrode and counter-electrodes to cause an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• introducing the carrier gas and metastable species into a second atmospheric pressure chamber wherein the metastable species interacts with the carrier gas to produce positive ions and thermalized electrons;
• and
• directing the carrier gas from the second chamber into contact with the analyte maintained at atmospheric pressure and near ground potential to form analyte ions, analyte fragment ions, and/or analyte adduct ions.

A method of producing analyte, analyte fragment, and/or analyte adduct ions for spectrographic analysis comprising the steps of:

• introducing a carrier gas into a first atmospheric pressure chamber having a first electrode at one end and a counter-electrode at the other end and applying a potential to the first electrode and counter-electrodes to cause an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• introducing the carrier gas and metastable species into a second atmospheric pressure chamber wherein the metastable species interacts with the carrier gas to produce positive ions and thermalized electrons;
• introducing the carrier gas, positive ions, and/or thermalized electrons into a third atmospheric pressure chamber;
• and
• introducing a gaseous or vaporized analyte into the third chamber to form analyte ions, analyte fragment ions, and/or analyte adduct ions.

A method of producing analyte, analyte fragment, and/or analyte adduct ions for spectrographic analysis comprising the steps of:

• introducing a carrier gas into a first atmospheric pressure chamber having a first electrode at one end and a counter-electrode at the other end and applying a potential to the first electrode, and counter-electrodes to cause an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• directing the carrier gas and metastable species at a grid electrode biased to generate electrons or ions;
• and then
• directing the carrier gas into contact with the analyte at atmospheric pressure to form analyte ions, analyte fragment ions, and/or analyte adduct ions.

A method of producing analyte, analyte fragment, and/or analyte adduct ions for spectrographic analysis of analytes on a surface at near atmospheric temperature and ground potential comprising the steps of:

• introducing a carrier gas into a first atmospheric pressure chamber having a first electrode at one end and a counter-electrode at the other end and applying a potential to the first electrode and counter-electrodes to cause an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• directing the carrier gas and metastable species at a grid electrode biased at a negative potential to cause emission of electrons when struck by a metastable species;
• and then
• directing the carrier gas and emitted electrons against a surface at atmospheric pressure and near ground potential to form analyte ions, analyte fragment ions, and/or analyte adduct ions.

A method of replacing a radioactive source in a charged particle detector comprising:

• removing the radioactive source and replacing it with a non-radioactive atmospheric pressure device for ionization of analytes comprising:
• a first atmospheric pressure chamber having an inlet for carrier gas, a first electrode therein, and a counter-electrode for creating an electrical discharge in the carrier gas creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• and
• at least one intermediate atmospheric pressure chamber in communication with the first chamber and having a flow restricting port into the first chamber and having an inlet for analyte gas or vapor, and an outlet port in communication with the charged particle detector.

A non-radioactive atmospheric pressure device for ionization of analytes comprising:

• an atmospheric pressure chamber having an inlet for carrier gas and means for creating metastable neutral excited-state species in the carrier gas;
• a grounded or charged grid electrode for emission of charged particles upon contact with an excited-state species;
• and
• means for contacting gas containing said charged particles with an analyte at atmospheric pressure near ground potential.

A method of producing analyte, analyte fragment, and/or analyte adduct ions for spectrographic analysis comprising the steps of:

• introducing a carrier gas into an atmospheric pressure chamber for creating metastable neutral excited-state species;
• directing the carrier gas and metastable species at a grid electrode biased to generate electrons or ions;
• and then
• directing the carrier gas into contact with the analyte at atmospheric pressure to form analyte ions, analyte fragment ions, and/or analyte adduct ions.