Sample support for desorption
AssigneePhytronix Technologies Inc.
InventorsPierre Picard, Andre L'heureux, Jean Lacoursiere, Philippe Nobert, Sylvain Letarte, Alexandre Vallieres, Réal Paquin, Denis Lessard
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for regenerating ion samples for a mass spectrometer are provided. Source samples are loaded on a support which is heated by a laser beam, desorbing the sample without ionization. The desorbed sample is carried by a carrier gas flow through a transfer tube, at the output of which it is ionized by corona discharge or photo-ionization. The obtained ionized sample may be analyzed in a mass spectrometer or used to serve any other appropriate purpose.
Claims25
A support for receiving a source sample to be heated and desorbed therefrom, the support comprising:
- a sample-receiving side adapted to load the source sample thereon;
- a heat-receiving side adapted to receive heat to cause heating through the support toward the sample-receiving side thereof, to cause heating of the source sample, thereby producing a desorbed sample through desorption of the source sample.
A support for receiving a plurality of source samples to be heated and desorbed therefrom, the support comprising:
- a plurality of sections each adapted to load a source sample thereon and each having a sample-receiving side and a heat-receiving side;
- the heat-receiving side of each of said sections of the support being adapted to receive heat to cause heating through the support toward the corresponding sample-receiving side of each of said sections, to cause heating of the corresponding source sample, thereby producing a plurality of desorbed samples through desorption of each corresponding source sample.
A method for generating at least one desorbed sample, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing at least one source sample loaded on a support, said support having a sample-receiving side and a heat-receiving side;
- and
- for each of said source samples:
- b) heating said heat-receiving side of the said support to cause heating through the support toward the sample-receiving side thereof, to cause heating of the source sample, thereby producing said at least one desorbed sample through desorption of the source sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.