Nano-electrospray ionization technique and device
AssigneeTokyo Metropolitan University
InventorsToshiaki Isobe, Yoshio Yamauchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Nano-electrospray ionization techniques include the introduction of a separation solvent containing a sample to a column-integrated needle having a column filled with a resin for liquid chromatography. The separated sample components are sprayed from the tip of the column-integrated needle toward a sample introduction orifice of a mass spectrometer. An organic solvent is simultaneously introduced to a solvent-supplying needle. The organic solvent is supplied from the tip of the solvent-supplying needle to the tip of the column-integrated needle.
Claims22
A method for performing mass spectrometry analysis of a biological sample, the method comprising:
- discharging, from a first needle, first droplets of the biological sample comprising nucleotide fragments, the first droplets being discharged toward an orifice of a mass spectrometer;
- discharging, from a second needle, second droplets of a first organic solvent, such that the second droplets mix with the first droplets to form a mixture;
- receiving the mixture of the first droplets and the second droplets at the orifice of the mass spectrometer;
- and
- spectrometrically determining from the received mixture the identity of the biological sample with the mass spectrometer.
An apparatus for performing mass spectrometry analysis of a biological sample, the apparatus comprising:
- a column-integrated needle in contact with or in proximity to a sample-introducing orifice of a mass spectrometer;
- a solvent-feeding needle;
- a tip portion of the solvent-feeding needle positioned in contact with or in proximity to a tip portion of the column-integrated needle, the tip portion of the solvent-feeding needle operably arranged to provide to the tip portion of the column-integrated needle a mixture of a first organic solvent and a nitrogen gas;
- a gradient generator configured to regulate a concentration of a second organic solvent in a separation solvent to be introduced to the column-integrated needle, the separation solvent comprising the biological sample and the second organic solvent having a concentration gradient from a low concentration to a high concentration;
- and
- a spray electrode configured to apply a voltage to the column-integrated needle to generate charged droplets;
- the column-integrated needle being configured to provide a spray of the charged droplets to the sample-introducing orifice of the mass spectrometer;
- and
- the mass spectrometer configured to determine from the charged droplets whether the biological sample includes at least one of a type of the biological sample, an amount of the biological sample, or a chemical structure of the biological sample.
A method for performing mass spectrometry analysis of a biological sample, the method comprising:
- providing a regulated concentration gradient of a first organic solvent in a separation solvent comprising the biological sample and the first organic solvent to be introduced to a LC-ESI (liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization) column-integrated needle;
- discharging substantially simultaneously:
- first droplets comprising the separation solvent from the LC-ESI column-integrated needle;
- and
- second droplets from a solvent-supplying needle comprising a mixture of a second organic solvent and a nitrogen gas, a tip of the solvent-supplying needle positioned in contact with or in proximity to a tip of the LC-ESI column-integrated needle, such that the first droplets from the LC-ESI column-integrated needle and the second droplets from the solvent-supplying needle mix together to form a mixture;
- receiving the mixture of droplets into an orifice of a mass spectrometer;
- and
- spectrometrically determining from the received mixture at least one of a type of the biological sample, an amount of the biological sample, or a chemical structure of the biological sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.