Collision ion generator and separator
AssigneeMicromass UK Limited
InventorsDaniel Szalay, Lajos Godorhazy, Zoltan Takats
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to some embodiments, systems and methods for surface impact ionization of liquid phase and aerosol samples are provided. The method includes accelerating a liquid or aerosol sample, colliding the sample with a solid collision surface thereby disintegrating the sample into both molecular ionic species (e.g., gaseous molecular ions) and molecular neutral species (e.g., gaseous sample), and transporting the disintegrated sample to an ion analyzer. Some embodiments of the method further comprise discarding the molecular neutral species. Such embodiments transport substantially only the molecular ionic species to the ion analyzer.
Claims38
A method for generating gaseous molecular ions for analysis by a mass spectrometer or ion mobility spectrometer, comprising:
- accelerating an aerosol sample toward a solid surface, the sample comprising one or more of molecular particle clusters, solid particles, and neutral particles;
- colliding the aerosol sample with the solid surface to disintegrate the one or more molecular particle clusters and to generate one or more of gaseous molecular ions, neutral molecules and smaller-sized molecular particle clusters;
- and
- collecting the gaseous molecular ions and directing the gaseous molecular ions to an analyzer unit.
A system for generating gaseous molecular ions for analysis by a mass spectrometer or ion mobility spectrometer, comprising:
- a tubular conduit configured to accelerate a sample therethrough, the sample comprising one of an aerosol sample and a liquid sample and having one or more of molecular particle clusters, solid particles and charged particles;
- a collision element spaced apart from an opening of the tubular conduit and generally aligned with an axis of the tubular conduit, the collision element having a surface upon which the sample collides, thereby disintegrating the one or more molecular particle clusters to form one or more of gaseous molecular ions, neutral molecules and smaller-sized molecular particle clusters;
- and
- a skimmer electrode configured to collect substantially only the gaseous molecular ions and exclude the neutral molecules and smaller-sized molecular particle clusters, wherein the exclusion is based substantially on one or more of mass and charge of the neutral molecules and smaller-sized molecular particle clusters, the skimmer electrode having an opening generally aligned with the tubular conduit opening such that the collision element is interposed between the tubular conduit opening and the skimmer electrode.
A system for generating gaseous molecular ions for analysis by a mass spectrometer or ion mobility spectrometer, comprising:
- a tubular conduit configured to accelerate an aerosol sample therethrough, the sample having one or more of molecular particle clusters, solid particles and neutral particles;
- a collision element spaced apart from an opening of the tubular conduit and generally aligned with an axis of the tubular conduit, the collision element having a generally spherical surface upon which the sample collides, thereby disintegrating the one or more molecular particle clusters to form one or more of gaseous molecular ions, neutral molecules and smaller-sized molecular particle clusters;
- and
- an ion funnel guide assembly generally aligned with said tubular conduit opening and driven by a bipolar radiofrequency alternating current, said collision element disposed in said ion funnel, wherein the ion funnel guide assembly is configured to separate the gaseous molecular ions from the neutral molecules and smaller sized molecular particle clusters, and to direct the gaseous molecular ions to an analyzer.
A system for generating gaseous molecular ions for analysis by a mass spectrometer or ion mobility spectrometer, comprising:
- a tubular conduit configured to accelerate a sample therethrough, the sample comprising one of an aerosol sample and a liquid sample and having one or more of molecular particle clusters, solid particles and charged particles;
- a skimmer electrode spaced apart and generally aligned with an opening of the tubular conduit, the skimmer electrode having a tubular section with a surface upon which sample particles collide to generate gaseous molecular ions;
- and
- an analyzer unit that receives said gaseous molecular ions from the skimmer electrode, the analyzer unit configured to analyze the gaseous molecular ions to provide information on the chemical composition of the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.