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Publication Number
US-10734213-B2
Publication Date
2020-08-04
Expiration Date
Abstract
An intermittent sample inlet device and methods for use of the intermittent sample inlet device are described that include an orifice plate with an entrance orifice and a rotating skimmer with a skimmer orifice, where the rotating skimmer is disposed between the orifice plate and a vacuum chamber wall. The rotating skimmer rotates so that the skimmer orifice intermittently aligns with the entrance orifice and allows an ion sample to pass through to a mass analyzer.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a mass spectrometry sample inlet device for transferring ions at near atmospheric conditions. Ions are generated by a sample ionizing source from a sample at atmospheric pressure, and the sample inlet receives the ion sample from the ionizing source. The sample inlet includes a conduit for transferring sample ions and a rotating skimmer disposed between the conduit and a region at reduced pressure.
The conduit comprises a capillary or an orifice plate, and the conduit does not extend into the vacuum chamber. The reduced-pressure region comprises a vacuum chamber, with the rotating skimmer disposed at an entrance through a wall of the vacuum chamber to separate a region at about atmospheric pressure from the region at reduced pressure. The rotating skimmer includes a skimmer orifice configured to intermittently align with the conduit as the rotating skimmer rotates.
The disclosed approach is expanded into an intermittent inlet detection device including an ion funnel/ion guide, an optional stationary skimmer, low- and high-vacuum pumps, a mass analyzer system, and a detector. The intermittent alignment concept is used to allow ion transfer while controlling gas load between the atmospheric-pressure ionization region and the reduced-pressure vacuum chamber. The disclosure also references limitations of prior discontinuous DAPI approaches.
A mass spectrometry system is disclosed that includes the sample ionizing source, the intermittent sample inlet with a rotating skimmer and conduit, a mass analyzer system including a vacuum chamber, and a detector. The system architecture maintains the separation between about atmospheric pressure and reduced pressure at the vacuum chamber entrance through the rotating skimmer. The skimmer orifice intermittently aligns with the conduit during rotation to enable ion transfer toward the mass analyzer system.
Claims Coverage
Two independent claims are identified: a mass spectrometry sample inlet device claim and a mass spectrometry system claim. Across the independent claims, the central inventive structure is the rotating skimmer with a skimmer orifice that intermittently aligns with a conduit at a vacuum chamber entrance to separate about atmospheric pressure from reduced pressure, with the conduit not extending into the vacuum chamber. A mass analyzer system and detector are included in the system claim.
Intermittently aligning rotating skimmer at a vacuum chamber entrance
A rotating skimmer disposed between a conduit and a region at reduced pressure, the rotating skimmer disposed at an entrance through a wall of a vacuum chamber to separate a region at about atmospheric pressure from the region at reduced pressure, where the rotating skimmer includes a skimmer orifice configured to intermittently align with the conduit as the rotating skimmer rotates.
Atmospheric-pressure ion generation with conduit-to-skimmer transfer
A sample inlet configured to receive an ion sample from a sample ionizing source, wherein the ionizing source generates ions from a sample at atmospheric pressure, and a conduit transfers sample ions from the ionizing source to the rotating skimmer along a flow path.
Conduit structure with capillary or orifice plate not extending into the vacuum chamber
A conduit comprising a capillary or an orifice plate, wherein the conduit does not extend into the vacuum chamber.
System integration of intermittent inlet with mass analyzer and detector
A mass spectrometry system including a mass analyzer system including a vacuum chamber and a detector, together with a sample ionizing source and a sample inlet having the rotating skimmer, conduit, and vacuum-chamber entrance separation.
The independent claim set consistently centers on an intermittent inlet interface formed by a rotating skimmer at a vacuum chamber entrance. Ion transfer from an atmospheric-pressure ionizing source is performed through a conduit (capillary or orifice plate) that does not extend into the vacuum chamber, while the rotating skimmer’s skimmer orifice intermittently aligns with the conduit to separate about atmospheric pressure from reduced pressure. The system claim further requires integration of the intermittent inlet with a mass analyzer system and a detector.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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