Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120180576 | Evacuating a Sample Chamber - In one general aspect, a sample is transferred into a mass spectrometer by capturing a sample on a collector, inserting the collector into a sample chamber coupled to the mass spectrometer and a vacuum pump, evacuating the sample chamber using the vacuum pump to reduce an internal pressure of the sample chamber to a level less than atmospheric pressure, heating the collector to release the sample from the collector, and introducing the sample into the mass spectrometer from the evacuated sample chamber. | 07-19-2012 |
20120223226 | Introducing An Analyte Into A Chemical Analyzer - A chemical pre-concentrator includes a conduit defining a flow path between two ends and having a heating element disposed within the conduit, such that the heating element has at least one sorbent material deposited directly on at least a portion of a conductive surface of the heating element. Some such heating elements are in the form of electrically conductive strips defining both a plurality of apertures through the strip and a series of undulations spaced along the flow path. | 09-06-2012 |
20120270334 | PRECONCENTRATING A SAMPLE - A chemical analysis system is disclosed wherein, in evacuating a preconcentrator housing ( | 10-25-2012 |
20140190245 | REDUCED PRESSURE LIQUID SAMPLING - Processing a liquid sample ( | 07-10-2014 |
20140250977 | CHEMICAL ANALYSIS INSTRUMENT WITH MULTI-PURPOSE PUMP - A mass spectrometer for analyzing a sample may include an analysis chamber for analyzing the sample and a first vacuum pump operably connected to the analysis chamber, wherein the first vacuum pump operates to create a first vacuum state. The mass spectrometer may also include a sample-preparation chamber operably connected to the analysis chamber and a second vacuum pump that operates to create a second vacuum state, wherein the first vacuum state is a lower pressure than the second vacuum state. The second vacuum pump may be operably connected to the first vacuum pump in a first configuration, and the second vacuum pump may be operably connected to the sample-preparation chamber in a second configuration. | 09-11-2014 |
20140252215 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CALIBRATING MASS SPECTROMETERS - Systems and methods are disclosed for calibrating mass spectrometers. In accordance with one implementation, a system comprises a calibrant chamber within a housing of a mass spectrometer. The system also comprises a permeation tube enclosed within the calibrant chamber, wherein the tube contains a calibrant chemical that continuously outgasses the calibrant chemical. The outgassed calibrant chemical may be introduced to the mass spectrometer for analysis. The system may also comprise a heating block to control the temperature of the calibrant chemical. The system may further comprise a valve that introduces a known amount of the calibrant chemical into the calibrant chamber. In accordance with the present disclosure, systems and methods are provided for calibrating a mass spectrometer abundance scale. | 09-11-2014 |
20140252222 | AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL WITH DEFOCUSING LENS - A method and apparatus for performing mass spectrometry using an electron source, an ion trap, and a voltage-controlled lens located between the electron source and the ion trap. A controller applies a voltage to the lens. Features of the resulting output spectrum can be analyzed to determine whether to adjust the lens voltage. | 09-11-2014 |
20140252224 | MASS SPECTROMETER ION TRAP HAVING ASYMMETRIC END CAP APERTURES - An ion trap for a mass spectrometer is disclosed. The ion trap includes a ring electrode and first and second electrodes which are arranged on opposite sides of the ring electrode. The ring electrode and the first and second electrodes are configured to generate an electric field based on the received RF signal. The first electrode defines a first aperture and the second electrode defines a second aperture, the first aperture and the second aperture being asymmetric relative to each other and configured to generate a hexapole field. | 09-11-2014 |
20140264006 | Ion Trap with Radial Opening in Ring Electrode - Apparatuses and methods for performing mass analysis are disclosed. One such apparatus may include an ion trap device. The ion trap device may comprise a first end cap having a first aperture and a second end cap having a second aperture, wherein the first aperture and the second aperture may define an ejection axis. The ion trap device may also comprise a ring electrode substantially coaxially aligned between the first and second end caps. The ring electrode may include an opening extending along a radial direction of the ring electrode, wherein the radial direction is substantially perpendicular to the ejection axis. One such method may include ionizing a sample in an ion trap through an opening separating at least part of first and second ring sections of the ion trap and detecting ions ejected though an aperture on an end cap of the ion trap. | 09-18-2014 |
20140264013 | MASS SPECTROMETER HAVING AN EXTERNAL DETECTOR - A mass spectrometer system is disclosed. The mass spectrometer includes a vacuum chamber defining an enclosed evacuated space and an ion trap disposed in the enclosed space. The ion trap is configured to trap an ionized sample. The mass spectrometer further includes an ion detector coupled to the chamber at a location external to the chamber such that sample ions may exit the evacuated space and into the externally-coupled detector without loss of vacuum pressure. | 09-18-2014 |
20140299760 | MASS DEPENDENT AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL FOR MASS SPECTROMETER - Systems and methods for automatic gain control in mass spectrometers are disclosed. An exemplary system may include a mass spectrometer, comprising a lens configured to receive a supply of ions, and a mass analyzer. The mass analyzer may include an ion trap for trapping the supplied ions. The mass analyzer may also include an ion detector for detecting ions that exit the ion trap. The lens may focus the ions non-uniformly based on mass of the ions to compensate for space charge effects reflected in a measurement output of the mass spectrometer. An exemplary method may include focusing an ion beam into a mass analyzer. The method may also include obtaining a mass spectrum and identifying a space charge characteristic based on the mass spectrum. The method may further include defocusing the lens based on the identified space charge characteristic, wherein defocusing the lens is configured to divert lighter ions away from the entrance aperture. The method may include obtaining a mass spectrum of a defocused ion beam generated from the sample. | 10-09-2014 |