SAMPLING SYSTEM FOR CONTAINMENT AND TRANSFER OF IONS INTO A SPECTROSCOPY SYSTEM

• US 20080087812A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bruker Scientific LLC (Bruker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: IonSense, Inc. (Bruker Corporation)
• Inventors: Musselman, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,928,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/285
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0404 Capillaries used for transferring samples or ions electrospray nozzles H01J49/167
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0418 for laser desorption, e.g. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation [MALDI] plates or surface enhanced laser desorption/ionisation [SELDI] plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0459 for solid samples
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/06 Electron- or ion-optical arrangements

Abstract

The invention provides for efficient collection of analyte ions and neutral molecules from surfaces for their subsequent analysis with spectrometry. In an embodiment of the invention, a ‘multiple desorption ionization source’ includes a tube which can contain ions for subsequent sampling within a defined spatial resolution from desorption ionization at or near atmospheric pressures. In an embodiment, electrostatic fields are used to direct ions a plurality of tubes positioned in close proximity to the surface of the sample being analyzed. In an embodiment of the present invention, either narrow inside diameter capillary tubes or wide diameter tubes can be used in combination with a vacuum inlet to draw ions and neutrals into the spectrometer for analysis. In an embodiment of the invention, a dopant is introduced into a tube to analyze the sample. In an embodiment of the invention, a plurality of ionization sources is used to analyze the sample.

Claims

1. A device for analyzing a sample comprising:

a component for generating analyte ions of the sample; and

a plurality of non coaxial tubes, wherein the plurality of non coaxial tubes have a proximal end and a distal end, wherein analyte ions enter the proximal end of one or more of the plurality of non coaxial tubes;

wherein the distal end of the plurality of non coaxial tubes is connected with a spectrometer such that one or more analyte ions pass through the plurality of non coaxial tubes into the spectrometer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the plurality of non coaxial tubes is at a distance from the sample between:

a lower limit of approximately 10<sup>−

5</sup> m; and

an upper limit of approximately 2×

10<sup>−

1</sup> m.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of non coaxial tubes is made from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, glass, plastic, conductively coated plastic, conductively coated fused silica, non conductively coated plastic, non conductively coated fused silica, glass lined metal tube and resistively coated glass.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of one or more of the plurality of non coaxial tubes is between:

a lower limit of approximately 4×

10<sup>−

4</sup> m; and

an upper limit of approximately 10<sup>−

1</sup> m.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a capacitive surface, wherein one or both an inner surface of one or more of the plurality of non coaxial tubes has a capacitive surface and an outer surface of one or more of the plurality of non coaxial has a capacitive surface.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the proximal end of the inner surface of one or more of the plurality of non coaxial tubes protrudes from the outer surface of one or more of the plurality of non coaxial tubes by a distance of between:

a lower limit of approximately 10<sup>−

4</sup> m; and

an upper limit of approximately 10<sup>−

2</sup> m.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the proximal end of the outer surface of one or more of the plurality of non coaxial tubes protrudes from the inner surface of one or more of the plurality of non coaxial tubes by a distance of between:

a lower limit of approximately 10<sup>−

4</sup> m; and

an upper limit of approximately 10<sup>−

2</sup> m.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the position of the proximal end of one or more of the plurality of non coaxial tubes can be adjusted relative to the sample.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

the proximal end of one or more tubes of the plurality of non coaxial tubes is directed to a first area or first surface of the sample; and

the proximal end of one or more tubes of the plurality of non coaxial tubes is directed to a second area or second surface of the sample.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of non coaxial tubes is flexible.

11. A device of claim 1, wherein the sample is one or both of a gas and a liquid injected at a distance from the proximal end of one or more non coaxial tube, where the distance is between:

a lower limit of approximately 10<sup>−

4</sup> m; and

an upper limit of approximately 10<sup>−

1</sup> m.

12. A device comprising:

a component for generating analyte ions of a sample;

a plurality of tubes, wherein the plurality of tubes are non-coaxial, wherein each of the plurality of tubes have a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the plurality of tubes are positioned in a region at atmospheric pressure around the sample such that analyte ions enter the proximal end of the plurality of tubes;

a gas ion separator with entrance and exit, wherein the distal end of the plurality of tubes join at the gas ion separator entrance such that analyte ions exiting the distal end of the plurality of tubes enter the gas ion separator; and

a spectrometer, wherein the gas ion separator exit is connected with the spectrometer, wherein one or more analyte ions exiting the gas ion separator enter the spectrometer.

13. A device for analyzing a sample comprising:

a plurality of ionization sources for forming analyte ions of the sample;

one or more tubes for transferring the analyte ions, wherein each tube has a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the tube is positioned around the sample such that analyte ions formed by one or more of the plurality of ionization sources enter the proximal end of the tube; and

a spectrometer such that analyte ions pass through the tube into the spectrometer.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein one or more of the plurality of ionization sources is operated at a first temperature, wherein one or more of the plurality of ionization sources is operated at a second temperature, wherein there is a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature, wherein the difference is between:

a lower limit of approximately 5°

C.; and

an upper limit of approximately 5×

10²°

C.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein one or more of the plurality of ionization sources is operated with a first method of ionization, wherein one or more of the plurality of ionization sources is operated with a second method of ionization.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the first and the second method of ionization is selected from the group consisting of a Direct Ionization in Real Time source, a desorption electrospray ionization (DESI), an atmospheric laser desorption ionization, a Corona discharge, an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and a glow discharge source.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein one or more of the plurality of ionization sources is operated with a first reagent gas, wherein one or more of the plurality of ionization sources is operated with a second reagent gas, wherein the first reagent gas is not the same as the second reagent gas.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein one or more of the plurality of ionization sources is operated with a first polarity, wherein one or more of the plurality of ionization sources is operated with a second polarity, wherein if the first polarity is positive then the second polarity is negative.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein one or more dopants is introduced into one or more of the tubes.

20. A method of analyzing an analyte comprising:

(a) providing a device including a mass spectrometer, an external atmospheric ionization source and a plurality of non-coaxial tubes for transferring a plurality of analyte ions;

(b) generating and transferring one or more of the plurality of analyte ion;

(c) detecting one or more of the plurality of analyte ion.

21. A method of analyzing an analyte comprising:

(a) providing a device including a mass spectrometer, a plurality of external atmospheric ionization sources and a non-coaxial tube for transferring a plurality of analyte ions;

(b) generating and transferring one or more of the plurality of analyte ion;

(c) detecting one or more of the plurality of analyte ion.