VACUUM ANALYZER

• US 20130134306A1
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Original Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Inventors: Nakano, Tomohito
• Granted Patent: US 9,214,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/289
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/005 by collision with gas, e.g. by introducing gas or by accelerating ions with an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/24 Vacuum systems, e.g. maintaining desired pressures

Abstract

A vacuum analyzer including a vacuum reaction chamber; a gas source; a flow rate-restricting resistance tube connected to the reaction chamber; a pressure detection device disposed upstream from the flow rate-restricting resistance tube; a flow rate adjustment for adjusting the amount of gas exiting the flow rate-restricting resistance tube so that the detected value from the pressure detection device reaches a prescribed value; a split flow path that is provided with a splitter resistance tube and divides the gas at a location between the flow rate adjustment and the pressure detection device; a passage open to the atmosphere which divides the gas flowing from upstream at a location between the flow rate adjustment and the pressure detection device and releases the divided gas to the atmosphere; and a valve provided in the passage open to the atmosphere. Therein, the split flow path is connected immediately downstream from the valve.

Claims

1. A vacuum analyzer comprising:

a) a vacuum reaction chamber;

b) a gas source for supplying a gas into said vacuum reaction chamber;

c) a flow rate restricting resistance tube, the outlet end of which is connected to said vacuum reaction chamber;

d) a pressure detection means disposed upstream from said flow rate restricting resistance tube;

e) a flow rate adjustment means which is disposed between said pressure detection means and said gas source and adjusts the flow rate of gas flowing out of said flow rate restricting resistance tube so that the detected value from said pressure detection means reaches a prescribed value;

a split flow path which divides the gas flowing from the upstream between said flow rate adjustment means and said pressure detection means and is provided with a split resistance tube;

g) an atmosphere release path which divides the gas flowing from the upstream between said flow rate adjustment means and said pressure detection means and releases the divided gas into the atmosphere; and

h) a valve provided in said atmosphere release path;

wherein said split flow path is connected immediately downstream from said valve of said atmosphere release path.

3. A vacuum analyzer according to claim 1, wherein:

said vacuum reaction chamber is a collision chamber for collision-induced dissociation; and

said gas is a gas used for collision-induced dissociation.

2. A vacuum analyzer comprising:

a) a vacuum reaction chamber;

b) a gas source for supplying a gas into said vacuum reaction chamber;

c) a flow rate restricting resistance tube, the outlet end of which is connected to said vacuum reaction chamber;

d) a pressure detection means disposed upstream from said flow rate restricting resistance tube;

e) a flow rate adjustment means which is disposed between said pressure detection means and said gas source and adjusts the flow rate of gas flowing out of said flow rate restricting resistance tube so that the detected value from said pressure detection means reaches a prescribed value;

a split flow path which divides the gas flowing from the upstream between said flow rate adjustment means and said pressure detection means and is provided with a split resistance tube;

g) an atmosphere release path which divides the gas flowing from the upstream between said flow rate adjustment means and said pressure detection means and releases the divided gas into the atmosphere;

h) a valve provided in said atmosphere release path; and

i) a bypass flow path which divides the gas from said gas source upstream from said flow rate adjustment means;

wherein said bypass flow path is connected immediately downstream from said valve of said atmosphere release path.