Method and means for vaporizing liquids by means of heating a sample capillary tube for detection or analysis
First Claim
1. A thermospray device for vaporizing a liquid sample into an ion vapor containing large molecules of interest for analysis, said device comprising:
- (a) a metal capillary tube for receiving said sample, said tube defining a nozzle portion at one end thereof,(b) heating means for heating said capillary tube to vaporize a predetermined fraction of the sample passing therethrough,(c) a control means for controlling the temperature of the sample within the capillary and to maintain from 1% to 35% of the sample in liquid form as it is ejected from the nozzle as a particle beam of minute particles entrained in an intense vapor jet, said control means including a means for measuring the temperature of the liquid sample in the capillary tube, said means for measuring including a temperature sensor mounted in thermal contact with the capillary tube within a first third of a predetermined length heated by said heating means, and(d) a means for separating the large molecules from said vapor jet as said molecules are selected for further analysis.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure is concerned with method and apparatus for vaporizing liquid solutions in order to detect, quantitate, and/or determine physical or chemical properties of samples present in liquid solution. Mixtures may be separated by an on-line liquid chromatographic column and the methods used for detection, quantitation, identification, and/or determination of chemical and physical properties include mass spectrometry, photoionization, flame ionization, electron capture, optical photometry, including UV, visible, and IR regions of the spectrum, light scattering, light emission, atomic absorption, and any other technique suitable for detecting or analyzing molecules or particles in a gaseous or vacuum environment. The method and apparatus involves controlled partial vaporization of the solution. Methods are disclosed for controlling the degree of partial vaporization and the temperature at which this vaporization occurs, and for maintaining this degree of vaporization essentially constant even though the solvent flow rate and/or composition may vary in either a controlled or an uncontrolled fashion. This
The invention described herein was made in the course of work under a grant or award from the Department of Health and Human Services (formerly Health Education and Welfare).
105 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A thermospray device for vaporizing a liquid sample into an ion vapor containing large molecules of interest for analysis, said device comprising:
-
(a) a metal capillary tube for receiving said sample, said tube defining a nozzle portion at one end thereof, (b) heating means for heating said capillary tube to vaporize a predetermined fraction of the sample passing therethrough, (c) a control means for controlling the temperature of the sample within the capillary and to maintain from 1% to 35% of the sample in liquid form as it is ejected from the nozzle as a particle beam of minute particles entrained in an intense vapor jet, said control means including a means for measuring the temperature of the liquid sample in the capillary tube, said means for measuring including a temperature sensor mounted in thermal contact with the capillary tube within a first third of a predetermined length heated by said heating means, and (d) a means for separating the large molecules from said vapor jet as said molecules are selected for further analysis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method of vaporizing a liquid sample containing large molecules of interest for analysis, said method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) receiving said sample in a metal capillary tube, said tube defining a nozzle portion at one end thereof, (b) heating said capillary tube to vaporize a predetermined fraction of the sample passing therethrough, (c) controlling the temperature of the sample within the nozzle and maintaining from 1% to 35% of the sample in liquid form as it is ejected from the nozzle as a particle beam of minute particles entrained in an intense vapor jet, said controlling step includes measuring the temperature of the liquid in the capillary tube, and (d) separating the large molecules from said vapor jet as said molecules are selected for further analysis. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification