Miniaturized ion mobility spectrometer sensor cell
First Claim
1. A sensor cell for use in an ion mobility spectrometer, said sensor cell comprising:
- a heated air flow assembly comprising an ambient temperature sensor and a thin heater channel and having a thin-film heater element disposed on an interior surface of the channel;
an ionization assembly; and
a field electrode and detector assembly printed circuit assembly.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved ion mobility spectrometer for detecting chemical warfare agents and hazardous vapors. The ion mobility spectrometer has an improved sensor cell that includes a heated air flow assembly, an ionization assembly and a field electrode and detector assembly printed circuit assembly. The heated air flow assembly includes a cover with an air inlet, an ambient temperature sensor, a thin-film heater element, a heater frame, a heated air sensor, and a heater channel formed therein. The ionization assembly comprises a nuclear ionization source attached to a holder, a lid, and an ionization channel formed therein that is coupled to the heater channel. The field electrode and detector assembly printed circuit assembly comprises a field electrode printed circuit board, a detector electrode printed circuit board, and detector electronics. The field electrode printed circuit board has a plurality of field electrodes disposed on a bottom surface thereof. A gasket is disposed between the field electrode and detector electrode printed circuit boards. The detector electrode printed circuit board has a plurality of detector electrodes disposed on a top surface thereof. The detector electronics processes current outputs of the detector electrodes to generate a histogram of ion currents that identify mobilities of chemical species tested by the ion mobility spectrometer.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A sensor cell for use in an ion mobility spectrometer, said sensor cell comprising:
-
a heated air flow assembly comprising an ambient temperature sensor and a thin heater channel and having a thin-film heater element disposed on an interior surface of the channel; an ionization assembly; and a field electrode and detector assembly printed circuit assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A sensor cell for use in an ion mobility spectrometer, said sensor cell comprising:
-
a cover having an air inlet therein; an ambient temperature sensor attached to the cover; a thin-film heater element attached to an interior surface of the cover; a heater frame attached to the cover that forms a thin heater channel through the upper portion of the sensor cell; a heated air sensor disposed in the heater channel downstream of the thin-film surface heater element; a nuclear ionization source attached to a holder; a lid attached to the holder that forms walls of the heater channel and an ionization channel; a field electrode printed circuit board disposed adjacent to the holder having an opening therein that permits heated air to pass by the nuclear ionization source and has a plurality of field electrodes disposed on a bottom surface thereof; a detector electrode printed circuit board having plurality of detector electrodes disposed on a top surface thereof, an air outlet formed therein, and detector electronics disposed thereon, that processes current outputs of the detector electrodes to generate a histogram of ion currents that identify mobilities of chemical species tested by the ion mobility spectrometer; and a gasket disposed between the field electrode printed circuit board and the detector electrode printed circuit board that forms outer walls of the ionization channel. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. An ion mobility spectrometer comprising:
a sensor cell comprising; a cover having an air inlet therein; an ambient temperature sensor attached to the cover; a thin-film heater element attached to an interior surface of the cover; a heater frame attached to the cover that forms a thin heater channel through the upper portion of the sensor cell; a heated air sensor disposed in the heater channel downstream of the thin-film surface heater element; a nuclear ionization source attached to a holder; a lid attached to the holder that forms walls of the heater channel and an ionization channel; a field electrode printed circuit board disposed adjacent to the holder having an opening therein that permits heated air to pass by the nuclear ionization source and has a plurality of field electrodes disposed on a bottom surface thereof; a detector electrode printed circuit board having plurality of detector electrodes disposed on a top surface thereof, an air outlet formed therein, and detector electronics disposed thereon, that processes current outputs of the detector electrodes to generate histogram of ion currents that identify mobilities of chemical species tested by the ion mobility spectrometer; and a gasket disposed between the field electrode printed circuit board and the detector electrode printed circuit board that forms outer walls of the ionization channel. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
Specification