Electrospray systems and methods

• US 7,557,342 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Fedorov, Andrei G., Degertekin, F. Levent
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanore; David A.
• Application Number:
  US11/594,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20070080246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 250/288
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0439 ultrasonic vibrations, vibrating piezo elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0268 using pulse dispensing or spraying, eg. inkjet type, piezo actuated ejection of droplets from capillaries
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0638 spray being produced by discharging the liquid or other fluent material through a plate comprising a plurality of orifices
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/025 Discharge apparatus, e.g. electrostatic spray guns
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 11/32 by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/0018 Microminiaturised spectrometers, e.g. chip-integrated devices, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 49/165 Electrospray ionisation

Abstract

Electrospray systems, electrospray structures, removable electrospray structures, methods of operating electrospray systems, and methods of fabricating electrospray systems, are disclosed.

Claims

1. An electrospray system comprising:

a first reservoir configured to store a first fluid including a first ionizable molecule;

a first actuator disposed in communication with the first reservoir configured to generate an ultrasonic pressure wave through the first fluid;

an ionization source configured to ionize the first ionizable molecule to form a ionized first molecule;

a second reservoir configured to store a second fluid including a second ionizable molecule, wherein a separating layer is disposed between the first reservoir and the second reservoir;

a second ionization source configured to ionize the second ionizable molecule to form a second ionized molecule; and

a first set of ejector structures including at least one ejector nozzle configured to eject the first fluid in response to the ultrasonic pressure wave, wherein each ejector structure is configured to focus the acoustic pressure wave at a tip of the ejector nozzle, and wherein the first reservoir is disposed between the first actuator and the first set of ejector structures,

wherein the first actuator and the ionization source are configured to form a plurality of ionized first molecules from the first fluid, wherein the ionized first molecules are ejected from the ejector nozzles of the first set of ejector structures upon activation of the first actuator and the ionization source.

2. The electrospray system of claim 1, wherein the ejector structure is selected from a horn structure and a pyramidal structure.

3. The electrospray system of claim 1, wherein the ionization source is disposed on the first actuator adjacent the first reservoir.

4. The electrospray system of claim 1, wherein the ionization source is disposed on an inside wall of the ejector structure adjacent the first reservoir.

5. The electrospray system of claim 1, wherein the ionization source is disposed on an inside wall of the ejector structure adjacent the first reservoir, and wherein the ionization source is disposed on the first actuator adjacent the first reservoir.

6. The electrospray system of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is selected from a piezoelectric actuator and a capacitive actuator.

7. The electrospray system of claim 6, wherein the first actuator operates in a range from about 100 kHz to 100 MHz.

8. The electrospray system of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is disposed in communication with the second reservoir and is configured to generate an ultrasonic pressure wave through the second fluid;

and further comprising;

a second set of ejector structures including at least one ejector nozzle configured to eject the second fluid in response to the ultrasonic pressure wave, wherein each ejector structure is configured to focus the acoustic pressure wave at a tip of the ejector nozzle, and wherein the second reservoir is disposed between the first actuator and the second set of ejector structures,

wherein the first actuator and the second ionization source are configured to form a plurality of ionized second molecules from the second fluid, wherein the ionized second molecules are ejected from the ejector nozzles of the second set of ejector structures upon activation of the second actuator and the second ionization source.

9. The electrospray system of claim 8, wherein the second ionization source is disposed on a surface selected from an inside wall of the ejector structure adjacent the second reservoir, the first actuator adjacent the second reservoir, and combinations thereof.

10. The electrospray system of claim 8, wherein the ejector structure is selected from a horn structure and a pyramidal structure.

11. The electrospray system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second actuator disposed in communication with the second reservoir, wherein the second actuator is configured to generate an ultrasonic pressure wave through the second fluid;

a second set of ejector structures including at least one ejector nozzle configured to eject the second fluid in response to the ultrasonic pressure wave, wherein each ejector structure is configured to focusing the acoustic pressure wave at a tip of the ejector nozzle, and wherein the second reservoir is disposed between the second actuator and the second set of ejector structures,

wherein the second actuator and the second ionization source are configured to form a plurality of ionized second molecules from the second fluid, wherein the ionized second molecules are ejected from the ejector nozzles of the second set of ejector structures upon activation of the second actuator and the second ionization source.

12. The electrospray system of claim 11, comprising:

a first separating structure disposed between the first actuator and the first fluid in the first reservoir and a second separating structure disposed between the second actuator and the second fluid in the second reservoir, wherein a fluid bubble is controllably positioned in a position selected from a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is substantially between the first separating structure and the first actuator, and wherein the second position is between the second separating structure and the second actuator,

wherein when the fluid bubble is one position, a gas bubble is in the other position, wherein the gas bubble does not effectively couple to and transmit the ultrasonic pressure wave, and wherein the fluid bubble effectively couples to and transmits the ultrasonic pressure wave to one of the selected first fluid and second fluid.

13. The electrospray system of claim 11, wherein the second ionization source is disposed on a surface selected from an inside wall of the ejector adjacent the second reservoir, the second actuator adjacent the second reservoir, and combinations thereof.

14. The electrospray system of claim 11, wherein the ejector structure is selected from a horn structure and a pyramidal structure.

15. The electrospray system of claim 14, wherein the horn structure has an internal cavity that expands from a tip according to at least one function selected from a linear function and an exponential function.

16. The electrospray system of claim 11, wherein the first actuator is selected from a piezoelectric actuator and a capacitive actuator.

17. A mass spectrometry system, comprising the electrospray system of claim 1.

18. A mass spectrometry system, comprising the electrospray system of claim 8.

19. A mass spectrometry system, comprising the electrospray system of claim 11.