Spraying system and methods of use thereof

• US 9,561,514 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Mounfield, William Pratt III, Garrett, Timothy James
• Primary Examiner(s): Leong, Nathan T
• Application Number:
  US13/992,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20130266735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: 427/421.1, 118/729
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0416 with arrangements for mixing one gas and one liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0441 with one inner conduit of liquid surrounded by an external conduit of gas upstream the mixing chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/12 designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1209 the controlling means for each liquid or other fluent material being manual and interdependent
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/02 performed by spraying
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for spraying systems, methods of disposing a layer of matrix onto a sample, and the like.

Claims

1. A spraying system, comprising:

a liquid system for providing a single liquid to a nebulizer, wherein the liquid system includes a liquid delivery system selected from the group consisting of;

a gravity liquid delivery system and a siphon liquid delivery system;

a gas system for providing a gas to the nebulizer, wherein the nebulizer is configured to produce a nebulized liquid from the liquid from the liquid system;

a control system for controlling the introduction of the liquid, the gas, or the liquid and gas, to the nebulizer; and

a sample system, wherein the sample system includes an area for a sample to be disposed,

wherein the nebulizer directs the nebulized liquid onto the area where the sample is to be disposed via a nozzle of the nebulizer; and

wherein the nebulizer and the area where the sample is to be disposed are disposed in a chamber.

2. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the nebulizer mixes the gas and liquid within the nebulizer.

3. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the control system is selected from a manual system, an automated system, or a combination thereof.

4. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the nebulizer is positioned above a horizontal, vertical, or inverted, position relative to the area where the sample is to be disposed.

5. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the chamber is heated and the nebulizer is heated.

6. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the nebulizer is about 0.01 to 60 inches from the area where the sample is to be disposed.

7. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the liquid system is adapted to heat the liquid.

8. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the gas system is adapted to heat the gas.

9. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein sample system is adapted to move up and down along the y-axis and from side to side along the x-axis and the z-axis.

10. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the sample system includes an automated platform to position samples in sequence in the area where the sample is to be disposed.

11. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the chamber is a humidity controlled chamber.

12. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the liquid system is adapted to cool the liquid.

13. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the gas system is adapted to cool the gas.

14. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the chamber is cooled and the nebulizer is cooled.

15. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the nebulizer comprises a first control valve to control a liquid flow from the liquid system and a second valve to control a gas flow from the gas system;

and wherein a gas flow path and a liquid flow path are perpendicular to an exit of the nebulizer.

16. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein the nebulizer comprises a control valve to control a gas flow from the gas system;

wherein a liquid flow path is offset relative to a gas flow path; and

the gas flow path directs the gas to flow directly out of an exit of the nebulizer, while the liquid flow path is perpendicular the exit.

17. The spraying system of claim 1, wherein a gas flow path and a liquid flow path are parallel an exit of the nebulizer;

and wherein the gas and the liquid mix inside the nozzle.