Non-radioactive, capacitive discharge plasma ion source and method
First Claim
1. A non-radioactive plasma ion source, comprising:
- a) a housing, definingi) an interior volume having a major longitudinal axis,ii) a first gas inlet,iii) a second gas inlet,iv) a counterflow gas outlet, andv) an analyte gas outlet;
b) at least four planar electrodes mounted along the major longitudinal axis of the housing between the counterflow gas outlet and the analyte gas outlet, thereby partitioning the interior volume into at least three chambers, includingi) a discharger chamber,ii) a first gas inlet chamber, andiii) a second gas inlet chamber,the chambers being aligned along the major longitudinal axis between the counterflow gas outlet and the analyte gas outlet, each of the planar electrodes defining an opening for creating a homogeneous electric field by application of a direct current voltage to the electrodes, wherein fluid communication is provided between the counterflow gas outlet and the analyte gas outlet through the openings and the chambers, and wherein the first gas inlet and the analyte gas outlet are at the first gas inlet chamber, the counterflow gas outlet is at the discharger chamber, and the second gas inlet and the second gas inlet chamber are between the discharger chamber and the first gas inlet chamber; and
c) a non-radioactive discharger between two of the planar electrodes, that generates an ionized plasma within the discharger chamber for exposure to the homogenous electric field, whereby a selected ion species is directed by the homogenous electric field into combination with a sample gas that is directed into at least one of the first gas inlet and the second gas inlet, the combination thereby forming analyte ion species of an analyte gas that is discharged through the analyte gas outlet.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A non-radioactive plasma ion source device includes at least four planar electrodes that define at least three chambers, including a discharger chamber and at least two additional chambers aligned along a major longitudinal axis of the housing. A discharger ionizes at least one of a transport gas and a discharge gas to form ions in the discharger chamber that are directed by a homogeneous electric field generated by the planar electrodes toward an analyte gas outlet. Ionized species of at least one of the transport gas and the discharge gas that are not entrained by a counterflow gas stream are discharged from the discharger chamber to form a stream of ionized particles that ionize a sample gas and thereby form a stream of ionized analyte particles of the same polarity. The ionized analyte particles are entrained with the stream of ionized particles and pass through an analyte gas outlet to an analyzer.
29 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A non-radioactive plasma ion source, comprising:
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a) a housing, defining i) an interior volume having a major longitudinal axis, ii) a first gas inlet, iii) a second gas inlet, iv) a counterflow gas outlet, and v) an analyte gas outlet; b) at least four planar electrodes mounted along the major longitudinal axis of the housing between the counterflow gas outlet and the analyte gas outlet, thereby partitioning the interior volume into at least three chambers, including i) a discharger chamber, ii) a first gas inlet chamber, and iii) a second gas inlet chamber, the chambers being aligned along the major longitudinal axis between the counterflow gas outlet and the analyte gas outlet, each of the planar electrodes defining an opening for creating a homogeneous electric field by application of a direct current voltage to the electrodes, wherein fluid communication is provided between the counterflow gas outlet and the analyte gas outlet through the openings and the chambers, and wherein the first gas inlet and the analyte gas outlet are at the first gas inlet chamber, the counterflow gas outlet is at the discharger chamber, and the second gas inlet and the second gas inlet chamber are between the discharger chamber and the first gas inlet chamber; and c) a non-radioactive discharger between two of the planar electrodes, that generates an ionized plasma within the discharger chamber for exposure to the homogenous electric field, whereby a selected ion species is directed by the homogenous electric field into combination with a sample gas that is directed into at least one of the first gas inlet and the second gas inlet, the combination thereby forming analyte ion species of an analyte gas that is discharged through the analyte gas outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification