California Institute of Technology

Harvard College

City of Hope

City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute

Lawrence Licklider

Yu-Chong Tai

Xuan-Qi Wang

Amish Desai

Terry D Lee

Steven P Gygi

Junmin Peng

A MEMS device with an overhanging 'polymer' capillary provides vital and significant improvements in interfacing a MEMS electrospray nozzle to an MS inlet or other macroscopic instrumentation. The fabrication methodology associated therewith is easily expanded to include built-in micro particle filters and centimeter long serpentine micro channels provided on-chip and fabricated using a low temperature process.

Polymer based electrospray nozzle for mass spectrometry

A system for automatically performing liquid chromatography analysis of low volume liquid chemical samples at nanosecond flow rates using an analysis column that integrates a pre-concentration trapping column and a chromatography separation column terminating at an electrospray nozzle of an online mass spectrometer. The analysis column consists of a capillary having an inside diameter of between 75 and 125 microns packed throughout with a porous bed of micron particles. A branch outlet positioned 10 to 16 centimeters upstream from the nozzle divides the analysis column into an upstream pre-concentration trap and a downstream separation column. An autosampler delivers low volume liquid samples to the upstream inlet via a two-position valve. Feed connections couple the autosampler to upstream inlet when the valve is open to inject a liquid sample into the pre-concentration trap at a maximum loading flow rate in the range from 0.5 to 50 microliters/minute. Thereafter, when the valve closes, it terminates the further injection the sample, and a concentrated portion of the sample then passes though the chromatography separation column at a much slower flow rate between 10 and 1,000 nanoliters per minute. Throughput can be doubled by coupling two such analysis columns to a single autosampler using a ten-port, two position valve. A single column can be supplied through a six port two-position valve.

Automated capillary liquid chromatography small volume analysis system

Growing community of inventors

Jamaica Plain, MA, United States of America

Lawrence Licklider