Varian, Inc.

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Layne Evan Howard

James Higgins

James L Bertsch

Thomas Allen Knotts

Mark H Werlich

Alexander Mordehai

Kenneth R Newton

Jimmy C Leung

Ruwan T Kurulugama

Bao Nguyen

John H Baldo

Herman Lock

Michael R Meiler

Mark S Brown

Fabian M Van De Graaf

Arthur V Mesina

An interface for an ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) system includes a first ion guide for receiving ions from an IMS drift cell, and a second ion guide for receiving ions from the first ion guide, and positioned in a chamber separate from the first ion guide. Electrodes of the second ion guide subject the ions to an axial DC electric field while the second ion guide is held at a lower pressure than the first ion guide. In some embodiments, the first ion guide may be an ion funnel and the second ion guide may be a linear multipole device.

Ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) with improved ion transmission and IMS resolution

An ion guide generates a first RF field of Nth order where N is an integer equal to or greater than 2, and a second RF field of 2Nth order superimposed on the first RF field. The first and second RF fields may be generated by respective first and second sets of electrodes. Another ion guide may include a converging entrance section followed by an exit section. The converging section may have a hyperbolic profile. A hyperbolic profile may be presented by electrodes having a twisted configuration relative to an ion guide axis.

Dual field multipole converging ion guides, hyperbolic ion guides, and related methods

According to one aspect, a magnetic resonance (NMR or MRI) phantom includes a spherical or quasi-spherical casing enclosing an internal chamber, and an internal phantom structure situated within the internal chamber. The casing includes alignment features allowing the sequential alignment/orientation of the phantom along three orthogonal axes. In some embodiments, the casing is shaped as a quasi-spherical intercyl having an outer surface defined by the intersection of three orthogonal cylinders. In some embodiments, the casing may be shaped as a sphere having orthogonal registration holes or channels sized to accommodate a corresponding protrusion or ridge in a phantom holder; the casing may also include protrusions or ridges sized to fit into a matching hole or channel defined in a holder. One or more internal phantom plates may include air bubble transfer apertures allowing air bubbles to flow between opposite sides of a plate as a liquid-filled phantom is rotated.

Magnetic resonance phantom systems and methods

A shutter and gate valve assembly includes a valve housing that defines a passage therethrough, a valve member having a valve aperture, the valve member movable between a non-operating position that seals the passage and an operating position that aligns the valve aperture with the passage, and a shutter movable between a closed position that blocks the valve aperture and an open position that unblocks the valve aperture. The shutter member may be affixed to and movable with the valve member between the non-operating position and the operating position. The shutter may be provided with a shutter aperture that is aligned with the valve aperture in the open position.

Shutter and gate valve assemblies for vacuum systems

In some embodiments, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sample container having an elongated transverse cross-section is held in a predetermined azimuthal orientation in an NMR probe by keying-in a sample container holder into a matching azimuthal-alignment adapter. The azimuthal-alignment adapter may be a lead-in adapter having an azimuthally-sloping upper guiding surface of a cylindrical shell part, with the sloping guiding surface leading into a longitudinal channel defined through the shell wall. A transversely-protruding pin of the sample container holder slides down the guiding surface and into the longitudinal channel to lock the sample in the desired azimuthal orientation.

Azimuthally-orienting NMR samples

An NMR sample tube assembly for holding a sample comprises a sample tube, a sealing plug for sealing the sample within the sample tube, and a rotor for spinning the assembly. The plug is clamped to the sample tube by an axial force. Preferably, the sample tube has a sealing flange protruding from the sample tube exterior along an inlet region of the sample tube. A filling part of the plug is sized to maintain an air escape clearance between the filling part and the sample tube for allowing air to escape out of the sample tube as the filling part is inserted therein. The rotor is secured to a protruding sealing part of the plug and clamps the sealing part to the sealing flange. The designs allow the use of wide sample tube mouths, and reduce the amount of air bubbles present in the samples during measurements.

Axially-sealed NMR sample tube assemblies

An axial sample conveyer for transferring samples into an analysis device such as a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probe of an NMR spectrometer includes an auger having a helical thread for axially constraining the samples, and a plurality of guides facing the auger for laterally constraining the samples to follow a linear axial path as the auger is rotated. Samples are inserted into the conveyer through plural input apertures. The samples abut the helical thread of the auger, and are moved through the conveyer as the auger is rotated about its axis. The samples exit the conveyer through corresponding output apertures aligned with the input apertures. Each guide extends between an input aperture and an output aperture.

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Layne Evan Howard