Shimadzu Corporation

Tomoya Kudo

Daisuke Okumura

Yusuke Sakagoshi

Takuya Suzumura

An orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer includes: a first vacuum chamber and a second vacuum chamber; an insulating spacer member; a former-stage-side ring electrode; subsequent-stage-side ring electrodes; a first fixation member including a first displacement member to displace a central axis of the former-stage-side ring electrode and the subsequent-stage-side ring electrodes in a predetermined direction orthogonal to the central axis by thermal expansion; and a second fixation member including a second displacement member to displace the central axis in the predetermined direction orthogonal to the central axis by thermal expansion, a difference between a thermal expansion amount of the first displacement member per unit temperature and a thermal expansion amount of the second displacement member per unit temperature being 30% or less of the thermal expansion amount of the first displacement member.

Orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer

An ion analyzer including: a base member fixed to a ion outflow port and having a cylindrical concave part; a cylindrical first conductive member accommodated in the concave part; a first ion flow controller fixed to an exposed end of the first conductive member; a cylindrical insulating member inserted into the first conductive member; a rod-shaped second conductive member inserted into the insulating member; a second ion flow controller being fixed to an exposed end of the second conductive member; a first power feeding unit that, when accommodated in the concave part, comes into contact with the first conductive member; and a second power feeding unit that, when accommodated in the concave part, comes into contact with the second conductive member when the first conductive member accommodates the second conductive member and the insulating member.

Ion analyzer

A first spray unit () sprays a first sample into a first space () while charging the first sample. A second spray unit () sprays a second sample into the first space () or a second space () communicating with the first space () while charging the second sample. A determination unit () determines whether or not the second sample is sprayed from the second spray unit (). A gas supply unit () supplies gas into the first space (). A control unit () controls supply of the gas from the gas supply unit (). In a case where the determination unit () determines that the second sample is sprayed from the second spray unit (), the control unit () starts the supply of the gas from the gas supply unit () into the first space ().

Mass spectrometer

An orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer () includes: an ion ejector () which ejects measurement-target ions in a predetermined direction; an orthogonal accelerator () which accelerates ions in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the ions are ejected; a ring electrode () located between the ion ejector and the orthogonal accelerator, the ring electrode having an opening for allowing ions to pass through and arranged so that the central axis (C2) of the opening is shifted from the central axis (C1) of the ion ejector in a direction along the axis of the acceleration of the ions by the orthogonal accelerator; a reflectron electrode () which creates a repelling electric field for reversing the direction of the ions accelerated by the orthogonal accelerator; and an ion detector () which detects ions after the direction of flight of the ions is reversed by the reflectron electrode.

A time-of-flight mass spectrometry device includes: an ion introduction unit; a vacuum chamber connected to the ion introduction unit; a support member provided inside the vacuum chamber; a flight tube having a part of the outer surface supported by the support member and provided inside the vacuum chamber; a temperature sensor provided in the vicinity of a connection portion with the support member of the vacuum chamber; a temperature adjustment element provided in the vicinity of the connection portion; and a temperature control unit that controls the temperature adjustment element based on a measurement result of the temperature sensor.

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry device

Inside a chamber () evacuated by a vacuum pump, a flight tube () is held via a support member () that is of insulation. The outside of the chamber () is surrounded by a temperature control unit () including a heater. A body () of the chamber () is made of aluminum, and a coating layer () by a black nickel plating is formed on the inner wall surface of the body () of the chamber (). Due to this, the radiation factor of the chamber () becomes higher than that of a conventional apparatus using only aluminum, and the thermal resistance of the radiation heat transfer path between the chamber () and the flight tube () becomes low, thus improving the temperature stability of the flight tube (). Furthermore, the time constant of the temperature change of the flight tube () becomes small, thus reducing the time for the flight tube () to stabilize to a constant temperature.

Time-of-flight mass spectrometer

A no-electric field region (A) and an electric field region (B) are formed in a flight tube (). In the no-electric field region (A), ions introduced from an ion emission unit fly. In the electric field region (B), a reflectron () is provided and the ions having passed through the no-electric field region (A) are reflected to the no-electric field region (A) by an action of an electric field formed on an inner side of a plurality of electrodes (A,B). A through-hole (D) is formed in at least a part of the flight tube () to be closer to the electric field region (B) than the no-electric field region (A).

A flight tubeis hollow, and ions emitted from an ion emission unit are introduced into the flight tube. A reflectronis provided in the flight tube, and is configured by coaxially arranging a plurality of annular electrodesA andB. A vacuum vesselA that becomes in a vacuum state during analysis is formed in the vacuum chamber, and the flight tubeis provided in the vacuum vesselA. A temperature control mechanismcontrols a temperature of the flight tube. An ambient temperature sensordetects an ambient temperature outside the vacuum chamber. A target temperature of the temperature control mechanismis set on the basis of the ambient temperature detected by the ambient temperature sensor

A lead-in electrode, of an orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer, includes: a main body having an ion passing part and a first member including a main-body accommodating part that is a through-hole. One surface of the first member includes an extension part to define a position of one surface of the main body. A second member is attached to the first member. A through-hole is provided at a position of the second member. One surface of the second member includes a first area in contact with a surface opposite to the one surface of the first member and a second area located inside with respect to the first area. The second area is formed lower than a surface, of the first area, in contact with the surface opposite to the one surface. A lead-in electrode elastic member is disposed, in the second area, between the first member and second members.

Orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometer and lead-in electrode for the same

A transfer electrode unit () is configured by coaxially arranging a plurality of loop electrodes (A,B,C), and guides ions to an orthogonal acceleration region (C) by allowing the ions to pass through an inner side of the plurality of electrodes (A,B,C) each of which is applied with a voltage. A voltage having a higher absolute value than the voltage applied to the plurality of electrodes (A,B,C) is applied to a flight tube (), and the ions accelerated in the orthogonal acceleration region (C) are introduced to a flight space formed in the flight tube (). A shield portion (F) is provided between the transfer electrode unit () and the flight tube (), and suppresses that an electric field derived from the voltage applied to the flight tube () enters the transfer electrode unit ().

Even if vibration is applied to an electrode, a connector section is not separated due to urge of a spring section by using a mass spectrometer that includes an electrode (plate-like electrode); a power source section that supplies electric power to the electrode with a predetermined voltage and/or current; a connection line formed of a conductive wire rod having elasticity for electrically connecting the electrode and the power source section; a connector section provided at one end of the connection line; a seat provided in the electrode to be contacted with the connector section; a fixation section provided in the connection line to be fixed to the power source section; and a spring section formed between the connector section and the fixation section of the connection line or in the connector section and for urging the connector section to the seat.

Power connector for mass spectrometer

A mass spectrometer () includes a housing () that houses a plurality of devices including a mass analyzer () including an ionization unit, a mass separation unit, and an ion detection unit, a first heat generation device (), and a second heat generation device () which has an allowable maximum temperature lower than that of the first heat generation device () or an allowable temperature variation amount smaller than that of the first heat generation device (), an intake port () of the housing () which is provided at a position closer to the second heat generation device () with respect to the first heat generation device (), and an exhaust fan () of the housing () which is provided at a position farther from the second heat generation device () with respect to the first heat generation device ().

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Tomoya Kudo