The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 14, 1993
Filed:
Dec. 31, 1992
Peter H McMurry, Minneapolis, MN (US);
David B Kittelson, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Paul J Ziemann, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Peng Liu, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Nagaraja P Rao, Fishkill, NY (US);
Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A particle beam shaping apparatus preferably includes a prefocusing element and a primary focusing element disposed within a tube. An aerosol beam source having relatively heavy particles and relatively light gas is operably connected to the prefocusing element. The prefocusing element preferentially expands the aerosol beam such that the gas diverges laterally relatively rapidly while the particles diverge laterally relatively slowly. The tube laterally confines the rapidly expanding gas such that the primary focusing element converges the gas upon the particle beam to more narrow the particle beam. A detector may be located downstream of the primary focusing means to sense the particles impinging thereon. A skimmer is preferably interposed between the primary focusing element and the detection means to remove the gas while allowing the particles to pass therethrough. The particles may be electrically charged and deflected prior to their detection such that the particles' relative masses may be determined by the detection means.