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:
Nov. 17, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 21, 1996
Edward W Sheehan, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Chem-Space Associates, Inc, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
An electrospray ion production method and ion source designed to reduce overall gas load on the vacuum system and enhance the ion production and collection efficiencies. This ion source is for gas phase ion analysis of constituents dissolved in liquid solution comprising a needle (10) held at high electrical potential through which the solution flows into a first chamber (1) maintained at reduced pressure, forming a highly charged liquid cone-jet. The highly charged liquid jet is steered, in the first chamber, on-axis with an aperture into a second chamber (2) maintained at higher pressure than that of the first chamber. The second chamber is heated and pressurized to facilitate desolvation of the solution droplets originating from the breakup of the highly charged jet, resulting in the production of gas phase ions by the electrospray ionization process. The gas phase ions are then sampled and detected. Alternative reactions and/or inputs of energy via collision and/or radiation may occur in the second chamber to further facilitate ion production or fragmentation and may further enhance sample identification. This method and device may be useful in the implementation of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.