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:
Oct. 02, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 19, 1999
Thomas O. Merren, Altrincham, GB;
Micromass Limited, Manchester, GB;
Abstract
The invention comprises a mass spectrometer,and a method of mass spectrometry that is especially useful for the measurement of the isotopic composition of hydrogen in the presence of a helium carrier gas. Interference to the accurate measurement of the small HD,peak at mass-to-charge ratio 3 by the much larger He,peak at mass-to-charge ratio 4 is reduced by provision of an energy filter,in the ion detector assembly used to collect HD,ions. This prevents ions of He,which have lost energy through scattering, etc giving rise to a signal from the HD,detector and distorting the deuterium hydrogen isotopic ratio measurement. Such a mass spectrometer,is typically used in conjunction with a continuous flow inlet system,based on an elemental analyzer that converts hydrogen present in a sample to gaseous hydrogen in a flow of helium carrier gas. Another embodiment of the invention provides a similar mass spectrometer useful for carbon or oxygen isotopic determinations in carbon dioxide gas.