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:
Apr. 08, 2003
Filed:
Sep. 06, 2000
Applicant:
Inventors:
Jeffrey T. Kernan, Santa Cruz, CA (US);
Patrick D. Perkins, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Assignee:
Agilent Technologies, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B01D 5/944 ; H01J 4/900 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B01D 5/944 ; H01J 4/900 ;
Abstract
An apparatus and method for removing neutral noise from a quadrupole mass filter ion beam. A mask plate has a lobed aperture centered on a longitudinal axis and positioned between a quadrupole mass filter exit end and an ion detector. The mask plate operates to remove neutral atoms from the ion beam that may interfere with instrument sensitivities. The lobed aperture passes the ion beam with little loss of the ion beam intensity. The invention substantially maintains signal intensity and removes unwanted noise from a mass spectrometer.