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:
Aug. 22, 2006
Filed:
May. 02, 2005
Edward W Sheehan, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Ross C Willoughby, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Edward W Sheehan, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Ross C Willoughby, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Chem-Space Associates, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
An improved ion source and portable analyzer for collecting and focusing dispersed gas-phase ions from a reagent source at atmospheric or intermediate pressure, having a remote source of reagent ions generated by direct or alternating currents, separated from a low-field sample ionization region by a stratified array of elements, each element populated with a plurality of openings, wherein DC potentials are applied to each element necessary for transferring reagent ions from the remote source into the low-field sample ionization region where the reagent ions react with neutral and/or ionic sample forming ionic species. The resulting ionic species are then introduced into the vacuum system of a mass spectrometer or ion mobility spectrometer. Embodiments of this invention are methods and devices for improving sensitivity of mass spectrometry when gas and liquid chromatographic separation techniques or probes containing samples are coupled to atmospheric and intermediate pressure photo-ionization, chemical ionization, and thermospray ionization sources.