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:
Sep. 13, 2016
Filed:
Feb. 16, 2016
Virgin Instruments Corporation, Marlborough, MA (US);
Kevin Hayden, Newton, MA (US);
Marvin L. Vestal, Framingham, MA (US);
Virgin Instruments Corporation, Marlborough, MA (US);
Abstract
A sample plate handling system for a time-of-flight mass spectrometer includes a transport chamber and a mass spectrometer chamber that is mechanically coupled to transport chamber. A vacuum chamber is coupled through a bypass valve to the transport chamber. A two-dimensional translation stage is positioned in the mass spectrometer chamber. A sample plate transporter is mounted on the two-dimensional translation stage. A first portion of the sample plate transporter is mechanically attached to the two-dimensional translation stage. A second portion of the sample plate transporter defines a sample plate receiver that is positioned in the transport chamber. A sealing orifice located between the first and the second portions connects the transport chamber and the mass spectrometer chamber. A motion of the two-dimensional translation stage in one direction aligns the sample plate transporter with the sealing orifice and a motion of the two-dimensional translation stage in the other direction moves the sealing surface of the sample plate transporter to engage the sealing orifice, thereby preventing gas flow between the mass spectrometer chamber and the transport chamber.