SOCIEDAD EUROPEA DE ANALISIS DIFERENCIAL DE MOVILIDAD Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20140339416 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO IMPROVE THE SEPARATION CAPACITY IN A SEQUENCE OF ION FILTERS INCORPORATING AT LEAST TWO ION MOBILITY ANALYZERS - A method and an apparatus are described to improve the separation capacity of an ion analyzer incorporating at least two stages of ion mobility analysis. The new invention utilizes possible use of different mixtures of gases and dopants in each stage, control over different concentrations of gases and dopants in each stage, and allowance of passage of the selected ions from one stage to the next while avoiding the mixing of the gases and dopants among stages. The new invention also includes a method to reduce the time required to identify the physical properties in a set of ion filters where at least one of the filters is a scannable ion mobility analyzer. The present invention also includes how to provide a set of scannable ion mobility analyzers operating in series, wherein each stage can be operated as a filter, or allowing for the passage of all ions. | 11-20-2014 |
20120325024 | Method for Detecting Atmospheric Vapors at Parts per Quadrillion (PPQ) Concentrations - Improvements are provided in the detection of atmospheric vapors by ionizing them near ambient pressure, and analyzing them as ions. Lowest detection limits of parts per quadrillion (ppq) concentrations are enabled by a combination of improvements, including the use of a filter to remove occasional intense signal from explosive particles. Several sources of chemical background are identified and solutions for their reduction or elimination are presented. Gains in response time may be achieved by operating at elevated temperature. When the ionizer is an electrospray source, the use of high boiling point solvents is indicated. An increased selectivity is achieved by operating a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) in series with a mass spectrometer. However, ppq sensitivities require various improvements in the DMA system including a special coupling to the ionizer, controlling the temperature in the DMA pump circuit, avoidance of induction on the DMA electrodes from heating devices, etc. | 12-27-2012 |
20110313306 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING STRESS LEVELS OR SUDDEN CHANGES OF HUMOR IN HUMANS OR OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN REAL TIME BY MEANS OF VAPOR ANALYSIS - A method is described to perform on-line detection of stress levels or changes in humor of individuals. The approach is particularly advantageous because analysis can be performed in real time or, at least, comprising a delay shorter than 30 s, and because it is non-invasive and non-degrading; and actually the individual under study do not need to be aware of being studied. More specifically, the present invention is based on the analysis of lactic acid and other volatiles concentrations in the vapors released by the individual (through the skin and the breath). The inventors have proved that said concentrations respond nearly instantaneously when the individual is subjected to a sudden stressful stimulus. | 12-22-2011 |
20110057096 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO ACCURATELY DISCRIMINATE GAS PHASE IONS WITH SEVERAL FILTERING DEVICES IN TANDEM - A method for fast and accurate recognition of species contained in trace amounts in complex mixtures such as ambient air or biological fluids is taught based on the use in tandem of one or several differential mobility analyzers (DMAs) and possibly also a mass spectrometer (MS), all arranged in series. The two DMAs operate in different regions of the ion drag versus drift velocity curve (for instance, linear versus nonlinear regions), hence separating according to more than one independently discriminating parameters of the ion. Very high discrimination can be achieved even with a single stage of mass spectrometric separation by selecting a narrow range of ions with the DMA, and analyzing them in the MS, first without fragmentation, and then with fragmentation. This process does not require necessarily a tandem MS when fragmentation takes place in the inlet region of the MS. Fast and accurate discrimination is possible in single ion monitoring mode (SIM) for a large number of targeted species, even with relatively inexpensive and light single quadrupole MS systems, where the various filters placed in series would open pre-configured narrow windows suitable for passage of each ion in a list. | 03-10-2011 |
20110049356 | Use Ion Guides With Electrodes of Small Dimensions to Concentrate Small Charged Species in a Gas at Relatively High Pressure - The present invention is based on the observation that radio frequency (RF) electric fields in multi-pole lenses with small rod diameters in the range of 1 mm enables strongly concentrating ions suspended in a gas at pressures much higher than previously used for ion manipulation, including atmospheric pressure. Other lens configurations are described, including one based on the funnels of U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,628, and another on the coiled wire system of Hutchins et al. (1999). The finding provides a method to increase the concentration of ions transmitted to mass spectrometers and other analyzers, both from volatile or involatile species in solution, hence increasing their analytical sensitivity. It also enables improved charging efficiencies of neutral volatile species existing in the gas phase. | 03-03-2011 |
20100243883 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PRODUCE STEADY BEAMS OF MOBILITY SELECTED IONS VIA TIME-DEPENDENT ELECTRIC FIELDS - A method is described to select ions based on their electrical mobility. Ions are subjected to at least one full cycle of a time-dependent electric field. Ions are separated in space, and a continuous flow of filtered ions with a narrow range of selected mobility ions is produced at the outlet of the device, as in Differential Mobility Analyzers (DMAs). Yet, no high fluid velocity field is required, avoiding limitations associated in DMAs to flow unsteadiness, compressibility and turbulent transition. Instead, separation relies on the use of time-dependent ion trajectories generated by the time-dependent electric fields. Unlike FAIMS, full separation according to the mobility takes place within one or a few characteristic times for field variation, rather than via many tiny separation steps over many periods of field variation producing separation according to the mobility non-linearities in the mobility. Unlike conventional pulsating ion mobility spectrometry, a steady ion flow is produced with high duty cycle. Different embodiments of the apparatus using the method of the present invention are also described comprising different geometrical configurations and different time-dependent electric profiles, each of them having specific advantages. In a first configuration proposed, a rotary electric field is combined with an axial steady field achieving high resolution and a continuous output throughout all the selected and undesired ions. In a second two-dimensional configuration, an oscillating field is combined with a perpendicular steady field. Much higher sample flow rates can be achieved, though the undesired ions will periodically be transferred. Configurations using more than one stage allow minimizing the undesired pulsed signal of non selected ions. In all those configurations, the trajectories of ions are time dependent and the selected ions are subjected to at least one full cycle of the variable electric field. Separation is based on synchronizing the period of the field with the flight time of an ion from an inlet to an outlet for a particular electrical mobility. | 09-30-2010 |