Electrical isolation and thermal conditioning for high voltage electrical components

Abstract

The mass spectrometer includes at least one ion optic for influencing a trajectory of at least one ion in an ionized sample. The housing includes a plurality of walls. The power supply component is disposed within the housing for supplying power to the at least one ion optical device. The expansion member is located within the housing. The encapsulant is disposed within the housing and encapsulates the power supply component. The encapsulant is in contact with the expansion member.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application was filed on February 7, 2024 as a PCT International Application and claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 443,814 filed on February 7, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] Circuits are used to power ion optics within mass spectrometry (MS) systems. Certain high-voltage components of such circuits are often completely surrounded by an encapsulant that electrically isolates these components to prevent short circuits. The encapsulant helps regulate the thermal state of the components, thereby preventing overheating. The encapsulant is introduced into a container or housing surrounding the high-voltage components in a flowable or molten state, and then hardens or solidifies. During operation of the high-voltage components, the encapsulant expands as the temperatures generated by these components rise. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one aspect, the present technology relates to a mass spectrometer comprising: at least one ion optical device for influencing the trajectory of at least one ion in an ionized sample; a housing comprising a plurality of walls; a power supply component disposed in the housing for supplying power to the at least one ion optical device; an expansion component within the housing; and an enclosure disposed in the housing and encapsulating the power supply component, and wherein the enclosure is in contact with the expansion component. In an example, the expansion component comprises a compressible layer and a conductive layer, wherein the compressible layer is in contact with at least one of the plurality of walls, and wherein the conductive layer is disposed on a side of the compressible layer opposite the at least one wall, and wherein the enclosure is in contact with the conductive layer. In another example, at least one wall comprises a face cover of the housing. In yet another example, the housing defines a housing volume, and wherein the enclosure comprises an enclosure volume that is less than the housing volume. In yet another example, a portion of the housing and an exposed surface of the enclosure at least partially define a void volume, and wherein the housing comprises a removable access cover adjacent to the void volume.

[0005] In another example of the above aspect, the removable access cover defines an exhaust port. In an example, the housing defines a package inlet. In another example, the compressible layer comprises at least one of a bladder, a bellows, foam, and beads. In yet another example, the expansion member is secured to at least two of the plurality of walls. In yet another example, the expansion member is secured to at least one of the walls via a conductive layer.

[0006] In another example of the above aspect, the exposed surfaces of the housing and the enclosure at least partially define a void volume, and wherein the expansion member extends into the void volume. In an example, the conductive layer includes a metal foil.

[0007] In another aspect, the present technology relates to a method of encapsulating at least a portion of a power supply circuit for a mass spectrometer, the method comprising: at least partially disposing a plurality of housing walls around the portion of the power supply circuit, wherein the plurality of housing walls at least partially define a housing volume; securing an expansion component to at least one of the plurality of housing walls; and at least partially filling the housing volume with an enclosure to an enclosure volume that is less than the housing volume, wherein the expansion component is disposed between the enclosure and at least one of the plurality of housing walls. In one example, at least one of the plurality of housing walls comprises a face cap secured to a plurality of peripheral walls of the plurality of housing walls. In another example, the expansion component comprises a conductive layer for securing the expansion component to the face cap, and wherein a compressible layer of the expansion component is disposed between the conductive layer and the face cap. In yet another example, at least one of the plurality of housing walls defines an enclosure inlet, and wherein filling the housing volume with the enclosure comprises filling the housing volume through the enclosure inlet. In yet another example, the method further comprises securing an inlet cap to the plurality of housing walls, wherein the inlet cap defines an exhaust port.

[0008] In another example of the above aspect, the enclosure volume is lower than a lowermost edge of the inlet cover. In an example, the expansion member protrudes from the enclosure volume. In another example, the method further includes securing at least one housing wall having the expansion member secured thereto to the plurality of housing walls. In yet another example, the compressible layer comprises at least one of an airbag, a bellows, foam, and beads. In yet another example, the conductive layer comprises metal foil.

[0009] In another aspect, the present technology relates to a method of manufacturing a power supply, the method comprising: securing an expansion member to at least one wall of a power supply housing that defines a housing volume; and at least partially filling the power supply housing with an encapsulant, wherein the encapsulant contacts the expansion member. In one example, securing the expansion member to the at least one wall of the power supply housing comprises adhering a compressible layer of the expansion member to the at least one wall. In another example, securing the expansion member to the at least one wall of the power supply housing comprises adhering a conductive layer of the expansion member to the at least one wall. In yet another example, the compressible layer of the expansion member is positioned against the at least one wall and biases a conductive portion of the expansion member against the encapsulant.

[0010] In another aspect, the present technology relates to a method for powering at least one ion optical device of a mass spectrometer, the method comprising powering a power supply of the at least one ion optical device, wherein the power supply comprises at least one power supply component disposed in a package, and biasing a conductive layer of an expansion component of the package against the package. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a mass spectrometry system.

[0012] Figure 2A mass spectrometer is depicted in which at least one quadrupole can be controlled to eject ions in a desired sequence.

[0013] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an electrical component rack for an MS system.

[0014] Figure 4A Depicts Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the front view of the high voltage isolation housing of the electrical component rack.

[0015] Figure 4B Depicts Figure 3 A side cutaway view of the high voltage isolation enclosure of an electrical component rack.

[0016] Figure 5 Depicts Figure 4A and Figure 4B An expansion component used in a high voltage isolation housing and a part of a power supply housing.

[0017] Figure 6 A method of manufacturing a power supply is described.

[0018] Figure 7 A method of packaging at least a portion of a power supply circuit for a mass spectrometer is described.

[0019] Figure 8 A method of powering at least one ion optical device of a mass spectrometer is described.

[0020] Figure 9 A block diagram of a computing device is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The technology described herein improves the stability of high voltage power supplies, such as for mass spectrometry (MS) systems. In an example, an expansion component comprising a compressible layer and a conductive layer is fixed to at least one wall of a housing surrounding certain high voltage components of a circuit. This allows the package to expand when exposed to the elevated temperature generated by the high voltage components. By allowing the package to expand, the technology described herein reduces the drift of component parameters (such as resistance) caused by the mechanical stress caused by the package expansion. One of its benefits is the improvement of power supply stability. In addition, the layered construction of the expansion component (such as using a conductive layer and a compressible layer) enables the conductive layer to act as an electrostatic shield, thereby reducing or preventing high voltage discharges in any gaps that may exist in the compressible layer (such as, for example, as commonly present in compressible foams).

[0022] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of an example system combining acoustic droplet ejection (ADE) with an open port interface (OPI) sampling interface and an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. In the example shown, the system 100 is operable to perform, for example, mass spectrometry analysis. Figure 1 The system 100 includes a sampling system 104, an MS 130, and a computing system 103.

[0023] In various aspects, the sampling system 104 can include at least one of a sample source 112 (such as a reservoir or microplate), a sample processor 105, a capture probe 107, an XY microplate stage 115, an ejector 120, and a plate handler 125. The sample source 112 and the sample processor 105 are operable to acquire a sample set from the sample source 112 and deliver the acquired set to a capture location associated with the sample capture probe 107. The system 100 can be operated to independently capture a selected one of a plurality of samples at a capture location (e.g., capture probe 107), to optionally dilute the sample, and to transfer the captured sample to the MS 130 for mass analysis. In some examples, the sample source 112 can include a microplate set in a storage housing and / or liquid for addition to the microplate 135. The sample source 112 can include portions of a liquid handling system that manipulate and / or eject liquid into the microplate 135. The sample processor 105 includes one or more electromechanical devices (e.g., robots, conveyors, racks, etc.) that can transfer samples (e.g., microplates) from the sample source 112 to other components of the sampling system 104 and / or other components such as the ejector 120 and / or capture probes 107. As an example, the sample processor 105 can transfer a sample microplate 135 to the ejector 120 or the plate handler 125.

[0024] In various aspects, the ejector 120 is operable to eject droplets of sample 145 from the wells of the microwell plate 135. The droplets or sample are typically 1 to 15 nanoliters in size. The ejector 120 can be any type of suitable ejector, such as an acoustic ejector, a pneumatic ejector, or another type of non-contact ejector. In an example, a plate handler 125 receives the microwell plate 135 from the sample handler 105. The plate handler 125 transports the microwell plate 135 to a capture position that can be aligned with the capture probe 107. Once in the capture position, the ejector 120 ejects droplets 145 from one or more wells of the microwell plate 135. The plate handler 125 can include one or more electromechanical devices, such as a translation stage 115, which translates the microwell plate 135 in the XY plane to align the wells of the microwell plate 135 with the ejector 120 and / or the capture probe 107.

[0025] In various aspects, the MS 130 includes at least one of an ion source (e.g., an ionization source) 114, a mass analyzer 127, an ion detector 129, and a collision cell 160. The MS 130 can operate by using the ion source(s) or the generator(s) 114 to generate sample ions for a sample introduced into the MS 130. The collision cell 160 can be operated to fragment the precursor ions generated by the ion source 114 to generate product ions (fragment ions) derived from the precursor ions. In various examples, the mass analyzer 127 can precede the collision cell. The MS 130 also filters and detects selected ions of interest from the sample ions using the mass analyzer 127 and the ion detector 129. The mass analyzer 127 can be operated to analyze the sample ions and generate a mass spectral data set including all ion current signals from the sample ions.

[0026] In some aspects, the MS 130 is operable to perform tandem mass spectrometry using a collision cell 160. The collision cell 160 may further include a fragmentation module 170 operable to apply energy to selected precursor ions and to cause the selected precursor ions to undergo fragmentation and produce product ions. The fragmentation module 170 may include at least one of collision-induced dissociation (CID), surface-induced dissociation (SID), electron capture dissociation (ECD), electron transfer dissociation (ETD), metastable atom bombardment, photofragmentation, or a combination thereof.

[0027] Those skilled in the art will appreciate in light of the teachings herein that mass analyzer 127 can have various configurations. Generally, mass analyzer 127 is operable to process (e.g., filter, sort, dissociate, detect, etc.) sample ions generated by ion source 114. As non-limiting examples, mass analyzer 127 can be a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, or any other mass analyzer known in the art and modified in light of the teachings herein. Examples of specific mass analyzers include, for example, Figure 2 A time-of-flight mass analyzer is shown.

[0028] In various aspects, computing system 103 may include computing device 109, controller 180, and data processing system 190 as described above. Controller 180 may take the form of an electronic signal processor and be in electronic communication with other subsystems within system 100. Controller 180 may be operable to coordinate some or all of the operations of a number of various components of system 100. In one example, controller 180 may be a controller for mass spectrometer 127 and may serve as the primary controller for controlling components other than those housed within mass spectrometer 127. Thus, controller 180 may be considered a master or central controller that coordinates or communicates with other controllers in order to perform the operations discussed herein in a more efficient manner.

[0029] In various aspects, the data processing system 190 may include various components and modules that are operable to process mass spectrometry data and provide real-time feedback to users and other subsystems. In some examples, the data processing system 190 also includes an analyte identification module 195. The analyte identification module 195 may be operable to perform library searches and predict the identity of the components of the target analyte in the test sample, optionally by using a trained machine learning algorithm. In various examples, the computing system 103 may be similar to the following regarding Figure 9 Computing device 900 is described in more detail.

[0030] In operation, the sampling system 104 (including the sample source 112 and the sample processor 105) can repeatedly deliver independent samples from multiple sample sources (e.g., droplets from the wells of the microplate 135) to the capture probe 107. The capture probe 107 can dilute each delivered sample and transport each delivered sample to the MS 130 arranged downstream of the capture probe 107 to ionize the diluted sample. The mass analyzer 127 can receive the generated ions from the ion source 114 and / or the collision cell 160 for mass analysis. The mass analyzer 127 is operable to selectively separate ions of interest from the generated ions received from the ion source 114 and deliver the ions of interest to the ion detector 129 that generates a mass spectrometer signal indicating the detected ions, which is sent to the computing system 103. In some aspects, the separated ions of interest can be indicated in the analysis instructions associated with the sample. In some aspects, the separated ions of interest can be indicated in the analysis instructions identified by a label physically associated with the multiple samples.

[0031] The system 100 may include, for example, a commercial computer in operable communication with a controller of the MS130 and the capture probe 107, which may include, for example, a SCIEX OS computer available from SCIEX. The SCIEX OS computer includes a control controller for the capture probe 107, such as represented by the SCIEX open port interface software, and a controller for the MS130 that may be a SCIEX OS computer. The controller of the MS130 and the capture probe 107 may further be in operable communication with the ejector 120 and the XY microplate stage 115, which may be, for example, a droplet ejector with an embedded computer or processor. For the purposes of this disclosure, these distributed controller components may be considered as a system controller as a whole, and depending on the configuration, as is the case here, may be centralized or distributed. For example, a controller or one of the controller components may send a signal to the other controllers to control the corresponding device.

[0032] Figure 2A specific type of mass spectrometer 200 is depicted, comprising an ion optical system including an ion guide 230, a quadrupole mass analyzer 240, a collision cell 250 (e.g., a fragmentation module), and a time-of-flight (ToF) mass analyzer 260. The mass spectrometer 200 is enabled to transmit an ion beam from an ion source 220 to the ToF mass analyzer 260. In some embodiments, the mass spectrometer 200 may also include a processor 285 for controlling the operation of the mass spectrometer 200, including, but not limited to, controlling the ion source 220 to ionize ionizable material and controlling the transfer of ions between modules of the mass spectrometer 200. In operation, ionizable material is introduced into the ion source 220. The ion source 220 typically ionizes the ionizable material to produce ions 290 in the form of an ion beam, which are transferred to ion optics, which influence the trajectory of the ions 290. The ions are first transferred to the ion guide 230 (also designated as Q0, indicating that the ion guide 230 does not participate in mass analysis). Ions 290 are transferred from the ion guide 230 to a quadrupole mass analyzer 240 (also designated as Q1), which can be used as a mass filter. The filtered or unfiltered ions then enter the collision cell 250 (also designated as q2), which, as described below, can be controlled to eject ions 291 in a desired order. In some embodiments, the ions 291 can fragment in the collision cell 250. It should be understood that the collision cell 250 can include any suitable multipole, including but not limited to a quadrupole, a hexapole, and an octopole. In some embodiments, the collision cell 250 includes a quadrupole, mechanically similar to the quadrupole mass analyzer 240. The ions 291 are then transferred to a ToF analyzer 260 to produce a mass spectrum. In doing so, the ions 291 travel along a path 297 through the ToF mass analyzer 260 and strike a suitable detector surface 298, with the flight time spent on the path 297 being proportional to the square root of the mass-to-charge ratio of the ion.

[0033] In addition, although not shown, the mass spectrometer 200 can include any suitable number of vacuum pumps to provide a suitable vacuum in the ion source 220, the ion guide 230, the quadrupole mass analyzer 240, the collision cell 250, and / or the ToF mass analyzer 260. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, a vacuum differential can be created between certain elements of the mass spectrometer 200: for example, a vacuum differential is typically applied between the ion source 220 and the ion guide 230, such that the ion source 220 is at atmospheric pressure and the ion guide 230 is at a vacuum. Although also not shown, the mass spectrometer 200 can also include any suitable number of connectors, power supplies, RF (radio frequency) power supplies, DC (direct current) power supplies, gas sources (e.g., for the ion source 220 and / or the collision cell 250), and any other suitable components for enabling operation of the mass spectrometer 200.

[0034] Specifically, the mass spectrometer 200 includes a power supply 299 for coupling RF and AC signals to power the quadrupoles in the mass spectrometer 200, and specifically for powering the ion optics, including the ion guide 230, the quadrupole mass analyzer 240 (Q1), and the collision cell 250 (Q2). In addition, the power supply 299 can power the ToF mass analyzer 260, which can have multiple ion optical components, including, for example, one or more ion guides, accelerators, and reflectrons. The power supply 299 enables the quadrupoles, such as the collision cell 250, to be controlled to eject ions 291 in a desired order: for example, in order of m / z ratio, with the heaviest ions (i.e., ions with a high m / z ratio) ejected first and the lightest ions (i.e., ions with a low m / z ratio) ejected last. In the illustrated embodiment, the power supply 299 is connected to the collision cell 250 so that the fragmented ions are ejected in order of m / z ratio and so that the fragmented ions arrive at the ToF mass analyzer 260 substantially simultaneously. The power supply 299 can be Figure 3-4B Configured as further described in .

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an electrical module rack 300 for an MS system, which may include Figure 2 The power supply 299 shown in FIG. The rack 300 may include a housing 302 including a plurality of walls 304 (in Figure 3 , two side walls 302a, an upper wall 302b, and a bottom wall 302c are depicted. The side walls 302 at least partially define the interior volume 304 of the electrical component rack 300. One or more facing walls may also be used to enclose the interior volume 304. The facing walls are not depicted to allow for the display of other components within the interior volume 304. In examples, a single facing wall may be secured to multiple walls 302 to enclose the interior volume 304. In other examples, a first facing wall may extend from and be secured to the lower portions of the bottom wall 302c and side walls 302a. The first facing wall may extend upwardly to near line 306. A second facing wall may be secured to the upper portions of the upper wall 302b and side walls 302a. The second facing wall may be adjacent to the first facing wall, for example, near line 306.

[0036] The interior volume 304 may contain a plurality of electrical components 308 and a high voltage component isolation housing 310 that substantially surrounds a plurality of high voltage power components (in the embodiment of FIG. Figure 4A-4B ). Any of the electrical components 308, the high voltage component housing 310 (or the high voltage components disposed therein) may be secured to a printed circuit board (PCB) 311 disposed in the chassis 300. Figure 33 , the location of the PCB 311 is generally depicted within the interior volume 304 of the chassis 300. Discrete traces, chips, capacitors, and other components are not shown, but it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the electrical components 308, the high-voltage housing 310, and the components located within the high-voltage housing 310 can be directly secured to the PCB 311. The high-voltage component housing 310 includes a removable face cover 312 and a removable access cover 314. The high-voltage component housing 310 can define an exhaust port 316, which in this example is formed in the access cover 314. Other features of the high-voltage component housing 310 include one or more heating elements 318 and a temperature sensor 320. The high-voltage component housing 310 also defines an enclosure inlet 322, which in this example can be an opening in a wall of the housing 310 through which electrical connections pass. Other electrical connections 324 can penetrate various walls of the chassis 300 (such as the bottom wall 302c), and these penetrations can be sealed. Various locations for the inlet and exhaust are contemplated, with the inlet typically being located lower on the various components of the housing 310 and the exhaust typically being located higher on the housing 310 .

[0037] Line 306 also defines the level at which the rack 300 is filled with enclosure to isolate the desired high-voltage components of the power circuit and other components. As shown by arrow 326, enclosure is introduced into the rack 300. In the example, enclosure can be introduced 326 through an opening in the upper wall 302b of the rack 300 until a level is reached that is roughly the same as line 306. This results in a filled volume 328 and an unfilled volume 330. When enclosure is introduced 326 into the interior volume 304 of the rack 300, the flowing enclosure enters the high-voltage component housing 310, for example, via enclosure inlet 322. Air present in the interior volume of the high-voltage component housing 310 flows out from exhaust port 316. Thus, the interior volume of the high-voltage component housing 310 is also filled with enclosure.

[0038] Figure 4A Depicts Figure 3 A front view of a high voltage component isolation housing 310 of an electrical component rack is shown. Figure 4B A side cross-sectional view of the high voltage component isolation housing 310 is depicted. For clarity, Figure 4A and Figure 4B are described together, and some components are not shown in both figures. Figure 4A In FIG. 3 , the removable cover 312 is not depicted so that certain high voltage components 350 can be seen. The high voltage components 350 are mounted to the top of the Figure 3The PCB 311 is described in the context of FIG. The high voltage component isolation housing 310 includes a plurality of walls 352, wherein the lowest wall defines the enclosure entrance 322. In an example, some of the walls 352 may surround or substantially surround portions of the PCB 311. Figure 4A and Figure 4B Both depict a removable inlet cover 314 that defines an exhaust port 316. The various walls (e.g., wall 352 and wall 361) and covers 312, 314 together at least partially define a housing volume 354 that is at least partially filled with an enclosure 356, as described in more detail below.

[0039] To accommodate thermal expansion of the enclosure 356 disposed within the housing volume 354, an expansion member 358 is disposed in contact with at least one of the lid 312 or the wall 352. The expansion member 358 includes a compressible layer 360 and a conductive layer 362. The compressible layer 360 accommodates expansion of the enclosure 356 due to heat from the high-voltage components 350 during operation of the associated mass spectrometer's ion optics. Furthermore, heat is generated by a heater component that stabilizes the housing's temperature; thus, the housing acts as an oven to achieve temperature stabilization to prevent drift. In the illustrated example, the compressible layer 360 may be a compressible foam, such as an open-cell or closed-cell foam, a bladder or bellows (e.g., a closed bag of material with air or other gas disposed therein—such material may appear similar to so-called "bubble wrap" packaging material), a plurality of air-filled plastic beads, or a similar compressible material (generally compressible due to the presence of the bag of air or other gas). To avoid corona discharge in any air that may be present in the compressible layer 360, a conductive layer 362 is provided between the encapsulation 356 and the compressible layer 360, which in the illustrated example is the face cover 312. The conductive layer is electrically connected and maintained at a potential that minimizes the electric field within the compressible material. The material used for the conductive layer 362 can be any conductive metal or other material, such as copper, zinc, gold, silver, or other metals. In other examples, the conductive layer and the compressible layer can be in the form of a single, integral component (e.g., foam) that has both electrical conductivity and compressibility.

[0040] Once the housing 310 (e.g., walls 352, 361 and cover 312) is assembled, the enclosure 356 may be introduced into the housing, such as Figure 3 As the enclosure 356 fills the rack, the enclosure 356 enters the housing 310 via the enclosure inlet 322, thereby introducing the enclosure 356 into the interior of the housing 310. As the housing volume 354 fills with the enclosure 356, air within the housing 310 is exhausted via the exhaust port 316. The filling process continues until the enclosure 356 reaches a fill level consistent with line 306 (as shown in FIG. Figure 3). The volume of the housing 310 below line 306 can be referred to as the enclosure volume 364, while the volume above line 306 can be referred to as the void volume 366, which in combination define the housing volume 354. In the illustrated configuration, the enclosure volume 364 is at least partially defined by portions of certain walls 352 of the housing 310 that are in contact with the enclosure 356, and by the expansion member 358, which in this example is secured to the face cover 312. Also in the illustrated configuration, the void volume 366 is at least partially defined by portions of certain walls 352 of the housing 310 that are above the upper surface of the enclosure 356 defined by line 306. Additionally, in Figure 4B , the expansion member 358 protrudes at least partially into the void volume 366. This helps ensure that the encapsulation 356 does not accidentally extend beyond the compressible layer 360.

[0041] Figure 5 A portion of the power supply housing (in this example, the face cover 312) is depicted along with the Figure 4A and Figure 4B An expansion member 358 for use in a high voltage isolation housing. As noted elsewhere herein, the expansion member 358 includes a compressible layer 360 and a conductive layer 362. In an example, a strong chemical adhesive may be provided on the exposed surface of either or both of the compressible layer 360 and the conductive layer 362 and may be used to adhere the expansion member 358 to the face cover 312. In one example, a plurality of discrete bonding areas may be present on the conductive layer 362, each area being covered by a non-adhesive film or cover. For example, the central bonding location 370 may correspond to the area where the compressible layer 360 is to be positioned. During manufacturing, the non-adhesive contact film provided thereon may be removed, the adhesive exposed, and the compressible layer 360 adhered thereto. Thereafter, the non-adhesive contact film at each of the edge areas 372a-372d may be removed to expose the adhesive, after which these edge areas 372a-372d may be secured to the face cover 312. Thereafter, the face cover 312 may be secured to the wall of the housing, as Figure 4B shown.

[0042] Figure 6 A method 400 of manufacturing a power supply, such as the power supply for a mass spectrometer discussed herein, is depicted. Figure 6 The method described in the context of can also be used to make other power supplies for other devices that require robust electrical isolation and / or thermal expansion capabilities of a circuit or portion of a circuit. Aspects of method 400 are described elsewhere herein, for example in Figure 5Method 400 begins with securing an expansion component to at least one wall of a power supply housing, operation 402. The wall may be selected based on the requirements or expectations of a specific application. Considerations associated with selecting an appropriate wall include, but are not limited to, ease of manufacture or assembly, expected direction of thermal expansion, available wall area (to achieve proper distribution of expansion forces), etc. A plurality of assembled walls define a housing having a housing volume. Securing the expansion component may be performed by adhering one or more layers of the expansion component to at least one wall. For example, operation 404 contemplates adhering a compressible layer of the expansion component to at least one wall. In another example, operation 406 contemplates adhering a conductive layer of the expansion component to at least one wall. In other examples, both layers may be adhered to at least one wall.

[0043] Examples of the present method 400 include repeating operations 402-406 for any number of walls of the housing as required or desired. Factors associated with selecting more than one wall (and the positions of the walls relative to each other) are described above in the context of operation 402. An enclosure having extremely large expansion capabilities (e.g., due to high heat generation inside the housing or enclosure material properties) can make it more desirable to use more expansion members (or expansion members with thicker compressible layers). The method 400 continues with operation 408, at least partially filling the power supply housing with the enclosure, wherein the enclosure is in contact with the expansion member. In an example, the conductive layer of the expansion member is disposed between the enclosure and the compressible layer of the expansion member. This arrangement biases the conductive layer against the enclosure.

[0044] Figure 7A method 500 for packaging at least a portion of a power supply circuit for a mass spectrometer is described. Method 500 begins with operation 502, where a plurality of housing walls are at least partially arranged around the portion of the power supply circuit. As described above, the plurality of housing walls at least partially define a housing volume. Method 500 proceeds to operation 504, where an expansion component is fixed to at least one of the housing walls. The expansion component can be configured as described herein and can include a conductive layer (such as a metal foil) and a compressible layer (such as foam). In an example, the expansion component can be fixed to a lid (or other easily accessible wall) of the plurality of walls. Thereafter, the lid that carries the expansion component can be fixed to the remaining wall, effectively or almost closing the housing and defining the housing volume (e.g., the entire internal volume of the housing). Thereafter, method 500 includes at least partially filling the housing volume with an encapsulation to an encapsulation volume. The encapsulation volume is the volume inside the housing occupied by the encapsulation, and in an example, is less than the housing volume. In other examples, the encapsulation can completely fill the housing volume, so that the encapsulation volume is the same as the housing volume. The encapsulation may be introduced into the housing interior through any available opening, but in an example, may flow into the housing interior via an encapsulation inlet in one of the plurality of walls, as contemplated by operation 508. The encapsulation is introduced in such a manner as to dispose the expansion member between the encapsulation and at least one of the plurality of housing walls.

[0045] As described herein, the use of expansion components such as those described herein improves the performance of systems utilizing high voltage power supply circuits. The expansion components allow the package to expand during operation of the high voltage power supply, thereby reducing stress on electrical components that could cause drift, thereby improving system performance. Figure 8 A method 600 for powering at least one ion optical device of a mass spectrometer is depicted. Method 600 includes, at operation 602, powering a power supply of the at least one ion optical device. The power supply may include at least one power supply component disposed within an enclosure. Accordingly, method 600 further contemplates, at operation 604, biasing a conductive layer of an enclosure expansion component against the enclosure. As indicated by dashed box 606, operations 602 and 604 are performed substantially simultaneously.

[0046] Figure 9 Describes something similar to the above Figure 11. A block diagram of a computing device of the computing system 103 discussed herein. In the example shown, the computing device 700 may include a bus 702 or other similarly functional communication mechanism for communicating information, and at least one processing element 704 (collectively, processing element 704) coupled to the bus 702 for processing information. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the processing element 704 may include multiple processing elements or cores, which may be packaged as a single processor or in a distributed arrangement. In addition, multiple virtual processing elements 704 may be included in the computing device 700 to provide, for example, control or management operations for the quality analysis system shown above.

[0047] Computing device 700 may also include one or more volatile memories 706, which may include, for example, random access memory(s) (RAM) or other dynamic memory component(s), coupled to one or more buses 702 for use by at least one processing element 704. Computing device 700 may also include one or more static non-volatile memories 708, such as read-only memories (ROM) or other static memory components, coupled to bus 702 for storing information and instructions for use by at least one processing element 704. Storage components 710, such as storage disks or memories, may be provided for storing information and instructions for use by at least one processing element 704. As will be appreciated, computing device 700 may include distributed storage components 712, such as networked disks or other storage resources available to computing device 700.

[0048] The computing device 700 can be coupled to one or more displays 714 for displaying information to a user. Optional user input device(s) 716, such as a keyboard and / or touch screen, can be coupled to the bus 702 for sending information and command selections to the at least one processing element 704. Optional cursor control or graphics input device 718, such as a mouse, trackball, or cursor direction keys, can be used to send graphical user interface information and command selections to the at least one processing element. The computing device 700 can also include input / output (I / O) components, such as serial connections, digital connections, network connections, or other I / O components, to allow for intercommunication with other computing components and, for example, various components of the mass analysis system discussed above.

[0049] In various examples, computing device 700 can be connected to one or more other computer systems via a network to form a networked system. Such a network can include, for example, one or more private networks or public networks, such as the Internet. In a networked system, one or more computer systems can store and provide data to other computer systems. One or more computer systems that store and provide data can be referred to as servers or clouds in a cloud computing scenario. For example, one or more computer systems can include one or more network servers. For example, other computer systems that send and receive data from a server or cloud can be referred to as clients or cloud devices. For example, various operations of quality analysis systems 100 and 200 can be supported by the operation of a distributed computing system.

[0050] About the above Figure 2 The computing device 209 discussed, similar to computing device 700, can be operated to control the operation of components of mass analysis system 200 and sampling system 204 through communication devices such as, for example, communication device 720, and to process data generated by components of mass analysis system 200 through data processing system 200. In some examples, analysis results are provided by computing device 700 in response to at least one processing element 704 executing instructions contained in memory 706 or 708 and performing operations on data received from mass analysis system 200. Execution of instructions contained in memory 706 and / or 708 by at least one processing element 704 can render, for example, mass analysis systems 100 and 200 and associated sample delivery components operable to perform the methods described herein.

[0051] As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to processing element 704 for execution. Such media can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as disk storage 710. Volatile media include dynamic memory, such as memory 706. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 702.

[0052] Common forms of computer-readable media or computer program products include, for example, floppy disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes or any other magnetic media, CD-ROMs, Digital Video Disks (DVDs), Blu-ray Discs, any other optical media, flash drives, memory cards, RAM, PROMs and EPROMs, FLASH-EPROMs, any other memory chips or cassettes, or any other tangible medium from which a computer can read.

[0053] Various forms of computer-readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to processing element 704 for execution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on a disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to computing device 700 can receive the data over the telephone line and use an infrared transmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal. An infrared detector coupled to bus 702 can receive the data carried in the infrared signal and place the data on bus 702. Bus 702 carries the data to memory 706, from which processing element 704 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by memory 706 and / or storage 708 may optionally be stored on storage device 710 before or after execution by processing element 704.

[0054] According to various examples, instructions for execution by a processing element to perform a method are stored on a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium can be a device for storing digital information. For example, a computer-readable medium includes a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) for storing software as known in the art. The computer-readable medium is accessed by a processor adapted to execute instructions configured to be executed.

[0055] This disclosure describes some examples of the present technology with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate only some of the possible examples. However, other aspects may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein. Rather, these examples are provided to make this disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully convey the range of possible examples to those skilled in the art.

[0056] Although specific examples are described herein, the scope of the technology is not limited to those specific examples. Those skilled in the art will recognize other examples or modifications within the scope of the technology. Therefore, specific structures, actions, or media are disclosed only as illustrative examples. Elements or components of those examples generally disclosed but not explicitly exemplified as a combination may also be combined according to the examples of the technology unless otherwise specified herein. The scope of the technology is defined by the following claims and any equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A mass spectrometer comprising: at least one ion optical device for influencing the trajectory of at least one ion in the ionized sample; a housing comprising a plurality of walls; a power supply component disposed in the housing, the power supply component being configured to supply power to the at least one ion optical device; an expansion member within the housing; as well as An encapsulator is provided in the housing and encapsulates the power supply component, and wherein the encapsulator is in contact with the expansion component.

2. A mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein the expansion component includes a compressible layer and a conductive layer, wherein the compressible layer contacts at least one wall of the plurality of walls, and wherein the conductive layer is arranged on a side of the compressible layer opposite to the at least one wall, and wherein the encapsulation contacts the conductive layer.

3. The mass spectrometer of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the at least one wall comprises a face cover of the housing.

4. The mass spectrometer of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing defines a housing volume, and wherein the enclosure comprises an enclosure volume that is smaller than the housing volume.

5. The mass spectrometer of claim 4, wherein a portion of the housing and an exposed surface of the enclosure at least partially define a void volume, and wherein the housing includes a removable access cover adjacent the void volume. The mass spectrometer of claim 5 , wherein the removable access cover defines an exhaust port.

7. A mass spectrometer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing defines an enclosure inlet.

8. The mass spectrometer of any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the compressible layer comprises at least one of a bladder, a bellows, foam, and beads.

9. The mass spectrometer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the expansion member is fixed to at least two walls of the plurality of walls.

10. The mass spectrometer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the expansion member is fixed to the at least one wall by the conductive layer.

11. The mass spectrometer of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the exposed surfaces of the housing and the enclosure at least partially define a void volume, and wherein the expansion member extends into the void volume.

12. The mass spectrometer of any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein the conductive layer comprises a metal foil.

13. A method of packaging at least a portion of a power supply circuit for a mass spectrometer, the method comprising: disposing a plurality of housing walls at least partially around the portion of the power circuit, wherein the plurality of housing walls at least partially define a housing volume; securing an expansion member to at least one of the housing walls; as well as The housing volume is at least partially filled with an encapsulation to an encapsulation volume that is smaller than the housing volume, wherein the expansion member is disposed between the encapsulation and at least one of the plurality of housing walls.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the plurality of housing walls comprises a face cap secured to a plurality of perimeter walls of the plurality of housing walls.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the expansion member includes a conductive layer for securing the expansion member to the face cover, and wherein the compressible layer of the expansion member is disposed between the conductive layer and the face cover.

16. The method of any one of claims 14 to 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of housing walls defines a packaging inlet, and wherein filling the housing volume with the packaging comprises filling the housing volume via the packaging inlet.

17. The method of any one of claims 13 to 16, further comprising securing an access cover to the plurality of housing walls, wherein the access cover defines an exhaust port.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the enclosure volume is below a lowermost edge of the access cover.

19. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the expansion member protrudes from the enclosure volume.

20. The method of any one of claims 13 to 19, further comprising securing the at least one housing wall to the plurality of housing walls, the at least one housing wall having the expansion member secured thereto.

21. The method of any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the compressible layer comprises at least one of a bladder, a bellows, a foam, and beads.

22. The method of any one of claims 13 to 21, wherein the conductive layer comprises a metal foil.

23. A method of manufacturing a power supply, the method comprising: securing an expansion member to at least one wall of a power supply housing defining a housing volume; as well as The power supply housing is at least partially filled with a potting material, wherein the potting material is in contact with the expansion member.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein securing the expansion member to the at least one wall of the power supply housing comprises adhering a compressible layer of the expansion member to the at least one wall.

25. The method of any one of claims 23 to 24, wherein securing the expansion member to the at least one wall of the power supply housing comprises adhering a conductive layer of the expansion member to the at least one wall.

26. A method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the compressive layer of the expansion member is positioned against the at least one wall and the conductive portion of the expansion member is biased against the encapsulation.

27. A method of powering at least one ion optical device of a mass spectrometer, the method comprising: A power supply for the at least one ion optical device is powered, wherein the power supply comprises at least one power supply component disposed in an enclosure, and the conductive layer of the enclosure expansion component is biased against the enclosure.

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