Capillary tube assembly for mass spectrometer and mass spectrometer

Abstract

The utility model relates to a capillary tube assembly used for a mass spectrometer and the mass spectrometer, and the capillary tube assembly comprises a main body which is provided with a tubular channel extending in the axial direction; the outlet end part is connected with the main body, so that the tubular passage of the outlet end part is in aligned communication with the tubular passage of the main body, and the main body can axially move between a first position and a second position relative to the outlet end part; the elastic sealing element is arranged between the main body and the outlet end part and is provided with an opening which is closed under pressure, and the opening is communicated with the tubular passage of the main body and the outlet end part in an aligned manner; and a capillary removably mounted in the tubular passage of the body and the outlet end member and disposed through the opening of the resilient seal, the opening of the resilient seal remaining open when the body is in a first position relative to the outlet end member and the opening of the resilient seal remaining closed when the body is in a second position relative to the outlet end member. The opening of the resilient seal is closed to form an axial seal between the body and the outlet end member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of mass spectrometers, and in particular to a capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer and a mass spectrometer having the capillary assembly. Background Art

[0002] Capillary injection is a common injection method in mass spectrometry analysis. It injects sample from atmospheric pressure to the vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer through a capillary, thereby achieving a smooth transition between atmospheric pressure and vacuum state during the injection process.

[0003] However, during the injection process, the inner wall of the capillary tube becomes contaminated and accumulates dirt. Therefore, the capillary tube in the mass spectrometer requires regular maintenance, including cleaning the inner wall and replacing the entire capillary tube if cleaning is not possible.

[0004] During maintenance, the capillary tube must be removed from the mass spectrometer. During this time, the mass spectrometer must be shut down and the vacuum must be released. Once the capillary tube maintenance is complete, the mass spectrometer must be restarted to re-establish the vacuum. This long-term maintenance not only shortens the life of the relevant components but also, in most cases, requires recalibration (tuning) of the instrument. These operations undoubtedly affect the instrument's continuous operation efficiency and increase user usage and maintenance costs.

[0005] Another solution is to install a "vacuum lock" device on the mass spectrometer to maintain the vacuum state inside the mass spectrometer after the capillary tube is removed from the mass spectrometer. However, this type of mass spectrometer with a vacuum lock device is complex in structure and relatively expensive.

[0006] In addition, the outer diameter of the existing capillary used for mass spectrometer injection exceeds 5mm and the manufacturing process is complex. At the same time, its cleaning process is quite complicated and time-consuming, and the replacement cost when the cleaning is ineffective is very high. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer, which does not require vacuum release during maintenance and does not require the use of an additional vacuum lock device with a complex structure.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a capillary tube assembly is proposed, comprising: a main body having an axially extending tubular passage; an outlet end component, the outlet end component having a tubular passage and being connected to the main body so that the tubular passage of the outlet end component is aligned and communicated with the tubular passage of the main body, wherein the main body is capable of axially moving between a first position and a second position relative to the outlet end component; an elastic seal, the elastic seal being arranged between the main body and the outlet end component and having a pressure-closed opening, the opening being aligned and communicated with the tubular passage of the main body and the outlet end component; and a capillary tube, the capillary tube being removably mounted in the tubular passage of the main body and the outlet end component and being arranged through the opening of the elastic seal, wherein when the main body is in the first position relative to the outlet end component, the opening of the elastic seal remains open, and when the main body is in the second position relative to the outlet end component, the opening of the elastic seal is closed and an axial seal is formed between the main body and the outlet end component.

[0009] On the one hand, when maintenance of the capillary tube assembly is required, the main body can be moved away from the outlet end component to reach the first position, so that the opening of the elastic seal remains open. At this time, the capillary tube in the capillary tube assembly can be moved through the opening of the elastic seal to remove the capillary tube from the capillary tube assembly.

[0010] On the other hand, during the process of removing the capillary, especially when the capillary is just moved out of the opening of the elastic sealing ring, the main body can be manipulated to move close to the outlet end component to reach the second position, thereby closing the opening of the elastic seal and forming an axial seal between the main body and the outlet end component. At this time, even if the capillary is completely removed, the vacuum state in the mass spectrometer can be maintained.

[0011] Therefore, during maintenance of the capillary assembly or replacement of the capillary in the capillary assembly, the vacuum environment in the mass spectrometer is sealed by the structure of the capillary assembly itself.

[0012] Preferably, the outlet end component is connected to the main body via threads, and the main body and the outlet end component achieve axial movement through relative rotation.

[0013] In one embodiment, one of the main body and the outlet end component is provided with a first externally threaded segment extending axially outward at its end, and the first externally threaded segment is provided with external threads; the other of the main body and the outlet end component is provided with a first internally threaded segment extending axially inward at its end, and the first internally threaded segment is provided with internal threads corresponding to the external threads of the first externally threaded segment. Preferably, a groove for accommodating the elastic seal is provided at the end of the first externally threaded segment or at the bottom of the first internally threaded segment. More preferably, the depth of the groove is less than the height of the elastic seal.

[0014] Preferably, the main body and the outlet end member are tubular and have the same maximum outer diameter, and the tubular passages of the main body and the outlet end member have the same inner diameter. This facilitates smooth insertion of the capillary tube assembly into the mass spectrometer, as well as the capillary tubes into the tubular passages of the main body and the outlet end member. Furthermore, existing capillaries also have a consistent outer diameter, allowing the capillary tube assembly of the present invention to achieve consistent dimensions with existing capillaries, allowing it to seamlessly replace existing capillaries without requiring modifications to conventional mass spectrometers.

[0015] Preferably, the outlet end member is provided with an ion outlet and a tapered tapered portion at an end remote from the main body, and the outer diameter of the capillary tube is smaller than the inner diameter of the main body and the tubular passage of the outlet end member, but larger than the inner diameter of the ion outlet. Thus, the capillary tube can be inserted into the tubular passage of the main body and the outlet end member until it reaches the tapered tapered portion.

[0016] Preferably, the main body and the outlet end component are provided with a guide portion for guiding the capillary tube on the inlet side of the capillary tube, so as to facilitate smooth insertion of the capillary tube.

[0017] Preferably, the outlet end component is fixed in the mass spectrometer, thereby enabling axial movement between the main body and the outlet end component to be achieved by simply operating the main body.

[0018] Preferably, the main body includes a middle section made of an insulating material and end sections located at both ends and made of a metal material, wherein the middle section and the end sections are connected in a manner that prevents relative rotation. More preferably, the middle section is provided with bosses at both ends, and the end sections are provided with recesses at the ends facing the middle section for accommodating the bosses, wherein the bosses and recesses are fixedly connected by bonding or interference fit.

[0019] Preferably, the capillary tube assembly further comprises an inlet end component having a tubular passage and connected to an end of the main body away from the outlet end component such that the tubular passage of the inlet end component is aligned and communicated with the tubular passage of the main body.

[0020] In one embodiment, one of the main body and the inlet end component is provided with a second external thread segment extending axially outward at the end portion, and the second external thread segment is provided with an external thread; the other of the main body and the inlet end component is provided with a second internal thread segment extending axially inward at the end portion, and the second internal thread segment is provided with an internal thread corresponding to the external thread of the second external thread segment.

[0021] Preferably, the inlet end component is provided with an ion inlet and a tapered tapered portion at an end away from the main body, and the outer diameter of the capillary is smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular passage of the inlet end component but larger than the inner diameter of the ion inlet.

[0022] Preferably, the inlet end component is provided with a guide portion for guiding the capillary tube on an end surface of the second external thread section.

[0023] Preferably, the capillary is a flexible quartz capillary with an outer diameter not exceeding 2.5 mm. Flexible quartz capillaries are suitable for mass production and are inexpensive to manufacture. They also offer excellent dimensional accuracy within this size range. Therefore, the cost of replacing such a capillary is significantly lower than replacing existing capillaries, as well as the cleaning costs of existing capillaries. Furthermore, the time-consuming and labor-intensive cleaning process is unnecessary. Therefore, simply replacing such a capillary for maintenance offers both cost and efficiency advantages.

[0024] Preferably, a mark is provided on the capillary tube, and the mark is used to indicate that the capillary tube is completely moved out of the opening of the elastic sealing member.

[0025] Preferably, the elastic sealing member is an O-ring made of an elastomeric material.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, a mass spectrometer is proposed, which has the above-mentioned capillary assembly, wherein one end of the main body of the capillary assembly is connected to the atmospheric pressure environment outside the mass spectrometer, and the other end of the main body is connected to the vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer via the outlet end component.

[0027] Preferably, the capillary tube assembly is inserted into the mass spectrometer through an opening of the mass spectrometer, and the outlet end component is locked in a rotational direction about the main axis of the capillary tube assembly by a fixture of the mass spectrometer. A sealing ring used in a conventional mass spectrometer can be used as such a fixture, so that the capillary tube assembly can seamlessly replace an existing capillary tube under the conditions of a conventional mass spectrometer without requiring modification to the conventional mass spectrometer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] To better understand the above and other objects, features, advantages, and functions of the present invention, reference may be made to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals in the accompanying drawings refer to like components. Those skilled in the art should understand that the accompanying drawings are intended to schematically illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The components in the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of a capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 2a Shown Figure 1 A front view of the elastic seal of the capillary assembly;

[0031] Figure 2b Shown Figure 1 a side view of an elastomeric seal of a capillary assembly;

[0032] Figures 3 to 6 Shown from Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the different stages of capillary removal from the capillary assembly;

[0033] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of a capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to the present invention is shown;

[0034] Figure 8 Shown Figure 7 A detailed view of a middle section of the body of the capillary assembly;

[0035] Figure 9 Shown Figure 7 a detailed illustration of a first end section of the body of the capillary tube assembly;

[0036] Figure 10 Shown Figure 7 a detailed illustration of a second end section of the body of the capillary tube assembly;

[0037] Figure 11 Shown Figure 1 and Figure 7 A detailed illustration of the outlet end components of the capillary assembly in FIG. 1 ; and

[0038] Figure 12 Shown Figure 1 and Figure 7 Detailed illustration of the inlet end components of the capillary assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Now, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. What is described here is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can conceive of other ways to implement the present invention based on the preferred embodiment, and the other ways also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a capillary tube assembly 100 for a mass spectrometer 200 according to the present invention is shown. The capillary tube assembly 100 is inserted into the mass spectrometer 200 through an opening 210 and secured by a fastener 220. Fastener 220 can be, for example, a sealing ring used in conventional mass spectrometers. By utilizing existing components in conventional mass spectrometers for fastening, the capillary tube assembly 100 can seamlessly replace existing capillaries in conventional mass spectrometers without requiring any modifications to the instrument.

[0041] In this embodiment, the capillary assembly 100 includes a main body 110, an outlet end component 120, an inlet end component 130, an elastic seal 140 and a capillary 150, wherein the main body 110 is connected to the outlet end component 120 at one end close to the vacuum environment of the mass spectrometer 200, and is connected to the inlet end component 130 at the other end close to the atmospheric environment.

[0042] The main body 110, outlet end member 120, and inlet end member 130 are all generally tubular and have axially extending tubular passages 111, 121, and 131, respectively. The main body 110 and outlet end member 120 have the same maximum outer diameter, while the inlet end member 130 has an outer diameter slightly larger than the maximum outer diameters of the main body 110 and outlet end member 120. The tubular passages 111, 121, and 131 have the same inner diameter. The tubular passage 111 of the main body 110 is aligned and communicates with the tubular passage 121 of the outlet end member 120 and the tubular passage 131 of the inlet end member 130. An elastic seal 140 is disposed between the main body 110 and the outlet end member 120 and has a pressure-closed opening 142 that is aligned and communicates with the tubular passages 111 and 121 of the main body 110 and outlet end member 120. The capillary tube 150 is arranged in the tubular passages 111 , 121 , 131 of the body 110 , the outlet end piece 120 , and the inlet end piece 130 while passing through the opening 142 of the elastic seal 140 .

[0043] The capillary is preferably made of an elastic quartz capillary with an outer diameter of no more than 2.5 mm. This material has good economical properties, is suitable for mass production, has very low replacement costs, and has excellent dimensional accuracy.

[0044] Figure 2a and Figure 2b Shown Figure 1Detailed view of the elastic seal 140 of the capillary assembly 100 in FIG. As can be seen from the figure, the elastic seal 140 is constructed as an O-ring with a wire diameter of d, an outer diameter of D, and an inner diameter (i.e., the diameter of the opening 142) of s. Preferably, the inner diameter s is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the capillary 150. The elastic seal 140 is deformed when subjected to a compressive force in the axial direction, so that the opening 142 is closed and a sealing structure is formed. After the compressive force in the axial direction is removed, the elastic seal 140 returns to its original size. Therefore, the elastic seal 140 is preferably made of an elastomeric material, such as perfluororubber. In addition to the O-ring, the elastic seal 140 can also be constructed as a seal of other shapes. Preferably, the opening 142 is arranged centrally on the elastic seal 140 so that when the elastic seal 140 is under pressure, the deformation generated at the opening 142 can be more uniform, thereby obtaining a good sealing effect.

[0045] Figures 3 to 6 Shown from Figure 1 Schematic diagram of various stages of removing the capillary from the capillary assembly in FIG, wherein the body 110 can be positioned relative to the outlet end member 120 as shown in FIG. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The first position shown is similar to Figure 1 、 Figure 3 and Figure 6 The outlet end member 120 is axially movable between the second position shown. In this embodiment, the main body 110 and the outlet end member 120 are threadedly connected, and thus the axial movement is achieved through relative rotation of the main body 110. This axial movement can also be achieved by other means, such as by sliding the main body 110 on the outlet end member 120. Preferably, the outlet end member 120 can be fixed in the mass spectrometer 200, so that this axial movement can be achieved by simply operating the main body 110.

[0046] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment, the main body 110 is in the second position relative to the outlet end component 120. At this time, the elastic seal 140 is squeezed in the axial direction by the main body 110 and the outlet end component 120, so that the material of the elastic seal 140 moves inward at the opening 142 and thus clings to the outer wall of the capillary tube 150, thereby forming an axial seal between the main body 110 and the outlet end component 120. At the same time, the capillary tube 150 is also locked in place by the elastic seal 140.

[0047] exist Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the inlet end piece 130 is removed from the body 110 so that the capillary tube 150 can be accessed and operated. In some embodiments, the inlet end piece 130 can be omitted.

[0048] Then, the main body 110 can be rotated at the operating portion 170 of the main body 110 using a tool such as a wrench, so that the main body 110 moves axially relative to the outlet end component 120 and reaches Figure 4 Here, it is particularly preferred that the fixing element 220 is arranged in contact with the outlet end component 120 in the capillary assembly 100 so that the fixing element 220 can prevent the outlet end component 120 from rotating about the main axis L. The rotation of the outlet end component 120 about the main axis L can also be limited by other rotation locking elements (such as pins) or a form-fit connection between the outlet end component 120 and the mass spectrometer 200.

[0049] exist Figure 4 In the embodiment of the present invention, the main body 110 is in the first position relative to the outlet end member 120. At this time, a local gap 180 exists between the main body 110 and the outlet end member 120. Therefore, the elastic seal 140 has sufficient space between the main body 110 and the outlet end member 120 to completely remove the axial compressive force on the elastic seal 140 and restore its original size. Therefore, the locking of the capillary tube 150 by the elastic seal 140 is released.

[0050] exist Figure 5 In the embodiment, the unlocked capillary tube 150 is partially removed, wherein the capillary tube 150 may optionally have a mark 152, which can indicate that the capillary tube 150 is completely removed from the opening 142 of the elastic seal 140. In other words, as the capillary tube 150 is removed, when the mark 152 is just visible, it means that the capillary tube 150 is just completely removed from the opening 142 of the elastic seal 140.

[0051] When the capillary tube 150 is just completely moved out of the opening 142 of the elastic seal 140, the main body 110 is rotated again at the operating portion 170 of the main body 110 using a tool such as a wrench, so that the main body 110 moves axially relative to the outlet end component 120 and reaches Figure 6 Position shown.

[0052] exist Figure 6 In the present embodiment, the main body 110 is again in the second position relative to the outlet end component 120. At this time, the elastic seal 140 is squeezed in the axial direction by the main body 110 and the outlet end component 120, causing the material of the elastic seal 140 to move inward at the opening 142 and eventually adhere to each other, thereby completely closing the opening 142 and forming an axial seal between the main body 110 and the outlet end component 120. In this way, even if the capillary tube 150 is continuously removed until it is completely removed from the main body 110, the vacuum environment within the mass spectrometer 200 will not be destroyed.

[0053] During the installation of the capillary tube 150 , the reverse steps are followed.

[0054] First, with the main body 110 in the second position, the capillary tube 150 is inserted into the main body 110 until it abuts the elastic seal 140, which has closed the opening 142, or until the capillary tube 150 is close to the opening 142 of the elastic seal 140, as indicated by the marking 152 on the capillary tube 150. Then, the main body 110 is moved away from the outlet end component 120 to the first position. The capillary tube 150 is further inserted until it is firmly seated, specifically until it cannot be inserted any further. Finally, the main body 110 is moved back to the second position, closer to the outlet end component 120, and the capillary tube 150 is locked.

[0055] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a capillary tube assembly for a mass spectrometer according to the present invention is shown. Unlike the first embodiment, the body 110 in this embodiment is divided into three sections: a middle section 112, a first end section 114, and a second end section 116. The middle section 112 is connected to the first end section 114 at the end closest to the vacuum environment and to the second end section 116 at the end closest to the atmospheric environment.

[0056] The middle section 112 is preferably made of an insulating material, for example glass, plastic, or ceramic, particularly preferably zirconium oxide ceramic.

[0057] The first end section 114 and the second end section 116 are preferably made of a metallic conductive material, such as stainless steel. This not only provides excellent processing performance for manufacturing connection structures, such as threads, with the outlet end component 120 and the inlet end component 130, but also allows a voltage to be applied to both ends of the body 110, namely, the first end section 114 and the second end section 116, to drive ions from the inlet end to the outlet end.

[0058] Preferably, the middle section 112 is connected to the first end section 114 and the second end section 116 in a rotationally fixed manner, for example, by means of an interference fit or adhesive bonding.

[0059] Figure 8 A detailed view of the middle section 112 of the main body 110 is shown, wherein the middle section 112 includes a body 1121 having a maximum outer diameter, bosses 1122 and 1123 extending axially outward from both ends of the body 1121, and a pipe 1124 extending axially through the middle section 112. Bosses 1122 and 1123 can be configured as cylindrical or polygonal prisms, such as triangular, quadrangular, or hexagonal prisms. The engagement of the polygonal bosses 1122 and 1123 with correspondingly shaped recesses can advantageously achieve the aforementioned non-rotatable connection.

[0060] Figure 9 A detailed view of the first end section 114 of the main body 110 is shown. First end section 114 comprises a body 1141 having a maximum outer diameter, a first externally threaded section 1142 extending axially outward from one end of body 1141, a recessed portion 1143 extending axially inward from the other end of body 1141, and a conduit 1144 extending axially through first end section 114. A groove 1145 is provided on the end surface of first externally threaded section 1142 of first end section 114 for accommodating elastic seal 140. The depth h of groove 1145 is preferably less than the height (i.e., the wire diameter d) of elastic seal 140. First externally threaded section 1142 of first end section 114 is preferably cylindrical and has external threads on its outer circumference for connection to outlet end member 120. Recessed portion 1143 of first end section 114 is configured to accommodate and connect to one of bosses 1122 and 1123 of intermediate section 112.

[0061] Figure 10 A detailed view of the second end section 116 of the main body 110 is shown. The second end section 116 comprises a body 1161 having a maximum outer diameter, a second internally threaded section 1162 and a recess 1163 extending axially inward from both ends of the body 1161, and a conduit 1164 extending axially through the second end section 116. The second internally threaded section 1162 is preferably configured as a cylindrical cavity with internal threads provided on its inner wall for connection to the inlet end member 130. The second internally threaded section 1162 also has a guide portion 166 with a gradually decreasing diameter on its end surface. This guide portion 166 is used to guide the capillary tube 150 into the conduit 1164 of the second end section 116 when installing it. A tool-operating handle 170 is also provided on the outer wall of one side of the second internally threaded section 1162. This handle 170 can be configured as two opposing parallel surfaces to facilitate operation with a wrench. When the capillary assembly 100 is fully inserted into the mass spectrometer 200, the manipulation portion 170 is exposed outside the opening 210 of the mass spectrometer 200. The recess 1163 of the second end section 116 is used to receive and connect the other of the bosses 1122 and 1123 of the middle section 112.

[0062] Preferably, the three segments 112, 114, and 116 have the same maximum outer diameter and minimum inner diameter. Therefore, after the three segments 112, 114, and 116 are connected to form the main body 110, the tubular passage 111 of the main body 110, which is composed of the pipes 1124, 1144, and 1164 of the three segments 112, 114, and 116, has a uniform inner diameter, thereby ensuring smooth installation of the capillary tube 150 in the main body 110. Furthermore, the uniform outer diameter of the main body 110 facilitates smooth installation of the capillary tube assembly 100 as a whole in the mass spectrometer 200.

[0063] Figure 11 A detailed view of the outlet end component 120 is shown, which can be used to Figure 1 Capillary assemblies can also be used for Figure 7 capillary assembly. The outlet end component 120 can be made of a metallic conductive material. The outlet end component 120 includes a body 1201 having a maximum outer diameter, a shaping portion 1202 extending axially outward from one end of the body 1201, and a first internal thread segment 1203 extending axially inward from the other end of the body 1201. The body 1201 preferably has an outer diameter consistent with that of the main body 110 to facilitate smooth installation of the capillary assembly 100 as a whole in the mass spectrometer 200. The shaping portion 1202 has a specific configuration for forming an electric field that drives ions into a vacuum environment. Optionally, the shaping portion 1202 can be constructed according to the end shape of the outlet end of an existing capillary. The first internal thread segment 1203 is provided with an internal thread on the inner wall that cooperates with the external thread of the first external thread segment 1142 of the first end section 114. A tapered guide portion 164 is provided at the bottom of the first internally threaded section 1203 to guide the capillary tube 150 into the tubular passage 121 of the outlet end component 120 when the capillary tube 150 is installed. At the end away from the main body 110, the inner diameter of the tubular passage 121 gradually decreases, ultimately forming an ion outlet 1204 and a tapered tapered portion 1205 between the tubular passage 121 and the ion outlet 1204. Once installed, the capillary tube 150 abuts against the tapered tapered portion 1205.

[0064] Figure 12 A detailed view of the inlet end component 130 is shown, which can be used to Figure 1 Capillary assemblies can also be used for Figure 7capillary assembly. The inlet end component 130 can be made of a metallic conductive material. The inlet end component 130 includes a main body 1301 having a maximum outer diameter, a shaped portion 1302 extending axially outward from one end of the main body 1301, and a second external thread segment 1303 extending axially outward from the other end of the main body 1301. The main body 1301 preferably has an outer diameter slightly larger than that of the main body 110 to facilitate manual separation of the inlet end component 130 from the main body 110. The shaped portion 1302 has a specific configuration for forming an electric field that drives ions into the capillary assembly 100. Optionally, the shaped portion 1302 can be constructed according to the end shape of the inlet end of an existing capillary. The second external thread segment 1303 is provided with an external thread on the outer wall that matches the internal thread of the second internal thread segment 1162 of the second end section 116. A tapered guide portion 168 is provided at the end of the second externally threaded section 1303 to guide the capillary tube 150 into the tubular passage 131 of the inlet end member 130 when the inlet end member 130 is installed after the capillary tube 150 is installed. At the end away from the body 110, the inner diameter of the tubular passage 131 gradually decreases, ultimately forming an ion inlet 1304 and a tapered portion 1305 between the tubular passage 131 and the ion inlet 1304. After the inlet end member 130 is installed, the tapered portion 1305 further restricts the outward movement of the capillary tube 150.

[0065] In this embodiment, by setting the outer dimensions of each component accordingly, the outer dimensions of the entire capillary assembly 100 can be set to be consistent with the outer dimensions of the existing capillary, thereby achieving seamless replacement of the existing capillary.

[0066] In other embodiments, the positions of the complementary bosses and recesses or the internal and external threaded sections can be interchanged as needed. In addition, the groove 1145 for accommodating the elastic seal 140, which is provided on the end surface of the first externally threaded section 1142 of the first end section 114, can also be provided at the bottom of the first internally threaded section 1203 of the outlet end component 120.

[0067] The above description of various embodiments of the present invention is provided for the purpose of description to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. It is not intended to exclude or limit the present invention to a single disclosed embodiment. As described above, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand the various alternatives and variations of the present invention. Therefore, although some alternative embodiments are specifically described, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand or relatively easily develop other embodiments. The present invention is intended to include all alternatives, modifications and variations of the present invention described herein, as well as other embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention described above.

[0068] Description of reference numerals:

[0069] 100 capillary tube assemblies

[0070] 110 main body

[0071] 111 tubular passage of the main body

[0072] 112 middle section

[0073] 1121 The body of the middle section

[0074] 1122 Boss in the middle section

[0075] 1123 Boss in the middle section

[0076] 1124 The middle section of the channel

[0077] 114 first end section

[0078] 1141 Body of the first end section

[0079] 1142 first external thread segment

[0080] 1143 Recess of first end section

[0081] 1144 Channel of the first end section

[0082] 1145 groove

[0083] 116 second end section

[0084] 1161 Body of the second end section

[0085] 1162 Second internal thread segment

[0086] 1163 Recess of the second end section

[0087] 1164 Channel of the second end section

[0088] 120 outlet end components

[0089] 1201 Body of outlet end component

[0090] 1202 Moulding of outlet end components

[0091] 1203 First internal thread section

[0092] 1204 Ion Outlet

[0093] 1205 tapered portion of the outlet end component

[0094] 121 Tubular passage of outlet end component

[0095] 130 inlet end components

[0096] 1301 Body of the inlet end component

[0097] 1302 Moulding of inlet end components

[0098] 1303 Second external thread segment

[0099] 1304 Ion Inlet

[0100] 1305 Conical tapered portion of the inlet end component

[0101] 131 Tubular passage of inlet end component

[0102] 140 elastic seal

[0103] 142 opening of elastic seal

[0104] 150 capillary

[0105] 152 Mark

[0106] 164 Guidance Department

[0107] 166 Guidance Department

[0108] 168 Guidance Department

[0109] 170 control unit

[0110] 180 local clearance

[0111] 200 mass spectrometer

[0112] 210 Mass spectrometer opening

[0113] 220 fixings

[0114] L Main axis

[0115] Outer diameter of DO ring

[0116] d O-ring wire diameter

[0117] s O-ring inner diameter

[0118] h Groove height

Claims

1. A capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer, characterized in that: The capillary assembly comprises: a main body having an axially extending tubular passage; an outlet end piece having a tubular passageway and connected to the main body such that the tubular passageway of the outlet end piece is aligned and in communication with the tubular passageway of the main body, wherein the main body is axially movable relative to the outlet end piece between a first position and a second position; an elastic seal disposed between the main body and the outlet end piece and having a pressure-closed opening aligned and communicating with the tubular passages of the main body and the outlet end piece; and a capillary tube removably mounted in the tubular passages of the body and the outlet end piece and disposed through the opening of the elastomeric seal, When the main body is in the first position relative to the outlet end component, the opening of the elastic seal remains open, and when the main body is in the second position relative to the outlet end component, the opening of the elastic seal closes and forms an axial seal between the main body and the outlet end component.

2. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein The outlet end component is connected to the main body via threads, and the main body and the outlet end component achieve axial movement through relative rotation.

3. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 2, wherein: One of the main body and the outlet end piece is provided with a first external thread section extending axially outward at an end portion, wherein the first external thread section is provided with external threads; The other of the main body and the outlet end piece is provided at an end portion with a first internal thread section extending axially inwardly, the first internal thread section being provided with an internal thread corresponding to the external thread of the first external thread section.

4. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 3, wherein: The first external thread segment is provided at its end or the first internal thread segment is provided at its bottom with a groove for accommodating the elastic seal.

5. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 4, wherein: The depth of the groove is smaller than the height of the elastic sealing member.

6. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein The main body and the outlet end piece are in the shape of circular tubes and have equal maximum outer diameters, and the tubular passages of the main body and the outlet end piece have equal inner diameters.

7. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein The outlet end component is provided with an ion outlet and a tapered tapered portion at one end away from the main body. The outer diameter of the capillary is smaller than the inner diameters of the main body and the tubular passage of the outlet end component but larger than the inner diameter of the ion outlet.

8. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein: The main body and the outlet end member are provided with a guide portion for guiding the capillary tube on an inlet side of the capillary tube.

9. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein: The outlet end piece is fixed in the mass spectrometer.

10. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein The main body includes a middle section made of an insulating material and end sections located at both ends and made of a metal material. The middle section and the end sections are connected in a non-rotatable manner.

11. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 10, wherein: The middle section is provided with bosses at both ends, and the end section is provided with a recess for accommodating the boss at one end facing the middle section. The boss and the recess are fixedly connected by bonding or interference fit.

12. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein The capillary tube assembly further includes an inlet end component having a tubular passage and connected to an end of the main body away from the outlet end component such that the tubular passage of the inlet end component is aligned and communicated with the tubular passage of the main body.

13. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 12, wherein: One of the main body and the inlet end piece is provided with a second external thread segment extending axially outward at an end portion, the second external thread segment being provided with external threads; The other of the main body and the inlet end piece is provided at an end portion with a second internal thread section extending axially inwardly, the second internal thread section being provided with an internal thread corresponding to the external thread of the second external thread section.

14. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 12, wherein: The inlet end component is provided with an ion inlet and a tapered tapered portion at one end away from the main body. The outer diameter of the capillary is smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular passage of the inlet end component but larger than the inner diameter of the ion inlet.

15. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 13, wherein: The inlet end component is provided with a guide portion for guiding the capillary tube on an end surface of the second external thread section.

16. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein The capillary is an elastic quartz capillary with an outer diameter not exceeding 2.5 mm.

17. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein A mark is provided on the capillary tube, and the mark is used to indicate that the capillary tube is completely moved out of the opening of the elastic sealing member.

18. The capillary assembly for a mass spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein The elastic sealing member is an O-ring made of an elastomeric material.

19. A mass spectrometer, characterized in that The mass spectrometer has a capillary assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein one end of the body of the capillary assembly is connected to the atmospheric pressure environment outside the mass spectrometer, and the other end of the body is connected to the vacuum environment inside the mass spectrometer via an outlet end component.

20. The mass spectrometer according to claim 19, wherein The capillary tube assembly is inserted into the mass spectrometer through an opening of the mass spectrometer, and the outlet end component is locked by a fixing member of the mass spectrometer in a direction of rotation about a main axis of the capillary tube assembly.

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