Fixed Geometry Ambient Ionisation Source Unit

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ambient ionisation techniques require laborious manual optimisation and setup, leading to variability in results and reduced acceptance due to the need for user-adjustment of components, which can negate the time saved by avoiding sample preparation steps.

Innovation Solution

An ambient ionisation source unit with a fixed geometry, integrating the first device and sampling inlet within a housing, reducing the need for manual optimisation and ensuring reproducibility by pre-determining optimal positions based on calibration, allowing for easy installation and replacement on ion analysis instruments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual optimisation and setup of components is performed, then the performance can be optimised, but the time required and user variability increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveperformance reproducibilityVSAvoidsetup time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The positions of the first device and sampling inlet are pre-determined and fixed relative to the housing based on prior calibration experiments to establish substantially optimal geometry. This preliminary action eliminates the need for manual optimisation during use, reducing setup time while maintaining performance reproducibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If components are made adjustable for optimisation, then performance can be improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveperformance optimisationVSAvoiduser setup requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The first device and sampling inlet are merged into a single integrated source unit with fixed relative positions. This combination eliminates the need for separate adjustment of multiple components, simplifying operation while maintaining optimised performance through pre-determined geometry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If fixed geometry is used, then ease of operation improves, but adaptability worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesetup simplicityVSAvoidgeometric flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The fixed geometry source unit is designed to be universally applicable to the ion analysis instrument interface. The housing contains all necessary components with pre-optimised positions, making the unit adaptable to different analysis scenarios without requiring geometric adjustments, thus achieving both simplicity and versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11195709B2Ambient ionisation source unit
Publication Date: 2021.12.07 MICROMASS UK LTD
  • US11195709B2 patent drawing
  • US11195709B2 patent drawing
  • US11195709B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An ambient ionisation source unit (10) is provided comprising: a housing (12) containing a first device (14) for generating analyte material from a surface of a sample to be analysed and a sampling inlet (16) for receiving analyte material liberated from the surface of the sample. The position(s) of the first device and/or sampling inlet is (are) fixed relative to the housing. Thus, the first device and the sampling inlet are integrated into a single unit that can be installed onto the front-end of an ion analysis instrument with minimal or reduced user interaction.