Wireless High-Voltage Isolation in Portable Mass Spectrometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
The development of a portable mass spectrometer is hindered by the need for high voltages that pose safety risks to users and the complexity of isolating high- and low-voltage components, which is exacerbated by the use of bulky opto-isolators prone to failure.
Innovation Solution
A voltage controller arrangement using wireless communication between high-voltage control circuits with different ground planes, eliminating opto-isolators and enabling safe, compact, and portable mass spectrometry systems by using radio-frequency communicators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If opto-isolators are used to isolate high- and low-voltage components, then safety is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes opto-isolators from the system entirely, extracting the isolation function to be replaced by wireless communication between high-voltage and low-voltage control circuits. This eliminates the harmful complexity and size associated with opto-isolators while maintaining safety through electromagnetic coupling without physical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical isolation system (opto-isolators) with an electromagnetic field-based wireless communication system. High-voltage and low-voltage circuits communicate through radio frequency signals without physical connections, substituting a simpler electromagnetic field interaction for complex optical isolation components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If opto-isolators are used to isolate high- and low-voltage components, then safety is improved, but the system size increases limiting portability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the bulky opto-isolator components from the system, replacing them with integrated wireless communication circuits that occupy minimal space. This enables the mass spectrometer to be made portable while maintaining safety through connectionless communication between high-voltage and low-voltage control circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes physical optical isolation components with electromagnetic field-based wireless communication, eliminating the need for bulky discrete opto-isolator components. This substitution dramatically reduces system volume while maintaining the safety isolation function through RF communication between differently-grounded control circuits.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If more connections are provided on high-voltage boards for diagnostics, then diagnostic capability is improved, but failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical wired connections with wireless RF communication for all diagnostics and control functions. The high-voltage control circuit communicates with the low-voltage control circuit and external interfaces through wireless signals, eliminating the need for numerous physical connections on high-voltage boards while maintaining full diagnostic capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless communication interface serves multiple functions simultaneously: control signal transmission, diagnostic data exchange, and system monitoring. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate dedicated connections for each diagnostic function, reducing the total number of connections required on high-voltage boards.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances safety and reduces system size and complexity, allowing for a portable mass spectrometer with improved reliability and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
an interface circuit providing communication therebetween by communication between the radiofrequency communication means and the first and second high-voltage radiofrequency communicators
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A mass spectrometer system (10) is provided in which the voltage controller (12) can have separate first and second high-voltage control circuits (34, 40) which are physically disconnected from and at different ground planes to one another. Communication between the first and second high-voltage control circuits (34, 40) is enabled via an interface circuit (30) and one or more wireless, preferably radio- frequency, communicators (38, 44, 46, 48).