US 11,676,806 B2
Open port probe interfaces
Don W. Arnold, Livermore, CA (US)
Assigned to DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd., Singapore (SG)
Appl. No. 17/260,734
Filed by DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd., Singapore (SG)
PCT Filed Jul. 17, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IB2019/056124
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 15, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/016809, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/699,527, filed on Jul. 17, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0265152 A1, Aug. 26, 2021
Int. Cl. H01J 49/04 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 49/0409 (2013.01) [H01J 49/0459 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for introducing a sample to a mass spectrometer, comprising:
a chamber extending from a top end to a bottom end,
a sampling probe disposed in said chamber such that a sampling space at an open end of the sampling probe provides a liquid-air interface for receiving one or more sample analytes positioned at or in proximity of said top end of the chamber, said sampling probe having an outlet port configured to be in fluid communication with an ionization source for delivering the one or more sample analytes thereto,
a solvent inlet port coupled to said chamber for receiving a solvent and directing said solvent to said sampling space of the sampling probe,
a solvent outlet port through which a flow of the solvent is received from the sampling space of the sampling probe and is directed out of the chamber,
wherein said chamber is configured for releasable and replaceable coupling at its top end to an adapter that is configured to align an outlet port of a sample holder with said open end of the probe for introduction of a sample to the probe,
wherein said top end of the chamber comprises a mounting surface for engaging with a respective mounting surface of said adapter, thereby coupling the adapter to the chamber and wherein said chamber comprises a ridge at said top end thereof, wherein an external surface of said ridge corresponds to said mounting surface of the chamber.