US 11,841,297 B2
Laser ablation sampling system and method
Vilmos Kertesz, Oak Ridge, TN (US); Bernadeta R. Srijanto, Knoxville, TN (US); Charles P. Collier, Knoxville, TN (US); and John F. Cahill, Knoxville, TN (US)
Assigned to UT-BATTELLE, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Filed by UT-Battelle, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Filed on Oct. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/514,304.
Application 17/514,304 is a division of application No. 16/797,712, filed on Feb. 21, 2020, granted, now 11,181,446.
Prior Publication US 2022/0099536 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. G01N 1/04 (2006.01); G01N 1/38 (2006.01); H01J 49/16 (2006.01); H01J 49/04 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 1/04 (2013.01) [G01N 1/38 (2013.01); H01J 49/0463 (2013.01); H01J 49/164 (2013.01); G01N 2001/045 (2013.01); G01N 2001/383 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for sampling a solid sample material, comprising:
a support for retaining a layer of the sample having an outer sample surface opposite to the support;
a dry process applicator for applying a layer of a surface treatment composition onto the outer sample surface of the sample layer, wherein the surface treatment composition layer is between 10 nm and 10 μm thick;
a surface treatment composition source for supplying to the dry process applicator the surface treatment composition, the surface treatment composition being impermeable to the sample;
a solvent supply conduit for supplying a solvent to the sample and the surface treatment composition;
a solvent source for supplying the solvent to the solvent supply conduit, the solvent being a weak solvent for the surface treatment composition, and that does not dissolve the surface treatment composition in less than 10 seconds;
a solvent exhaust conduit for removing solvent and ablated sample from the sample surface;
a laser source for directing a laser beam to the sample layer and the surface treatment composition layer, wherein the laser beam will ablate the sample and the surface treatment composition in portions intersected by the laser beam, and ablated sample material will be transported with the solvent through the solvent exhaust conduit; and,
further comprising a processor for controlling the position of the support relative to the solvent supply conduit and the laser source.