ac4013286_si_001.pdf (171.7 kB)
Handheld Low-Temperature Plasma Probe for Portable “Point-and-Shoot” Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry
journal contribution
posted on 2013-07-16, 00:00 authored by Joshua
S. Wiley, Jacob T. Shelley, R. Graham CooksWe
describe a handheld, wireless low-temperature plasma (LTP) ambient
ionization source and its performance on a benchtop and a miniature
mass spectrometer. The source, which is inexpensive to build and operate,
is battery-powered and utilizes miniature helium cylinders or air
as the discharge gas. Comparison of a conventional, large-scale LTP
source against the handheld LTP source, which uses less helium and
power than the large-scale version, revealed that the handheld source
had similar or slightly better analytical performance. Another advantage
of the handheld LTP source is the ability to quickly interrogate a
gaseous, liquid, or solid sample without requiring any setup time.
A small, 7.4-V Li-polymer battery is able to sustain plasma for 2
h continuously, while the miniature helium cylinder supplies gas flow
for approximately 8 continuous hours. Long-distance ion transfer was
achieved for distances up to 1 m.