초록 ▼

An apparatus for use in atmospheric pressure ionization includes a sample receiving chamber, a sample droplet source communicating with the sample receiving chamber, an outlet conduit, and a boundary. The outlet conduit defines a sampling orifice that communicates with the sample receiving chamber.

An apparatus for use in atmospheric pressure ionization includes a sample receiving chamber, a sample droplet source communicating with the sample receiving chamber, an outlet conduit, and a boundary. The outlet conduit defines a sampling orifice that communicates with the sample receiving chamber. The boundary is interposed between the sample receiving chamber and the sampling orifice and comprises an opening. The opening defines a first passage through which a drying gas is flowable into the sample receiving chamber in an elongated flow profile, and a second passage through which sample material is flowable from the sample receiving chamber toward the sampling orifice. The first passage is positioned in non-coaxial relation to the second passage. The first passage is configured to introduce the elongated flow profile of the drying gas into a pathway of droplets of the sample material flowing toward the second passage.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for use in atmospheric pressure ionization, comprising: a sample receiving chamber; a sample droplet source communicating with the sample receiving chamber; an outlet conduit defining a sampling orifice communicating with the sample receiving chamber; and a bound

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for use in atmospheric pressure ionization, comprising: a sample receiving chamber; a sample droplet source communicating with the sample receiving chamber; an outlet conduit defining a sampling orifice communicating with the sample receiving chamber; and a boundary interposed between the sample receiving chamber and the sampling orifice and comprising an opening, the opening defining a first passage through which a drying gas is flowable into the sample receiving chamber in an elongated flow profile and a second passage through which sample material is flowable from the sample receiving chamber toward the sampling orifice in generally counterflow relation to the drying gas, the first passage positioned in non-coaxial relation to the second passage. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a housing enclosing an interior, wherein the sampling orifice provides fluid communication between the chamber and the interior. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a drying gas exit orifice positioned on the same side of the boundary as the sampling orifice. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening comprises a single aperture with the first and second passages. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the opening defining the first passage is elongated in at least one dimension. 6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the opening comprises a first section including the first passage and a second section including the second passage, the first section is elongated in at least a first dimension, and the second section adjoins the first section. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first section comprises a cross-section tapering along at least a portion of the first dimension. 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening comprises at least a first aperture and a separate second aperture, the first aperture defining the first passage and the second aperture defining the second passage. 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first aperture is elongated in at least a first dimension relative to the second aperture. 10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening comprises a plurality of separate apertures, one of the apertures defines the second passage, and the other apertures define the first passage. 11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the boundary comprises a louver defining at least a portion of the opening. 12. An apparatus for use in atmospheric pressure ionization, comprising: a sample receiving chamber; a sample droplet source communicating with the sample receiving chamber; an outlet conduit defining a sampling orifice communicating with the sample receiving chamber; and means for directing a flow of drying gas into the chamber according to an elongated flow profile and in a non-coaxial, generally counterflow relation to a flow of droplets from the sample droplet source. 13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the directing means comprises a boundary interposed between the chamber and the sampling orifice, and the boundary includes an opening through which the drying gas is directed. 14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the opening defines a first passage through which the drying gas is directed and a second passage through which ions from the droplets are admitted, and the first passage is positioned in non-coaxial relation to the second passage. 15. A method for evaporating droplets of sample material in an atmospheric pressure ionization apparatus, comprising: admitting sample material into a chamber as a sample droplet stream; directing the sample droplet stream toward an opening and a sampling orifice, wherein the chamber and sampling orifice are positioned at opposite sides of the opening and the sampling orifice leads away from the chamber; and while directing the sample droplet stream, admitting a flow of drying gas through the opening and into the chamber in a non-coaxial, generally counterflow relation to the sample droplet stream and according to an elongated flow profile, whereby the elongated flow profile presents an elongated area in which droplets of the sample droplet stream contact the drying gas for enhancing evaporation of the droplets prior to entry of sample material into the sampling orifice. 16. The method according to claim 15, comprising establishing the elongated flow profile by admitting the flow of drying gas through a portion of the opening that is elongated in at least one direction. 17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the opening comprises a plurality of apertures, directing the sample droplet stream toward the opening comprises directing the sample droplet stream toward at least one of the apertures, and admitting the flow of drying gas into the chamber comprises admitting the flow of drying gas through at least one other aperture. 18. The method according to claim 17, comprising establishing the elongated flow profile by admitting the flow of drying gas through the at least one aperture of the opening that is elongated in at least one direction.