Patent ID: 7005632
Filing Date: 2006-02-28
Classification: G01N,H01J

Abstract:
1. A Differential Mobility Spectrometer method for identifying chemical species in a sample, including the steps of: a) providing a DMS filter field, said filter field being adjustable to a plurality of DMS filter operating conditions, said DMS filter operating conditions being characterized as influencing mobility behavior of ion species in said field, b) processing an ionized sample in said filter field at a first set of said operating conditions, said ionized sample including at least one ion species, said processing being based upon aspects of mobility behavior of said at least one ion species in said first set of operating conditions, c) detecting a spectral peak associated with said at least one ion species and said first set of operating conditions, d) provisionally identifying said at least one ion species based upon said detection and said association and by reference to a store of detection data, e) changing said operating conditions of said filter into a second set of operating conditions based upon said provisional identification and predicting the effect of such change upon said provisionally identified at least one ion species measured in terms of change in at least one characteristic of said spectral peak, f) detecting again said spectral peak associated with said at least one ion species at said second set of operating conditions and confirming said predicted effect, g) based upon said first detection and said confirmation, verifying said provisional identification of said detected at least one ion species for identifying said at least one ion species.