Patent ID: 7586092
Filing Date: 2009-09-08
Classification: G01N,H01J

Abstract:
1. A method for the non-contact detection and analysis of an analyte material comprising: passing a first gas through an electrical discharge to produce a stream of charged and energetic species; mixing said first gas, now containing charged and energetic gas species, with a second gas, said second gas having at least one component with an ionization potential less than that of said charged and energetic gas species to thereby produce reactant ions of said second gas in a mixed gas stream; directing ions contained in the mixed gas stream to form a beam within said gas stream to form a directed gas stream and directing said directed gas stream and ion beam onto an analyte material, at least some of said analyte material having an ionization potential less than those of said reactant ions, to thereby analyze analyte molecules and to form analyte ions; and collecting at least a portion of the gas containing analyte ions, and passing the collected portion into a sensor to thereby detect and identify the analyte material.