Patent ID: 8716675
Filing Date: 2014-05-06
Classification: B05B,H01J

Abstract:
1. An alternating current electrospray mass spectrometry device comprising: an electrospray device having at least one emitter providing a passageway for transmission of an analyte sample; at least one conductive element in electrical communication with the at least one emitter; a source for generating an alternating current electric field coupled to the at least one emitter, wherein the electric field forms a liquid cone at a tip of the at least one emitter and ionizes the analyte sample present in the liquid cone, and wherein further, the frequency of the electric field is greater than the inverse of a charge relaxation time of the ionized analyte sample thereby entraining low mobility ions in the liquid cone, wherein the alternating current electric field causes the emitter to discharge the liquid cone as a liquid aerosol drop; and a mass spectrometry device fluidly coupled to the electrospray device to receive the produced liquid aerosol drop and analyze the ionized analyte sample to determine the composition of the analyte sample.