Patent ID: 8294091

Claim:
A device for placing one or more analyte molecules in a vacuum region of a mass spectrometer comprising: a housing having at least one wall, said wall defining a chamber and having at least one outlet port, at least one gas inlet, at least a sample port, and at least one corona pin port, said sample port constructed and arranged to receive a gas chromatographic column, said gas chromatographic column for placing said analyte molecules in said chamber, said gas inlet constructed and arranged to be placed in fluid communication with a source of an inert gas for placing said inert gas into said chamber; said outlet port constructed and arranged to be received on or about an opening of a vacuum region of a mass spectrometer within an atmospheric pressure region of an atmospheric pressure ionization housing to form a substantially closed vessel comprising said at least one wall and in fluid communication with the vacuum region, said chamber having a volume of 0.5 to 5.0 cc when said outlet port is received on or about said opening of said vacuum region, said at least one corona pin port constructed and arranged for receiving a corona discharge pin for discharging electrons and placing a charge on analyte molecules; said analyte molecules receiving said charge as said analyte molecules leave said gas chromatographic column, are circulated around said chamber by said gas introduced in said gas inlet and received in said opening of said vacuum region for mass analysis.