Patent ID: 7460225

Claim:
A measurement device for analyzing a sample, the measurement device comprising: a) a sample introduction device configured to receive the sample, vaporize the sample to create a vaporized sample, and deliver the vaporized sample for combination with a microplasma, wherein the sample is one of a liquid, a solid, or a slurry; b) a miniaturized microplasma source device connected to the sample introduction device for receiving the vaporized sample from the sample introduction device, generating the microplasma, and combining the microplasma with the vaporized sample to generate one of sample analyte ions or sample analyte photons from the vaporized sample, the microplasma source device comprising: i) a microplasma chamber for receiving the vaporized sample; ii) a first wafer and a second wafer opposed to the first wafer; iii) microchannels located on the surface of at least one of the wafers for forming an inlet conduit, an outlet conduit and the microplasma chamber, with the inlet conduit and outlet conduit being disposed on either side of the microplasma chamber at an angle thereto; iv) entrance and exit tubes connected to the inlet and outlet conduits respectively; v) a first electrode and a second electrode opposed to the first electrode, the first and second electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the microplasma chamber; and vi) a power supply connected to the first and second opposing electrodes, wherein, in use, the power supply applies a voltage to the first and second opposed electrodes for generating the sample analyte ions or the sample analyte photons from the vaporized sample; and c) an analysis device connected to the miniaturized microplasma source device for receiving the microplasma and analyzing the microplasma by measuring the one of the sample analyte photons or the sample analyte ions generated by the microplasma.