Focused acoustic radiation, referred to as tonebursts, are applied to a volume of liquid to generate a set of droplets. In one embodiment, a first toneburst is applied to temporarily raise a mound or protuberance on a free surface of the fluid. After the mound has reached a certain state, at least two additional toneburst can be applied to the protuberance to sequentially eject multiple bursts of multiple droplets. In one embodiment, the state of the mound can be maintained by a sustained acoustic signal, during which time multiple additional tonebursts can be applied to sequentially eject multiple bursts of multiple droplets from the mound.

A sample introduction system providing variable online dilution of a sample is described. In one or more implementations, a device includes a spectrometry analysis system that employs example techniques in accordance with the present disclosure includes an inline dilution environment, including a first valve assembly configured to prepare a sample by accepting at least one of the sample, a diluent, a carrier, or an internal standard, where the first valve assembly includes a first sample loop; and a second valve assembly configured to prepare the sample by accepting the sample from the first valve assembly, where the second valve assembly is coupled to the first valve assembly, and where the second valve assembly includes a second sample loop.

A mass spectrometry device includes a sample seating part including an ultrasonic vibrator having a through hole through which liquid particles formed by the ultrasonic vibrator from an adsorbent material including a sample and a solvent are discharged, the adsorbent material being seated on the ultrasonic vibrator; a reaction part in which plasma or an ionization medium generated by plasma come into contact with the liquid particles discharged from the through hole to form an ionized material; an introduction part discharging and introducing the ionized material to a detection part; and the detection part analyzing the ionized material discharged from the introduction part. The mass spectrometry device and the mass spectrometry method can detect the components of various samples by converting a sample into liquid particles using ultrasonic waves and applying plasma and can detect samples in various fields without regard to locations.

A liquid sample introduction system for a plasma spectrometer includes a sample container for holding a liquid sample, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) nebulizer, arranged to receive a liquid sample from the sample container, an electronic controller for supplying electrical power to the SAW nebulizer so as to produce a surface acoustic wave on a surface of the SAW nebulizer, for generating an aerosol from the supplied sample liquid, and an aerosol transport arrangement for receiving the aerosol from the SAW nebulizer and carrying it into a plasma or flame of a spectrometer. The electronic controller is further configured to control the electrical power to the SAW nebulizer so as to permit adjustment of the aerosol parameters, and to control the aerosol transport arrangement so as to permit adjustment of the aerosol delivery into the plasma or flame of the spectrometer.

In one aspect, a method of introducing a sample into an open port interface (OPI) of a mass spectrometer is disclosed, which includes mixing the sample with a solvent in which a matrix of an aqueous phase of the sample is immiscible and in which at least a target analyte, when present in the sample, is miscible so as to extract at least a portion of the target analyte into said at least one solvent, thereby generating a multi-phase liquid having said aqueous phase and one or more organic phases, wherein at least one of those organic phases contains at least a portion of the target analyte. In some embodiments, the method further calls for ejecting a plurality of droplets from at least one of the phases of the multi-phase liquid for introduction into the OPI of the mass spectrometer.

A sample liquid atomization device according to the present invention includes: an ultrasonic sample liquid atomization unit (5) including an exciting part (3) that emits ultrasonic vibration, a vibration surface (1) to be excited by the exciting part (3), a vibration member (2) including the vibration surface (1), and a pipe (7a) that supplies a sample liquid (7) to the vibration surface (1), the ultrasonic sample liquid atomization unit (5) atomizing the sample liquid (7) supplied to the vibration surface (1) by the ultrasonic vibration of the vibration surface (1); and a first pipeline part (10) that is a tubular member. The first pipeline part (10) extends in a direction of the ultrasonic vibration of the vibration surface (1). The ultrasonic sample liquid atomization unit (5) is provided inside the first pipeline part (10) and supported by a holding member (11) in the first pipeline part (10).

Focused acoustic radiation, referred to as tonebursts, are applied to a volume of liquid to generate a set of droplets. The droplets generated are substantially smaller in scale than the focal spot size of the acoustic beam (e.g., the frequency at which the acoustic transducer operates). Further, the droplets have trajectories that are substantially in the direction of the acoustic beam propagation direction. In one embodiment, a first toneburst is applied to temporarily raise a protuberance on a free surface of the fluid. After the protuberance has reached a certain state, a second toneburst is applied to the protuberance to break it into very small droplets. In one embodiment, the state of the protuberance at which the second toneburst is supplied is the time period shortly after the protuberance reaches its maximum height but before the protuberance recedes back into the volume of fluid.

An ion source for a mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ultrasonic transducer which focuses ultrasonic energy onto a surface of a sample fluid without directly contacting the sample fluid.

A method of ionising a sample is provided, comprising providing a fluid sample, wherein the fluid sample contains an analyte, applying one or more pulses of acoustic energy to the fluid sample to cause a spray of the fluid sample to eject from the surface of the fluid sample, and applying an AC, RF or alternating voltage to the fluid sample using an electrode.

An ion source for a mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ultrasonic transducer which focuses ultrasonic energy onto a surface of a sample fluid without directly contacting the sample fluid.