A system for sampling a liquid includes a sample fluid conduit including a membrane having pores. The membrane prevents the passage of the sample liquid through the pores at a first pressure of the sample liquid in the sample fluid conduit. A surface sampling capture probe has a distal end. The capture probe includes a solvent supply conduit and a solvent exhaust conduit. A solvent composition flowing at the distal end of the capture probe establishes a liquid junction with the membrane and establishes a second pressure within the liquid junction at the membrane. The second pressure is lower than the first pressure. Sample liquid will be drawn through the pores of the membrane by the second pressure at the liquid junction. A method for sampling a liquid and for performing chemical analysis on a liquid are also disclosed.

In a general aspect, a swab sample is analyzed, for example, to test for disease. In some examples, a swab head of a swab sample is inserted through an opening into an internal reservoir of a sampling device. The sampling device includes the opening, an inlet channel, an outlet channel, and the internal reservoir. The internal reservoir is in fluid communication with the inlet channel, the outlet channel, and the opening. A liquid solvent is supplied to the swab head in the internal reservoir via the inlet channel of the sampling device. The swab head is held in the liquid solvent for a period of time to form an analyte in the internal reservoir. The analyte is extracted from the internal reservoir via the outlet channel of the sampling device. The analyte is transferred to and processed by a mass spectrometer to obtain mass spectrometry data.

Systems and methods for use in introducing samples to an analytical instrument. The systems and methods are adaptable to process either a liquid sample or a gaseous sample, including samples containing particle contaminants, for subsequent analysis using an analytical instrument.

Mass spectrometry cartridge including a base in mechanical communication with a spray substrate holder, an absorbent pad between the base and the spray substrate holder, a translatable sample well holder interposed between the spray substrate holder and a top cover, the top cover configured to house a conductive element, wherein when the translatable sample well holder is in a first position, the translatable well holder is vertically above the absorbent pad, when the translatable sample well holder is in a second position, the translatable well holder is vertically above a spray substrate are disclosed. Methods of analyzing a sample are also disclosed.

A unique fiber core sampler composition, related systems, and techniques for designing, making, and using the same are described. The sampler is used to interface with existing field instrumentation, such as Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS) equipment. Desired sampler characteristics include its: stiffness/flexibility; thermal mass and conductivity; specific heat; trace substance collection/release dependability, sensitivity and repeatability; thickness; reusability; durability; stability for thermal cleaning; and the like. In one form the sampler has a glass fiber core with a thickness less than 0.3 millimeter that is coated with a polymer including one or more of: polymeric organofluorine, polyimide, polyamide, PolyBenzlmidazole (PBI), PolyDiMethylSiloxane (PDMS), sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene (PFSA) and Poly(2,6-diphenyl-p-phenylene Oxide) (PPPO). Multiple polymer coatings with the same or different polymer types may be included, core/substrate surface functionalization utilized, and/or the core/substrate may be at partially filled with thermally conductive particles.

A mass spectrometry (MS) apparatus is provided. The MS apparatus includes a mass spectrometer, an ionization source coupled to the mass spectrometer, and a flow injection system (FIS) coupled to the ionization source. The ionization source is configured to provide an ionized gas flow of an analyte towards an entrance of the mass spectrometer. The ionization source is further configured to provide a second gas flow of a second gas. The MS apparatus is configured to measure a mass spectrometer (MS) signal of the analyte. The MS apparatus is further configured to analyze a dependency of the MS signal of the analyte versus a parameter of the second gas flow or a state of the second gas flow and to determine a condition of the apparatus based on the analyzed dependency.

Disclosed are systems and methods to provide rapid and autonomous detection of analyte particles in gas and liquid samples. Disclosed are methods and devices for identifying biological aerosol analytes using MALDI-MS and chemical aerosol analytes using LDI and MALDI-MS using time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS).

An imaging unit includes a MCP, a fluorescent body, and an imager. The MCP is provided on a flight route of an ionized sample that is a component of a sample ionized and emits electrons in accordance with the ionized sample. The fluorescent body is disposed in a subsequent stage of the MCP and emits fluorescent light in accordance with the electrons emitted from the MCP. The imager is disposed in a subsequent stage of the fluorescent body and has a shutter mechanism configured to be capable of switching an open state in which the fluorescent light is imaged by allowing the fluorescent light from the fluorescent body to pass through and a close state in which the fluorescent light is not imaged by blocking the fluorescent light from the fluorescent body. An afterglow time of the fluorescent body is 12 ns or shorter.

An isotope analysis system includes: a first liquid channel, second liquid channels, third liquid channels, fourth liquid channels connected with a heating reactor, a diverter, and a selector valve. The diverter is configured to divert liquid from the first liquid channel to the third liquid channels. The selector valve comprises a first liquid outlet and a plurality of first liquid inlets. A third liquid channel and a fourth liquid channel are assigned to each of the plurality of second liquid channels; an end of the fourth liquid channel is connected to both an end of the second liquid channel and an end of the third liquid channel; and a first liquid inlet is assigned to each of the plurality of fourth liquid channels, and another end of the fourth liquid channel is connected to the first liquid inlet.

Apparatus for laser induced ablation spectroscopy (LIBS) is disclosed. An apparatus can have a computer, a pulsed laser and a lightguide fiber bundle that is subdivided into branches. One branch can convey a first portion of the light to a first optical spectrometer and a different branch can convey a second portion of the light to another optical spectrometer. The first spectrometer can be relatively wideband to analyze a relative wide spectral segment and the other spectrometer can be high dispersion to measure minor concentrations. The apparatus can have a plurality of spectrometers with distinct and/or complementary capabilities, and can include an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer and data and instructions in tangible media operable to obtain a synergistic composition analysis based on optical spectra and ion mass to charge ratio peaks from the mass spectrometer.