1. A method for introducing a sample into a supersonic molecular beam for mass spectrometry analysis using a sample vaporization chamber located upstream of a supersonic nozzle, said method comprising:
directing sample compounds to be analyzed in a flowing liquid towards said vaporization chamber;
forming a spray from said sample compounds in a flowing liquid;
vaporizing said sample compounds in said spray in said vaporization chamber prior to its expansion from said supersonic nozzle;
expanding said vaporized sample compounds and solvent from said supersonic nozzle into a vacuum system, forming a supersonic molecular beam with vibrationally cold sample molecules and vaporized solvent;
ionizing with electrons said sample compounds while contained as vibrationally cold molecules in said supersonic molecular beam in a fly-through electron ionization ion source;
mass analyzing the ions formed from said sample compounds;
detecting said ions formed from said sample compounds after mass analysis, and
processing the data obtained from the resulting mass spectral information, for identifying andor quantifying the chemical content of said sample, wherein:
said sample vaporization chamber is connected to said supersonic nozzle by a capillary transfer line;
said sample vaporization is completed in said vaporization chamber prior to its entry to said capillary transfer line; and,
said vaporized sample compounds and liquid are transferred in said capillary transfer line into said supersonic nozzle.
2. A method for introducing a sample into a supersonic molecular beam for mass spectrometry analysis, comprising the steps of:
directing sample compounds to be analyzed in a flowing liquid towards a vaporization chamber located upstream of a supersonic nozzle;
forming a spray from said sample compounds in flowing liquid;
vaporizing the sample compounds in the spray in a vaporization chamber prior to its expansion from said supersonic nozzle;
expanding the vaporized sample compounds from said supersonic nozzle into a vacuum system, forming a supersonic molecular beam with vibrationally cold sample molecules and vaporized solvent;
ionizing with electrons the sample compounds while contained as vibrationally cold molecules in said supersonic molecular beam in a fly-through electron ionization ion source;
mass analyzing the ions formed from said sample compounds;
detecting the ions formed from said sample compounds after mass analysis; and
processing the data obtained from the resulting mass spectral information for identifying andor quantifying the chemical content of said sample;
wherein the spray formation for sample compounds vaporization prior to its expansion from said supersonic nozzle is performed with electrospray.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the spray in said sample and spray vaporization chamber is effected by electrospray.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the spray and sample vaporization chamber is separated from said nozzle by a capillary transfer line and the sample vaporization is completed in said vaporization chamber prior to its entry to said capillary transfer line.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said spray and sample vaporization chamber is mounted on a gas chromatograph, enabling sample introduction to said supersonic nozzle from a liquid chromatograph and gas chromatograph without a change of hardware.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said spray and sample vaporization chamber is separated from said supersonic nozzle by a deactivated fused silica or inert metal transfer line with internal diameters in the 0.1 mm up to 0.53 mm diameter range and length above 25 mm, and wherein said transfer line capillary length and diameter is adjusted to provide above one atmosphere absolute pressure in said vaporization chamber at the flowing liquid flow rate used andor enable opening of the vaporization chamber to air without overloading any vacuum pump.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said capillary transfer line provides a pressure difference greater than a factor of 2 between a high pressure side in said sample vaporization chamber and a low pressure side behind said supersonic nozzle.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said capillary transfer line is flexible and non straight capillary.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said capillary transfer line is separately heated and temperature controlled.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said vaporization chamber includes an inert glass or fused silica liner having an internal diameter greater than 0.5 mm.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein make up gas is fed to the nozzle in addition to the vaporized sample and solvent exiting said capillary.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said spray formation is aided by helium or hydrogen light gas.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sample compounds to be analyzed in a flowing liquid are directed towards said vaporization chamber from a liquid chromatograph andor a sample loop in a flow injection valve.
14. The method according to claim 2, wherein said electrospray is formed from a non-conducting solvent delivery tube located inside a heated glass liner, also acting as an electrospray counter-electrode.
15. A device for introducing a sample in a flowing liquid into a supersonic molecular beam for its mass spectrometry analysis, comprising:
a vaporization chamber located upstream of a supersonic nozzle;
a capillary separating the vaporization chamber and said supersonic nozzle;
means for spray formation from said sample in the flowing liquid;
a vacuum system into which said supersonic nozzle induces supersonic expansion of the vaporized sample compounds and solvent vapor, for forming a supersonic molecular beam with vibrationally cold sample molecules and vaporized solvent;
a fly-through electron ionization ion source for the ionization of said sample compounds while contained, as vibrationally cold molecules, in said supersonic molecular beam;
a mass analyzer for mass analysis of ions formed from the sample compounds in said fly-through ion source;
an ion detector for the detection of said ions formed from said sample compounds after mass analysis; and
means for data processing of the resulting mass spectral information, for identifying andor quantifying the chemical content of said sample.
16. The device according to claim 15, wherein said means for spray formation for sample compounds vaporization is electrospray.
17. The device according to claim 15, wherein said sample vaporization chamber is mounted on a gas chromatograph and further includes means for sample introduction to said supersonic nozzle from a liquid chromatograph and gas chromatograph without a change of hardware.
18. The device according to claim 15, wherein said sample vaporization chamber is separated from said supersonic nozzle by a deactivated fused silica or inert metal transfer line with internal diameters in the 0.1 mm up to 0.53 mm diameter range and length above 25 mm, and wherein said transfer line capillary has a length and diameter providing about one atmosphere absolute pressure in said vaporization chamber at the liquid flow rate used andor enable opening the vaporization chamber to air without overloading any vacuum pump.
19. The device according to claim 15, wherein said capillary separating the vaporization chamber and said supersonic nozzle provides a pressure difference greater than a factor of 2 between a high pressure side in said sample vaporization chamber and a low pressure side behind said supersonic nozzle.
20. The device according to claim 15, wherein said capillary transfer line is a flexible and non-straight capillary.
21. The device according to claim 15, wherein said capillary transfer line is separately heated and temperature controlled.
22. The device according to claim 15 further including means for the provision of make up gas upstream of said supersonic nozzle.
23. The device according to claim 15, wherein said means for spray formation is operated with helium or hydrogen light gas.
24. The device according to claim 15, wherein said sample compounds to be analyzed in a flowing liquid are directed towards a supersonic nozzle from a liquid chromatograph andor a sample loop in a flow injection valve.
25. A device for introducing a sample into a supersonic molecular beam for its mass spectrometry analysis comprising
liquid transfer line means for directing sample compounds to be analyzed in a flowing liquid towards a supersonic nozzle;
electrospray for spray formation from said sample in said flowing liquid;
a spray and sample vaporization chamber for vaporizing said sample compounds in said spray prior to its expansion from said supersonic nozzle;
a supersonic nozzle for inducing supersonic expansion of said vaporized sample compounds and solvent vapor into a vacuum system, forming a supersonic molecular beam with vibrationally cold sample molecules and vaporized solvent;
a fly-through electron ionization ion source for the ionization of said sample compounds while contained as vibrationally cold molecules in said supersonic molecular beam;
a mass analyzer for mass analysis of the ions formed from said sample compounds in said fly-through ion source;
an ion detector for the detection of said ions formed from said sample compounds after mass analysis; and
means for data processing of the resulting mass spectral information, for identifying andor quantifying the chemical content of said sample.
26. The device according to claim 25, wherein said sample vaporization chamber is separated from said supersonic nozzle by a capillary transfer line.
27. The device according to claim 25, wherein said electrospray is formed from a non-conducting solvent delivery tube inside a heated glass liner that also acts as an electrospray counter electrode.
28. A method for mass spectrometry analysis, said method comprising:
directing sample compounds to be analyzed in a flowing liquid towards a vaporization chamber located upstream of a supersonic nozzle;
vaporizing said sample in a sample vaporization chamber;
receiving said vaporized sample compounds and liquid in a capillary transfer line coupled between the sample vaporization chamber and a supersonic nozzle; and
transferring said vaporized sample compounds and liquid from the capillary transfer line to the supersonic nozzle for subsequent analysis.
29. An apparatus for mass spectrometry analysis, said apparatus comprising:
a sample vaporization chamber adapted to vaporize a sample in a flowing liquid;
a supersonic nozzle coupled to the sample vaporization chamber; and
a capillary transfer line coupled between the sample vaporization chamber and the supersonic nozzle for receiving vaporized sample compounds and liquid and transferring them to said supersonic nozzle.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An audio hinting method applicable to an image capture device to provide focusing hint in manual focusing, comprising steps of:
acquiring a first digital image;
calculating a focusing value of the first digital image;
acquiring a second digital image;
calculating a focusing value of the second digital image;
comparing the focusing values of the first and second digital images; and
when the focusing value of the first digital image differs to the focusing value of the second digital image, adjusting an audio signal outputted by an audio output section.
2. The audio hinting method according to claim 1, further comprising:
repeatedly performing all the steps during the manual focusing.
3. The audio hinting method according to claim 1, wherein the focusing values are contrast values obtained by calculating contrast values of the first and second digital images according to a contrast-detection focusing algorithm.
4. The audio hinting method according to claim 1, wherein the focusing values are phase values obtained by calculating phase values of the first and second digital images according to a phase-detection focusing algorithm.
5. The audio hinting method according to claim 1, wherein when the focusing value of the first digital image is less than the focusing value of the second digital image, the audio signal is adjusted and an audio playing unit is driven by the audio output section, in order to increase a volume or an audio frequency of a hint sound played via the audio playing unit or to reduce a time interval of playing the hint sound; and
when the focusing value of the first digital image is greater than the focusing value of the second digital image, the volume or audio frequency of the hint sound is reduced or the time interval of playing the hint sound is increased.
6. The audio hinting method according to claim 1, wherein when the focusing value of the first digital image is greater than the focusing value of the second digital image, the audio signal is adjusted, and an audio playing unit is driven by the audio output section, in order to increase a volume or an audio frequency of a hint sound played by the audio playing unit or to reduce a time interval of playing the hint sound; and
when the focusing value of the first digital image is less than the focusing value of the second digital image, the volume or audio frequency of the hint sound is reduced or the time interval of playing the hint sound is increased.
7. An image capture device, comprising:
a light sensing module, used for acquiring a first digital image and a second digital image;
an audio output section, used for outputting an audio signal; and
a focusing detection module, electrically connected to the light sensing module and the audio output section, and used for respectively calculating a focusing value of the first digital image and a focusing value of the second digital image;
wherein when the focusing value of the first digital image differs to the focusing value of the second digital image, the audio signal is adjusted.
8. The image capture device according to claim 7, wherein the focusing values are contrast values obtained by calculating contrast values of the first and second digital images according to a contrast-detection focusing algorithm.
9. The image capture device according to claim 7, wherein the focusing values are phase values obtained by calculating phase values of the first and second digital images according to a phase-detection focusing algorithm.
10. The image capture device according to claim 7, wherein when the focusing value of the first digital image is less than the focusing value of the second digital image, the focusing detection module adjusts the audio signal, and drives an audio playing unit by the audio output section, so as to increase a volume or an audio frequency of a hint sound played by the audio playing unit or to reduce a time interval of playing the hint sound; and
when the focusing value of the first digital image is greater than the focusing value of the second digital image, the focusing detection module reduces the volume or audio frequency of the hint sound or increases the time interval of playing the hint sound.
11. The image capture device according to claim 7, wherein when the focusing value of the first digital image is greater than the focusing value of the second digital image, the audio signal is adjusted, and an audio playing unit is driven by the audio output section, so as to increase a volume or an audio frequency of a hint sound played by the audio playing unit or to reduce a time interval of playing the hint sound; and
when the focusing value of the first digital image is less than the focusing value of the second digital image, the volume or audio frequency of the hint sound is reduced, or the time interval of playing the hint sound is increased.