Liquid Phase Ion Mobility Spectrometry (LPIMS)

Abstract

The present choice of analytical separation methods that occur under ambient pressure conditions are generally limited to gas chromatography(GC), liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). IMS is about 3 times more efficient than HPLC, 130 times more efficient than GC and almost as efficient as CZE.

The utility of these applications largely depends on the size of the equipment. Small high-resolution devices would make these applications more practical and allow for many new applications. While gas IMS methods have shown promising abilities to detect drugs, toxic materials, and explosives, these systems are large and cumbersome due to fundamental limitations of the gas IMS method. Reducing the size of a gas IMS device results in a significant loss in resolution, thus diminishing the utility of small gas IMS devices. Scientists at WSU have developed a liquid phase ion mobility spectrometer (LPIMS) that is capable of overcoming many of the current limitations of traditional gas IMS.

Applications and Advantages

• Employs a drift liquid

• Utilizes novel ionization methods

• Separation efficiency two orders of magnitude greater then current methods

• Greater resolving power over a shorter transit length

• Enables small high resolution IMS applications

IP Status

Published Family of Patents: 10/966,325; 11/380,927; 12/173,750