Patents by Inventor Andreas Brekenfeld
Andreas Brekenfeld has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11195710Abstract: The invention relates to hybrid IMS/MS systems and provides hybrid IMS/MS system comprising an RF funnel, an ion mobility analyzer and a mass analyzer wherein the RF funnel is arranged non-collinearly to the ion mobility analyzer, preferably a TIMS analyzer (TIMS=trapped ion mobility spectrometry).Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2020Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Inventors: Melvin Andrew Park, Mark Ridgeway, Craig Whitehouse, Andreas Brekenfeld
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Publication number: 20200381241Abstract: The invention relates to hybrid IMS/MS systems and provides hybrid IMS/MS system comprising an RF funnel, an ion mobility analyzer and a mass analyzer wherein the RF funnel is arranged non-collinearly to the ion mobility analyzer, preferably a TIMS analyzer (TIMS=trapped ion mobility spectrometry).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2020Publication date: December 3, 2020Inventors: Melvin Andrew PARK, Mark RIDGEWAY, Craig WHITEHOUSE, Andreas BREKENFELD
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Patent number: 9824873Abstract: The invention relates to an ionization chamber for connection to a mass spectrometer. The ionization chamber has a temperature-control block with a gas inlet and a gas channel which starts at the gas inlet and leads into a gas outlet. A temperature-control device is positioned along the gas channel and ensures that a gas flowing in the gas channel is brought to a specific temperature, i.e. it is heated or cooled, before it enters the ionization chamber. The temperature-control block has a formed part into which a structure of the gas channel is incorporated and which is fabricated by means of a sol-gel process, for example out of a glass or ceramic material.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2015Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Inventors: Andreas Brekenfeld, Martin Engel
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Publication number: 20160086784Abstract: The invention relates to an ionization chamber for connection to a mass spectrometer. The ionization chamber has a temperature-control block with a gas inlet and a gas channel which starts at the gas inlet and leads into a gas outlet. A temperature-control device is positioned along the gas channel and ensures that a gas flowing in the gas channel is brought to a specific temperature, i.e. it is heated or cooled, before it enters the ionization chamber. The temperature-control block has a formed part into which a structure of the gas channel is incorporated and which is fabricated by means of a sol-gel process, for example out of a glass or ceramic material.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2015Publication date: March 24, 2016Inventors: Andreas BREKENFELD, Martin ENGEL
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Patent number: 9242258Abstract: The invention involves electrospray ionization of dissolved substances at atmospheric pressure in the ion source of a mass spectrometer. A chip with a multitude of spray nozzles is proposed, where each individual spray nozzle is surrounded by several sheath gas nozzles, preferably in a symmetric arrangement, for the jet-like introduction of a sheath gas. A shared attracting-voltage electrode is positioned substantially opposite the spray nozzles. The attracting-voltage electrode may have a tapering (e.g. funnel-shaped) opening above each spray nozzle so that the sheath gas jets are forced to closely envelop the spray jet, which is comprised of ions and very fine droplets. Heavier ions and droplets are thus prevented from discharging on the surfaces of the openings of the attracting-voltage electrode. Special measures can be taken to make all spray nozzles spray uniformly and to supply them with substance peaks from chromatographic or electrophoretic separators as simultaneously as possible.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2014Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Inventors: Andreas Brekenfeld, Ralf Hartmer
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Patent number: 8901491Abstract: The invention proposes a method for the collective ejection of ions from a 3D RF ion trap with a ring electrode and two end cap electrodes, which comprises the following steps: (a) the RF voltage of a high-quality resonant circuit applied to the ring electrode is replaced with a second RF voltage at the two end cap electrodes which can be changed or switched faster than the high voltage at the ring electrode, keeping the ions stored, (b) the second RF voltage at the end cap electrodes is then switched down or off abruptly, releasing the ions, and (c) the released ions are ejected through an opening in one of the end cap electrodes by switching on a DC voltage on at least one of the end cap electrodes.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2013Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: Bruker Daltonik, GmbHInventors: Andreas Brekenfeld, Christoph Gebhardt, Ralf Hartmer
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Publication number: 20140284406Abstract: The invention involves electrospray ionization of dissolved substances at atmospheric pressure in the ion source of a mass spectrometer. A chip with a multitude of spray nozzles is proposed, where each individual spray nozzle is surrounded by several sheath gas nozzles, preferably in a symmetric arrangement, for the jet-like introduction of a sheath gas. A shared attracting-voltage electrode is positioned substantially opposite the spray nozzles. The attracting-voltage electrode may have a tapering (e.g. funnel-shaped) opening above each spray nozzle so that the sheath gas jets are forced to closely envelop the spray jet, which is comprised of ions and very fine droplets. Heavier ions and droplets are thus prevented from discharging on the surfaces of the openings of the attracting-voltage electrode. Special measures can be taken to make all spray nozzles spray uniformly and to supply them with substance peaks from chromatographic or electrophoretic separators as simultaneously as possible.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2014Publication date: September 25, 2014Inventors: Andreas BREKENFELD, Ralf HARTMER
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Publication number: 20140008533Abstract: The invention proposes a method for the collective ejection of ions from a 3D RF ion trap with a ring electrode and two end cap electrodes, which comprises the following steps: (a) the RF voltage of a high-quality resonant circuit applied to the ring electrode is replaced with a second RF voltage at the two end cap electrodes which can be changed or switched faster than the high voltage at the ring electrode, keeping the ions stored, (b) the second RF voltage at the end cap electrodes is then switched down or off abruptly, releasing the ions, and (c) the released ions are ejected through an opening in one of the end cap electrodes by switching on a DC voltage on at least one of the end cap electrodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2013Publication date: January 9, 2014Inventors: Andreas Brekenfeld, Christoph Gebhardt, Ralf Hartmer
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Patent number: 8324566Abstract: In an RF quadrupole ion trap having electrodes to which RF voltages are applied, ions having m/z ratios outside of a predefined narrow range of charge-related masses m/z are removed from the trap by applying a DC voltage pulse to at least one of the trap electrodes to remove from the trap the ions with high values of charge-related masses. The DC voltage pulse is preferably applied in combination with a variation of the RF voltage amplitudes to simultaneously remove from the trap ions of low charge-related masses. The DC and RF voltage amplitudes are changed in such a manner that any excitation of ions having charge-related masses within the predefined range by frequency mixtures is avoided.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2011Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Bruker Daltonik GmbHInventors: Desmond Allen Kaplan, Andreas Brekenfeld, Christoph Gebhardt, Ralf Hartmer
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Publication number: 20120223222Abstract: In an RF quadrupole ion trap having electrodes to which RF voltages are applied, ions having m/z ratios outside of a predefined narrow range of charge-related masses m/z are removed from the trap by applying a DC voltage pulse to at least one of the trap electrodes to remove from the trap the ions with high values of charge-related masses. The DC voltage pulse is preferably applied in combination with a variation of the RF voltage amplitudes to simultaneously remove from the trap ions of low charge-related masses. The DC and RF voltage amplitudes are changed in such a manner that any excitation of ions having charge-related masses within the predefined range by frequency mixtures is avoided.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2011Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: BRUKER DALTONIK GMBHInventors: Desmond Allen Kaplan, Andreas Brekenfeld, Christoph Gebhardt, Ralf Hartmer
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Patent number: 8198583Abstract: Analyte ions, particularly biopolymer ions, stored in an RF ion trap are ergodically fragmented by bombarding the analyte ions with collision ions, for example medium-mass, mono-atomic ions having a charge of opposite polarity to the charge of the analyte ions. Since the analyte ions are not fragmented by accelerating and/or exciting them to oscillations, as is the case with conventional collision-induced dissociation, the RF voltage of the ion trap can be set low enough that daughter ions with light charge-related masses that are produced by the fragmentation can also remain trapped in the ion trap.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2009Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Bruker Daltonik GmbHInventors: Andreas Brekenfeld, Ralf Hartmer
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Patent number: 8003938Abstract: An apertured diaphragm disposed with an RF ion guide includes at least one of a weakly conductive solid dielectric material and a non-conducting dielectric with a weakly conducting surface layer.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2009Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Bruker Daltonik GmbHInventor: Andreas Brekenfeld
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Publication number: 20110127424Abstract: In an RF ion trap, analyte ions are fragmented by applying a moderately high RF storage voltage to the trap. The ions are then excited via dipolar excitation, and after a short time, the ions are forced into a resting state, again using dipolar excitation. The RF storage voltage is then rapidly reduced to a low value thereby making it possible to store small fragment ions produced by ergodic decompositions that occur subsequent to the reduction of the RF storage voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2010Publication date: June 2, 2011Applicant: BRUKER DALTONIK GMBHInventor: Andreas Brekenfeld
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Patent number: 7851746Abstract: The invention relates to determining the masses from the time-of-flight values of ions in time-of-flight mass spectrometers where the accelerating voltage for the ions is not applied permanently, but is switched on at a certain time, resulting in a temporally changing acceleration for a short time after the voltage has been switched on. An aspect of the invention includes formally describing the effect of the temporally changing acceleration on the calibration curve—an effect which cannot be subjected to a strict mathematical-analytical calculation—by introducing a “reduced mass” m?m0 instead of the mass m. The mass reduction factor m0 does not describe a real mass difference, but a mass-dependent shortfall in the final kinetic energy after the ions have passed through the acceleration, a shortfall which can be observed with the temporally changing acceleration.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2008Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: Bruker Daltonik GmbHInventor: Andreas Brekenfeld
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Patent number: 7847246Abstract: In an RF ion trap, analyte ions are fragmented by applying a moderately high RF storage voltage to the trap. The ions are then excited via dipolar excitation, and after a short time, the ions are forced into a resting state, again using dipolar excitation. The RF storage voltage is then rapidly reduced to a low value thereby making it possible to store small fragment ions produced by ergodic decompositions that occur subsequent to the reduction of the RF storage voltage.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2007Date of Patent: December 7, 2010Assignee: Bruker Daltonik, GmbHInventor: Andreas Brekenfeld
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Publication number: 20100102221Abstract: An apertured diaphragm disposed with an RF ion guide includes at least one of a weakly conductive solid dielectric material and a non-conducting dielectric with a weakly conducting surface layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2009Publication date: April 29, 2010Inventor: Andreas Brekenfeld
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Publication number: 20090283672Abstract: Analyte ions, particularly biopolymer ions, stored in an RF ion trap are ergodically fragmented by bombarding the analyte ions with collision ions, for example medium-mass, mono-atomic ions having a charge of opposite polarity to the charge of the analyte ions. Since the analyte ions are not fragmented by accelerating and/or exciting them to oscillations, as is the case with conventional collision-induced dissociation, the RF voltage of the ion trap can be set low enough that daughter ions with light charge-related masses that are produced by the fragmentation can also remain trapped in the ion trap.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2009Publication date: November 19, 2009Applicant: BRUKER DALTONIK GMBHInventors: Andreas Brekenfeld, Ralf Hartmer
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Patent number: 7615742Abstract: The invention relates to methods for the measurement of fragment ion spectra in ion trap mass spectrometers in which fragment ions below a cut-off mass cannot normally be measured. The invention consists in measuring mass spectra including light fragment ions by briefly conducting the collisionally induced fragmentation—which is always brought about by a large number of collisions—at an unusual high RF storage voltage, which produces collisions more energetically than by conventional fragmentation, and then switching the RF voltage to a low RF voltage in a fast but controlled procedure. In this way light fragment ions are produced by double cleavages from metastable fragment ions with a certain half-life time. Since the cut-off mass for the storage capability is proportional to the RF storage voltage, reducing the RF storage voltage means that the light fragment ions can also be kept and measured in the ion trap.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2006Date of Patent: November 10, 2009Assignee: Bruker Daltonik GmbHInventor: Andreas Brekenfeld
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Publication number: 20080308724Abstract: The invention relates to determining the masses from the time-of-flight values of ions in time-of-flight mass spectrometers where the accelerating voltage for the ions is not applied permanently, but is switched on at a certain time, resulting in a temporally changing acceleration for a short time after the voltage has been switched on. An aspect of the invention includes formally describing the effect of the temporally changing acceleration on the calibration curve—an effect which cannot be subjected to a strict mathematical-analytical calculation—by introducing a “reduced mass” m—m0 instead of the mass m. The mass reduction factor m0 does not describe a real mass difference, but a mass-dependent shortfall in the final kinetic energy after the ions have passed through the acceleration, a shortfall which can be observed with the temporally changing acceleration.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2008Publication date: December 18, 2008Inventor: Andreas Brekenfeld
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Patent number: 7462822Abstract: The invention relates to methods and devices for the transport of ions generated in gases near atmospheric pressure into the vacuum system of a mass spectrometer. Instead of the single capillary customary in commercial instruments, the invention uses a multichannel plate with hundreds of thousands of very short and narrow capillaries, whose total gas throughput is no higher than that of a normal single capillary. The large-area take-up of ions in the gas flow greatly increases the transfer yield. If the channels are conductive, this prevents the inside surfaces becoming charged. An ion funnel can separate the ions from the gas flow in the vacuum and focus them. Gas-dynamic focusing in an electric decelerating field reduces ion losses caused by wall collisions and prevents very light ions (protons, water clusters) from entering the vacuum. Staged multichannel plates reduce pumping requirements.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2006Date of Patent: December 9, 2008Assignee: Bruker Daltonik, GmbHInventors: Christian Gebhardt, Andreas Brekenfeld, Jochen Franzen