Patents by Inventor Mircea Guna

Mircea Guna 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).

  • Patent number: 11810772
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of processing ions in a mass spectrometer is disclosed, which comprises trapping a plurality of ions having different mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios in a collision cell, releasing said ions from the collision cell in a descending order in m/z ratio, and receiving the ions in a mass analyzer having a plurality of rods to at least one of which an RF voltage is applied, where the RF voltage is varied from a first value to a lower second value as the released ions are received by the mass analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Patent number: 11562895
    Abstract: A method of processing ions in a mass spectrometer comprises introducing one or more precursor ions into a collision cell to fragment at least a portion of said ions, where the collision cell is configured to confine ions having m/z ratios above a selected threshold (i.e., high m/z ions). The ions are released from the collision cell and introduced into a downstream analyzer ion trap to radially confine high m/z ions. The collision cell and the analyzer ion trap are configured to confine ions having m/z ratios below said selected threshold (i.e., low m/z ions). Ions are introduced into the collision cell and undergo fragmentation. The fragment ions are released from the collision cell and introduced into the analyzer ion trap, thus loading the analyzer ion trap with both high m/z and low m/z ions. The ions are released from the analyzer ion trap and detected by a detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Publication number: 20220254618
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of processing ions in a mass spectrometer is disclosed, which comprises trapping a plurality of ions having different mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios in a collision cell, releasing said ions from the collision cell in a descending order in m/z ratio, and receiving the ions in a mass analyzer having a plurality of rods to at least one of which an RF voltage is applied, where the RF voltage is varied from a first value to a lower second value as the released ions are received by the mass analyzer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Patent number: 11348777
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of processing ions in a mass spectrometer is disclosed, which comprises trapping a plurality of ions having different mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios in a collision cell, releasing said ions from the collision cell in a descending order in m/z ratio, and receiving the ions in a mass analyzer having a plurality of rods to at least one of which an RF voltage is applied, where the RF voltage is varied from a first value to a lower second value as the released ions are received by the mass analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Patent number: 11270877
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein relate to a mass spectroscopy system having multipole ion guides that can receive ions from an ion source for transmission to downstream mass analyzers, while preventing unwanted ions from being transmitted into the high-vacuum chambers of mass spectrometer systems. At least one ion guide can have two or more auxiliary electrodes that extend along at least a portion of the ion guide. A power supply provides an RF voltage to the poles of the ion guide for radially confining the ions within the internal volume of the ion guide. The auxiliary electrodes are also provided with an auxiliary electrical signal that can selectively radially deflect from the internal volume at least a portion of low m/z ions so as to prevent transmission of undesired low m/z ions into the downstream mass analyzers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Publication number: 20210351025
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of processing ions in a mass spectrometer is disclosed, which comprises trapping a plurality of ions having different mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios in a collision cell, releasing said ions from the collision cell in a descending order in m/z ratio, and receiving the ions in a mass analyzer having a plurality of rods to at least one of which an RF voltage is applied, where the RF voltage is varied from a first value to a lower second value as the released ions are received by the mass analyzer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Publication number: 20210202230
    Abstract: A method of processing ions in a mass spectrometer comprises introducing one or more precursor ions into a collision cell to fragment at least a portion of said ions, where the collision cell is configured to confine ions having m/z ratios above a selected threshold (i.e., high m/z ions). The ions are released from the collision cell and introduced into a downstream analyzer ion trap to radially confine high m/z ions. The collision cell and the analyzer ion trap are configured to confine ions having m/z ratios below said selected threshold (i.e., low m/z ions). Ions are introduced into the collision cell and undergo fragmentation. The fragment ions are released from the collision cell and introduced into the analyzer ion trap, thus loading the analyzer ion trap with both high m/z and low m/z ions. The ions are released from the analyzer ion trap and detected by a detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Publication number: 20210151307
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein relate to a mass spectroscopy system having multipole ion guides that can receive ions from an ion source for transmission to downstream mass analyzers, while preventing unwanted ions from being transmitted into the high-vacuum chambers of mass spectrometer systems. At least one ion guide can have two or more auxiliary electrodes that extend along at least a portion of the ion guide. A power supply provides an RF voltage to the poles of the ion guide for radially confining the ions within the internal volume of the ion guide. The auxiliary electrodes are also provided with an auxiliary electrical signal that can selectively radially deflect from the internal volume at least a portion of low m/z ions so as to prevent transmission of undesired low m/z ions into the downstream mass analyzers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Patent number: 10410849
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein utilize an ion guide for use in mass spectrometer systems, which ion guide can receive ions from an ion source for transmission to downstream mass analyzers, while preventing debris (e.g., unsolvated droplets, neutral molecules, heavy charged clusters) from being transmitted into a high-vacuum chamber of the mass spectrometer system. In various aspects, systems and methods in accordance with the present teachings can increase throughput, improve the robustness of the system, and/or decrease the downtime typically required to disassemble/clean sensitive components within the high-vacuum portions of the mass spectrometer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Patent number: 10381213
    Abstract: A linear ion trap includes a quadrupole having four substantially parallel conductive rods that are substantially coextensive in the axial direction. The rods include two diagonally arranged pairs including one continuous, rod pair and one pair of rods that are segmented such that the two segments in a rod are capacitively coupled to facilitate an RF drop when an RF signal is applied to one longer segment and capacitively provided to the other shorter segment. An RF signal is provided to the continuous rods and tire longer segment of the segmented rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Publication number: 20180286659
    Abstract: A linear ion trap includes a quadrupole having four substantially parallel conductive rods that are substantially coextensive in the axial direction. The rods include two diagonally arranged pairs including one continuous, rod pair and one pair of rods that are segmented such that the two segments in a rod are capacitively coupled to facilitate an RF drop when an RF signal is applied to one longer segment and capacitively provided to the other shorter segment. An RF signal is provided to the continuous rods and tire longer segment of the segmented rods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Publication number: 20180122627
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein utilize an ion guide for use in mass spectrometer systems, which ion guide can receive ions from an ion source for transmission to downstream mass analyzers, while preventing debris (e.g., unsolvated droplets, neutral molecules, heavy charged clusters) from being transmitted into a high-vacuum chamber of the mass spectrometer system. In various aspects, systems and methods in accordance with the present teachings can increase throughput, improve the robustness of the system, and/or decrease the downtime typically required to disassemble/clean sensitive components within the high-vacuum portions of the mass spectrometer system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Publication number: 20180114684
    Abstract: In one aspect, a mass spectrometer is disclosed, which comprises an ion source for generating ions, a chamber comprising a curtain plate providing an inlet orifice for receiving at least a portion of said generated ions, and a deflection electrode disposed upstream of said inlet orifice and positioned relative thereto so as to modulate, in response to application of different voltages thereto, a flux of said ions reaching the inlet orifice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Patent number: 9870911
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for operating a mass spectrometer are described. In various aspects, ions of a mass range of interest may be mass-selectively ejected from an accumulation ion trap into a multi-ion trap structure. Each ion trap of the multi-ion trap structure may be configured to confine ions within a portion of the mass range of interest. The ions may be simultaneously scanned from the ion traps of the multi-ion trap structure for concurrent detection at a detector component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Patent number: 9779930
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing multiplex electrostatic linear ion trap mass spectrometry. A first beam of ions is received and the first beam is split into N beams of ions using a beam splitter. N is two or more. Ions are received from only one of the N beams of ions at each entrance aperture of N entrance apertures of an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT). Ions from each entrance aperture of the N entrance apertures are trapped in separate linear flight paths using the ELIT, producing N separate linear flight paths. Ion oscillations in the N separate linear flight paths are measured at substantially the same time using the ELIT. The ELIT uses two concentric mirrors with N apertures to trap ions in the N separate linear flight paths. The ELIT uses an image current detector with N apertures to the measure the ion oscillations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Patent number: 9653278
    Abstract: An ion trap is disclosed comprising a plurality of elongate electrodes aligned with one another and with a central longitudinal axis along respective longitudinal axes and that are spaced apart from one another and disposed about a central longitudinal axis to form a quadrupole. The ion trap further comprises an elongate electrode that is aligned with and disposed along the central longitudinal axis, and circuitry coupled to the outer electrodes is suitable for driving the central and outer electrodes to selectively trap of ions within a region defined between the central electrode and the outer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Ptd. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Patent number: 9576779
    Abstract: A method of operating a tandem mass spectrometer system is disclosed including accumulating ions in an ion trap, transmitting a plurality of ions out of the ion trap into a timed-ion selector, applying a pulsed DC voltage to the timed-ion selector, the pulsed DC voltage being modulated to match an ejection time for selecting a first portion of ions from the plurality of ions, corresponding to a specific m/z window, transmitting the first portion of selected ions out of the timed-ion selector into a reaction cell, transmitting dissociation product ions and the remaining ions of the first portion of selected ions out of the reaction cell into a mass analyzer, and mass-selectively transmitting at least some of the fragment ions and the remaining ions of the first portion of selected ions out of the mass analyzer into a detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Publication number: 20170032953
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for operating a mass spectrometer are described. In various aspects, ions of a mass range of interest may be mass-selectively ejected from an accumulation ion trap into a multi-ion trap structure. Each ion trap of the multi-ion trap structure may be configured to confine ions within a portion of the mass range of interest. The ions may be simultaneously scanned from the ion traps of the multi-ion trap structure for concurrent detection at a detector component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: DH Technologies Development PTE Ltd.
    Inventor: Mircea Guna
  • Publication number: 20160336165
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing multiplex electrostatic linear ion trap mass spectrometry. A first beam of ions is received and the first beam is split into N beams of ions using a beam splitter. N is two or more. Ions are received from only one of the N beams of ions at each entrance aperture of N entrance apertures of an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT). Ions from each entrance aperture of the N entrance apertures are trapped in separate linear flight paths using the ELIT, producing N seperate linear flight paths. Ion oscillations in the N separate linear flight paths are measured at substantially the same time using the ELIT. The ELIT uses two concentric mirrors with N apertures to trap ions in the N separate linear flight paths. The ELIT uses an image current detector with N apertures to the measure the ion oscillations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2014
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventor: Mircea GUNA
  • Patent number: 9437410
    Abstract: A system of mass spectrometry is disclosed having an ion source for generating ions at substantially atmospheric pressure. The system has a sampling member with an orifice disposed therein. The sampling member forms a vacuum chamber with a mass spectrometer. The system also has a curtain plate between the ion source and the sampling member. The curtain plate has an aperture therein, having a cross-section and being spaced from the sampling member to define a flow passage between the curtain plate and the sampling member, and to define an annular gap between the orifice and the aperture. The area of the annular gap is less than the cross-sectional area of the aperture. The system also has a power supply for applying a voltage to the curtain plate, and a curtain gas flow mechanism for directing a curtain gas into the flow passage and the annular gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Thomson, Mircea Guna