Spectrometry System

• Main Authors: Pearson, Jon, Few, Julian William, Sillero, Isabel Marguez, Allsworth, Max
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.01.2021
• Subjects: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; TESTING

We describe a method and apparatus for detecting humidity using a Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS) system. The system may comprise an ionizer for generating ions within a gas sample, wherein each ion has an associated ion mobility; an ion filter for separating the ions by applying a compensation field and a dispersion field to the generated ions; a detector for detecting an output from the ion filter; and a processor. The processor may be configured to extract a spectrum of peak intensity of the detected output as a function of the compensation field and the dispersion field; calculate a turning point for the extracted spectrum; determine operating parameters of the field asymmetric ion mobility system; obtain, from a database, a plurality of known turning points each of which have an associated humidity and each of which were obtained using a field asymmetric ion mobility system having operating parameters aligned with the determined operating parameters; and determine the humidity by comparing the calculated turning point with known turning points.