2011 R&D 100 Winner
The 830 Vacuum Quality Monitor (VQM) is the first commercial implementation of Autoresonant Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry (ART MS) technology, a new way of mass selectively ejecting ions from a purely electrostatic ion trap. Researchers at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., invented the technology, which was developed and commercialized by Brooks Automation Inc., Longmont, Colo.
The ionizer is a filament assembly that generates ions directly inside the trap through electron impact of gas molecules. The mass separator stores ions in a purely electrostatic ion trap and uses a technique called autoresonance to eject ions from the trap. An harmonic trapping potential well confines the ion trajectories of all ion masses to stable oscillatory motions along the axis of the trap. An electrostatic field traps the ions, and the ions oscillate at their natural oscillation frequency. The ions are ejected through an autoresonant energy pumping process using a low amplitude radio frequency (RF) scan.
Because all ions are in the trap at the same time and oscillate at high frequencies, it takes only 80 msec to eject and detect them. Other residual gas analyzers take 1.5 to 2 sec for a 1-135 amu scan.
Technology
Mass spectrometer
Developers
Brooks Automation Inc.
Rutgers University
Development Team
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Front row, l-r): Mike Wilson, Jeffrey Rathbone, Steve Lass, Tim Piwonka-Corle, Scott Heinbuch, Sachi Madappa, Pete Prun
(Back row: Tim Swinney, Gerardo Brucker, Steve Blouch, Kris Schartau, Kathryn Greve, Mike Schott, Paul Arnold, Pat Sandt, Brian Horvath |
The 830 Vacuum Quality Monitor (VQM) Development Team
Alexel Ermakov, Principal Developer, Rutgers University
Barbara Hinch, Principal Developer, Rutgers University
Gerardo A. Brucker, Principal Developer, Brooks Automation Inc.
Paul Arnold, Brooks Automation Inc.
Steve Blouch, Brooks Automation Inc.
Fred Funari, Brooks Automation Inc.
Wesley Graba, Brooks Automation Inc.
Kathryn Greve, Brooks Automation Inc.
Scott Hienbuch, Brooks Automation Inc.
Brian Horvath, Brooks Automation Inc.
Steve Lass, Brooks Automation Inc.
Sachi Madappa, Brooks Automation Inc.
Tim Piwonka-Corle, Brooks Automation Inc.
Pete Prun, Brooks Automation Inc.
Jeff Rathbone, Brooks Automation Inc.
Patricia Sandt, Brooks Automation Inc.
Kris Schartau, Brooks Automation Inc.
Mike Schott, Brooks Automation Inc.
Tim Swinney, Brooks Automation Inc.
Mike Wilson, Brooks Automation Inc.
