Truly Portable Mass Spectrometry
Thursday, March 6, 2008
8:30 a.m.., Room 272 

Organizer:

Milton L Lee, Brigham Young University and Stephen A. Lammert, Stillwater Scientific Instruments

Speakers:

8:35      Hand-held Analytical Instrumentation with Mobility Spectrometry for On-site Rapid Measurements of Chemical Vapors of Industrial and Medical Importance  GARY A EICEMAN, New Mexico State University

9:10      Miniature Ion Trap Mass Spectrometers with Circular Trapping Geometry  EDGAR D LEE, Torion Technologies, Samuel E Tolley, Stephen A Lammert, Daniel E Austin, Aaron R Hawkins, Douglas W Later, Milton L Lee

9:45      Sampling Solutions for Field Portable GC-MS: Issues and Technology--Past, Present, and Future  CHARLES STEPHEN SADOWSKI, Smiths Detection

10:20    Breaking the Limit of Pumping Capacity:  Portable Mass Spectrometers with Atmospheric Pressure Ionization Sources  ZHENG OUYANG, Purdue University, Liang Gao, Christopher C Mulligan, R Graham Cooks

10:55    Miniature Mass Spectrometers on Space and Planetary Missions  WILLIAM B BRINCKERHOFF, NASA/GSFC, Catherine M Corrigan, Timothy J Cornish, George G Managadze, Paul R Mahaffy, Scott A Ecelberger

Overview:

There is rapidly growing interest in portable mass spectrometry detection systems for first responders involved in critical safety issues, such as homeland security, arson investigation, drug detection, and environmental monitoring. Portability in mass spectrometry can take on many different meanings, depending on the means of deployment or the remoteness/accessibility of the sample source. This symposium aims to highlight hand-portable mass spectrometers in which miniaturization and low power requirements are paramount without serious compromises in mass spectrometer performance (i.e., sensitivity, resolution, and mass range) for organic chemical analysis. The development of new hand-portable mass spectrometry technology in which systems are (or can be) completely self-containedis the main emphasis in the talks planned for this symposium. Scientists at the forefront of this exciting and critical technological area have been selected as speakers. Presentations will be given on new mass spectrometer systems for first responder applications and space exploration, where true miniaturization is essential. Highlights include new ion trap analyzers with circular trapping geometry, portable mass spectrometers with atmospheric pressure ionization sources, and miniature mass spectrometers for space and planetary missions. Complementary presentations on hand-held ion mobility spectrometry and sampling solutions for field portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry are also included for perspective, owing to their historical relevance to chemical detection by portable mass spectrometry. Ion mobility detection has been widely applied to first responder applications, while sampling and sample introduction are the most difficult operations to perform in the field. With the broad interest in mass spectrometry in general, and the heightened interest in near real-time detection in today’s world, this symposium promises to attract considerable attention by conferees.