EDWARD WILLIAM SHEEHAN
Pharmacy in Pittsburgh, PA

8178833, May 15, 2012

May 30, 2008

12/156254

Ross Clark Willoughby - Pittsburgh PA, US
Edward William Sheehan - Pittsburgh PA, US

Chem-Space Associates, Inc - Pittsburgh PA

H01J 49/06

250281, 250282, 250283, 250288

An improved ion sampling tube designed to increase the amount of current delivered into the vacuum system of a mass spectrometer or other gas-phase ion or particle detectors or collectors. A device and method is disclosed that utilizes a tube with a high flow of ion entrained gas passing through the said tube. Said ions are directed from the tubular gas flow through an ion selective aperture and into an adjacent region and subsequently directed into a lower pressure region for detection or collection. The method is useful for enhancing the detection of analytes in solutions that are either nebulized or electrosprayed, and analytes present in gases. The method is also useful for isolating ionic species from the ion source from neutral gases and particles that may interfere or interact with analyte species. The method also decouples the high flow of the atmospheric pressure ion source from the low flow ion transmission into vacuum.

5838002, Nov 17, 1998

Aug 21, 1996

8/701050

Edward W. Sheehan - Pittsburgh PA

Chem-Space Associates, Inc - Pittsburgh PA

H01J 4910

250288

An electrospray ion production method and ion source designed to reduce overall gas load on the vacuum system and enhance the ion production and collection efficiencies. This ion source is for gas phase ion analysis of constituents dissolved in liquid solution comprising a needle (10) held at high electrical potential through which the solution flows into a first chamber (1) maintained at reduced pressure, forming a highly charged liquid cone-jet. The highly charged liquid jet is steered, in the first chamber, on-axis with an aperture into a second chamber (2) maintained at higher pressure than that of the first chamber. The second chamber is heated and pressurized to facilitate desolvation of the solution droplets originating from the breakup of the highly charged jet, resulting in the production of gas phase ions by the electrospray ionization process. The gas phase ions are then sampled and detected. Alternative reactions and/or inputs of energy via collision and/or radiation may occur in the second chamber to further facilitate ion production or fragmentation and may further enhance sample identification.

7081621, Jul 25, 2006

Nov 15, 2004

10/989821

Ross Clark Willoughby - Pittsburgh PA, US
Edward William Sheehan - Pittsburgh PA, US

B01D 59/44

250288, 250283, 250294, 250398, 250306, 250307

A thin laminated high transmission electro-optical lens populated with a plurality of apertures in communication with its laminates used to improve the collection, focusing, and selection of ions generated from atmospheric pressure sources, such as electrospray, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, inductively coupled plasma, discharge, photoionization and atmospheric pressure matrix assisted laser desorption ionization. The laminated lens is made of alternating layers of electrically insulating and metal laminates. The geometry of the lens may be planar or shaped into various curve shapes, any of which act to optimize both the direct current (DC) and alternate current (AC) electric field geometries and strengths across the lens for transferring virtually all the ions from the ion source into an ion-focusing region adjacent and upstream of a high pressure or atmospheric pressure interface to a mass spectrometer, ion mobility analyzer, or combination thereof. Embodiments of this invention are methods and devices for improving sensitivity of mass spectrometry when coupled to high pressure or atmospheric pressure ionization sources.

7087898, Aug 8, 2006

Jun 7, 2004

10/862304

Ross C. Willoughby - Pittsburgh PA, US
Edward W. Sheehan - Pittsburgh PA, US
Craig M. Whitehouse - Branford CT, US

H01J 49/04, H01J 49/10, H01J 49/40

250288, 250282

Atmospheric pressure, intermediate pressure and vacuum laser desorption ionization methods and ion sources are configured to increase ionization efficiency and the efficiency of transmitting ions to a mass to charge analyzer or ion mobility analyzer. An electric field is applied in the region of a sample target to accumulate ions generated from a local ion source on a solid or liquid phase sample prior to applying a laser desorption pulse. The electric field is changed just prior to or during the desorption laser pulse to promote the desorption of charged species and improve the ionization efficiency of desorbed sample species. After a delay, the electric field may be further changed to optimize focusing and transmission of ions into a mass spectrometer or ion mobility analyzer. Charged species may also be added to the region of the laser desorbed sample plume to promote ion-molecule reactions between the added ions and desorbed neutral sample species, increasing desorbed sample ionization efficiency and/or creating desired product ion species. The cycling of electric field changes is repeated in a timed sequence with one or more desorption laser pulse occurring per electric field change cycle.

7095019, Aug 22, 2006

May 2, 2005

11/120363

Edward W Sheehan - Pittsburgh PA, US
Ross C Willoughby - Pittsburgh PA, US

Chem-Space Associates, Inc. - Pittsburgh PA

H01J 49/00

250288, 250281, 250286

An improved ion source and portable analyzer for collecting and focusing dispersed gas-phase ions from a reagent source at atmospheric or intermediate pressure, having a remote source of reagent ions generated by direct or alternating currents, separated from a low-field sample ionization region by a stratified array of elements, each element populated with a plurality of openings, wherein DC potentials are applied to each element necessary for transferring reagent ions from the remote source into the low-field sample ionization region where the reagent ions react with neutral and/or ionic sample forming ionic species. The resulting ionic species are then introduced into the vacuum system of a mass spectrometer or ion mobility spectrometer. Embodiments of this invention are methods and devices for improving sensitivity of mass spectrometry when gas and liquid chromatographic separation techniques or probes containing samples are coupled to atmospheric and intermediate pressure photo-ionization, chemical ionization, and thermospray ionization sources.

6878930, Apr 12, 2005

Feb 23, 2004

10/785441

Ross Clark Willoughby - Pittsburgh PA, US
Edward William Sheehan - Pittsburgh PA, US
Carolyn A Fries - St. Petersburg FL, US

H01J049/10, H01J037/00

250281, 250282, 250283, 250288, 250396 R, 250423 R

The present invention includes a delivery means of material to be deposited onto thin film surfaces with precise spatial, temporal, compositional, and energy resolution for controlled reactions, patterning (2-dimensional and 3-dimensional), and removal of materials or reaction products of materials from thin film surfaces. The device includes a near atmospheric pressure means of generating ions, ion clusters, or charged particles as a material form to deliver said materials onto substrate surfaces. The device relies on shaped, patterned, conformal ion lenses, and individually addressable lens elements of a lens arrays to create an integrated deposition system for printed patterns of thin films. The devices and methods provide a novel approach to delivering materials to a surface, removing materials from a surface, or creating new materials at or on the surface. These methods and devices may be used in applications of thin film deposition, micro-electronics and semi-conductor manufacturing, printing, surface interfacial layers, coating, painting, sample and reagent treatment, preparation for sensors, chemical analysis, and fabricating 2- and 3-dimensional structures and devices.

6949740, Sep 27, 2005

Sep 12, 2003

10/661842

Edward William Sheehan - Pittsburgh PA, US
Ross Clark Willoughby - Pittsburgh PA, US

H01J049/16

250288, 250287, 250286, 250282

An improved lens for collecting and focusing dispersed charged particles or ions having a stratified array of elements at atmospheric or near-atmospheric pressure, each element having successively smaller apertures forming a tapered terminus, wherein the electrostatic DC potentials are applied to each element necessary for focusing ions through the stratified array for introducing charged particles and ions into the vacuum system of a mass spectrometer. Embodiments of this invention are methods and devices for improving sensitivity of mass spectrometry when coupled to both high and low electrostatic field atmospheric pressure ionization sources.

8258470, Sep 4, 2012

Dec 14, 2009

12/653449

Edward William Sheehan - Pittsburgh PA, US

H01J 49/42

250292, 250396 R

An improved ion optical lens designed to increase the amount of ion current delivered into a multi-pole ion detector or transfer device, such as quadrupole mass analyzer, an ion guide, collision cell, etc. A device and method is disclosed that utilizes a tubular entrance lens to introduce ions into or sample ions at a field-free or near field-free region disposed at the junction of two sets of multi-pole assemblies operating with radio frequency potentials shifted 180 degrees out of phase with respect to each other. The method is useful for increasing the transport of ions into as they enter into or exit out of a multi-pole mass analyzer, such as a quadrupole mass analyzer, an ion guide, collision cell, etc.

6278111, Aug 21, 2001

Nov 12, 1998

9/191866

Edward W. Sheehan - Pittsburgh PA
Ross C. Willoughby - Pittsburgh PA
Joseph A. Jarrell - Newton Highlands MA
David M. Strand - Sherborn MA

Waters Investments Limited

H01J 4910

250288

An improved electrospray (ES) apparatus has a low pressure ES chamber coupled to a desolvation chamber. The desolvation chamber desolvates the incoming analyte ions of the cone-jet with non-conductive energy. The apparatus stabilizes cone-jet formation in the ES chamber. The apparatus receives solvated ions without pressure reduction, produces desolvated ions with non-conductive energy in a low pressure region, and outputs the desolvated ions towards a mass spectrometer as a substantially solvent-free ion beam suitable for mass spectrometer analysis. The apparatus avoids the degree of pressure reduction featured in prior ES techniques.

8008617, Aug 30, 2011

Dec 29, 2008

12/344872

Timothy P. Karpetsky - Towson MD, US
Ross C. Willoughby - Pittsburgh PA, US
Edward W. Sheehan - Pittsburgh PA, US

Science Applications International Corporation - San Diego CA

B01D 59/44

250282, 250288, 250290

Ions carried in a flowing gas stream are transferred to another gas stream of different composition or purity through an ion selective aperture communicating between the gas streams. The ion selective aperture is formed of a central layer which has an electrically conductive layer on each of its surfaces. One or more open channels extend through the central layer and surface layers allowing physical movement of ions therethrough under the urging and influence of an electric field created by imposing a voltage differential between the conductive surface layers of the ion selective aperture. The gas flow rates of the different gas streams may be independently varied to allow adjustment of ion concentration and flow rate to meet the needs of the ion destination. This device can control sample ion introduction into gas-phase ion detectors, such as ion mobility analyzers, differential mobility analyzers, mass spectrometers, and combinations thereof.