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Probing method using ion trap mass spectrometer and probing deviceRelated Patent Categories: Radiant Energy, Ionic Separation Or Analysis, MethodsProbing method using ion trap mass spectrometer and probing device description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060192101, Probing method using ion trap mass spectrometer and probing device. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/123,202, filed May 6, 2005, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/311,270, filed Dec. 13, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,894,276, which is a 371 of PCT/JP00/06411, filed Sep. 20, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present invention relates to techniques for detecting explosives and drugs, and particularly to a detecting device using ion trap mass spectrometer. BACKGROUND ART [0003] Detecting devices are demanded for detecting explosives in order to prevent terrorism and maintain security in the midst of the aggravated international conflicts. Baggage inspection apparatus using X-ray transmission are now widely used as detecting devices chiefly in airports. Since the X-ray detecting device detects objects as lumps and identifies dangerous materials from information of shape, it is called bulk detection. The detecting method based on gas analysis is called trace detection, and used to identify substances from chemical analysis information. The trace detection is characterized in that very small amounts of ingredients attached to a baggage or the like can be detected. A security scanner of greater precision is desired to produce by combining bulk detection and trace detection in order to socially strengthen the security. [0004] Custom offices also use detecting devices in order to detect forbidden chemicals sneaked through various routes. Although bulk detectors and drug-sniffing dogs are chiefly used in custom offices, a trace analyzer for forbidden chemicals is eagerly desired to produce in place of the drug-sniffing dogs. [0005] Various analyzing methods such as ion mobility spectroscopy and gas chromatography have been tried as trace detection. Research is being conducted for developing apparatus having high speed, high sensitivity and high selectivity as important factors in the detecting device. [0006] In these situations, a detecting method based on mass spectrometry is proposed that is fundamentally excellent in speed, sensitivity and selectivity as, for example, disclosed in JP-A-7-134970. A conventional detecting device based on mass spectrometry will be described with reference to FIG. 16. [0007] An air suction probe 1 is connected through an insulation pipe 2 to an ion source 3. The ion source 3 is connected through an exhaust port 4 and an insulation pipe 5 to an air exhaust pump 6. The ion source 3 has a needle electrode 7, a first aperture electrode 8, an intermediate pressure portion 9 and a second aperture electrode 10. The needle electrode 7 is connected to a power source 11, and the first aperture electrode 8 and second aperture electrode 10 are connected to an ion accelerating power source 12. The intermediate pressure portion 9 is connected through an exhaust port 13 to a vacuum pump. An electrostatic lens 14 is disposed in the stage succeeding the intermediate pressure portion. A mass spectrometric portion 15 and a detector 16 are disposed in the stage succeeding the electrostatic lens 14. A detected signal from the detector 16 is supplied through an amplifier 17 to a data processor 18. The data processor 18 detects a plurality of m/z values (mass number of ion/valence of ion) of particular chemicals, thus deciding if the detected gas contains a particular chemical. [0008] This data processor 18 has a mass determining section 101, a drug-A determining section 102, a drug-B determining section 103, a drug-C determining section 104 and an alarm driving section 105. An alarm display 19 that is driven by the alarm driving section 105 has display portions 106, 107, 108 disposed. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [0009] The above prior art has the following drawbacks. [0010] The above device detects chemicals by using the m/z values of ions generated by the ion source. Therefore, when a chemical substance exists that generates ions of the same m/z values as those of the detected drug, there is a possibility that an alarm is issued despite the fact that there is no drug. [0011] More specifically, there is the problem that while the device is detecting an awakening drug within baggage, it may misreport in response to the ingredients of a beauty product stored in the baggage. This misreport is caused by low selectivity of the mass spectrometric portion for analyzing ions, or when the device cannot distinguish the ions of the drug incidentally having the same m/z values from the ions of cosmetics. [0012] Tandem mass spectrometry is known as a method of increasing the selectivity in the mass spectrometer. As devices for implementing the tandem mass spectrometry, there are triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. In the tandem mass spectrometry, the following steps are performed: [0013] (1) First-stage mass analysis, in which mass analysis is made to measure the m/z values of ions generated by the ion source; [0014] (2) Selection, in which ions having a particular m/z value are selected from the ions having various m/z values; [0015] (3) Dissociation, in which the selected ions (precursor ions) are dissociated by collision with neutral gas to produce resolvent ions (fragment ions); and [0016] (4) Second-stage mass analysis, in which mass analysis is made for fragment ions. [0017] When the precursor ions are dissociated, the strength of chemical bond at each place of the molecule determines where the molecule is cut away. Therefore, analyzing the fragment ions will make it possible to obtain a mass spectrum containing an extreme abundance of molecular structure information of precursor ions. Accordingly, even if the m/z values of ions generated by the ion source are the same by chance, it can be decided if the objects being detected are contained in pieces of baggage by examining the mass spectrum of fragment ions. [0018] Thus, if the mass spectrometric portion 15 in the conventional probing device of FIG. 16 is replaced by a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer or quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer to implement the tandem mass spectrometry, the selectivity can be improved, and the misreport can be reduced. However, the tandem mass spectrometry takes a longer time than the normal mass spectrometry, and thus the detecting speed of the detecting device cannot be improved. [0019] For the above reasons, the detecting device has been requested to have high selectivity and high speed. [0020] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a high-speed, less misreport detecting device for explosives and banned drugs by using fast screening mode and high-selectivity detailed checking mode. Continue reading about Probing method using ion trap mass spectrometer and probing device... Full patent description for Probing method using ion trap mass spectrometer and probing device Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Probing method using ion trap mass spectrometer and probing device patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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