Patent number: 6122050

Optical interface for a radially viewed inductively coupled argon plasma-Optical emission spectrometer

Original Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.

Field of technology: Optics

Patent granted on: Tue, 19 Sep 2000

Patent drawing

Abstract

The device disclosed herein is useful in the development of a new plasma spectrometer with enhanced sensitivity. An alteration in the configuration of the optic lenses used in conjunction with a water-cooled disc allows for the use of a short depth of focus to more reliably sample a given analyte. The collimating lens used in this invention can be placed within 4 millimeters of the load coil, including in the tip of the axial plasma generated by the RF generator. When used with in conjunction with a high-efficiency nebulizer to more precisely control the size of the sample droplets present in the base of the plasma further reduces the matrix effects seen in other spectrometers, while enhancing sensitivity. The optics configuration disclosed in the instant invention allows for the retrofitting of a conventional radially-viewed plasma spectrometer into a more sensitive axially-viewed spectrometer. The optics configuration can also be used to either enhance the sensitivity of existing spectrometers, or as a substitute for new ICP-OES systems to reduce their matrix effects as well. The typical spectrometer for which this change in configuration would be most useful would be an inductively coupled argon plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), in which the analyte studied can be sectioned axially.