DART for mass analysis
3 Mar 2005
JEOL USA has unveiled a new system for analyzing the chemical composition of solids, gases, and liquids in open air.
At Pittcon 2005 last month, JEOL demonstrated its DART (Direct Analysis in Real Time) ion source for its AccuTOF mass spectrometer, using the instrument to analyze everyday items such as currency and clothing to instantly detect the presence of illicit drugs or explosives.
During the demo, the DART identified, in real time, the chemical makeup of spices, biological samples, pharmaceuticals and food.
The resulting chromatograms showed qualitative and quantitative information about the sample composition and concentrations.
The DART eliminates the need for sample preparation and, as a result, the need to use either gas or liquid chromatography.
Without the use of solvents, radiation, or vacuum, the DART liberates eliminates the time it takes to prepare samples, the need for chemicals and their disposal, and the need to maintain and clean plumbing.
DART preserves the integrity of the sample and provides real-time information, critical for screening or high throughput analyses during forensics investigations, homeland security operations, and toxicological examinations. The DART with AccuTOF uses no chemicals, radiation, or lasers.
During its development and subsequent beta site testing at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center located at the US Army Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, DART successfully sampled hundreds of chemicals, including chemical agents and their signatures, pharmaceutics, metabolites, peptides and oligosaccharides, synthetic organics, organometallics, drugs of abuse, explosives, and toxic industrial chemicals. These chemicals were detected on a variety of surfaces.
The DART is based on the reactions of excited-state species with reagent molecules and polar or non-polar analytes and is free of the limitations of other atmospheric pressure ion sources, which require direct exposure of gaseous or vaporised liquid samples to elevated temperatures and electrical potentials, ultraviolet irradiation, laser radiation, or a high-velocity gas stream.
