January 21, 2010, Peabody, Mass. -- JEOL’s award-winning AccuTOF-DART™ mass spectrometer, featuring the new iPod touch-enabled DART SVP ion source, offers a new set of performance features for accurate mass measurements in real time using advanced time-of-flight technology.
JEOL introduced the Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART™) ion source in 2005 for its AccuTOF-LC mass spectrometer, expanding the system’s capability with the first commercially-available open air analysis source that produced immediate, accurate mass spectra with little or no sample preparation.
The new generation of DART ion source, the DART SVP (simplified voltage and pressure), integrates sample automation with flexibility in set up and positioning of the sample for rapid, repeatable performance. A computer-controlled linear rail can be combined with a variety of sample holders - tweezers, a tablet holder, a plate holder, a tube holder, custom holders of all sorts - for precise and automated analysis of samples, TLC plates, and sample tips. Now featuring a wide selectable range of distances between the source and the atmospheric pressure interface (API), the AccuTOF-DART SVP allows for off-axis analyses of surfaces. Direct interfacing between the DART SVP source to the AccuTOF API prevents chemical interferences from altering the analytes prior to analysis. The DART SVP is a more rugged design than the first production series, is easier to operate, conserves gas and uses less energy, and enables the use of low cost nitrogen gas.
The AccuTOF-DART with iDART automation takes the guess work out of setup and sets voltage, gas, and pressure for the DART source and simplifies operation with a simple graphical user interface. Using the Apple iPod, the operator selects an ion polarity, temperature, and position for the sample. Once the source reaches the target temperature, the experiment automatically runs through to completion, or the researcher can monitor and change experimental conditions as desired. New users can view a video instruction manual on the iPod with sample experiments that can be replicated. The DART SVP is traditionally operated with a PC, and can be remotely controlled and monitored via a wireless or Ethernet connection.
The JEOL AccuTOF-DART SVP provides accurate mass measurements that can be used along with the isotopic information generated in the data to readily determine the elemental composition of unknown analytes. The system also features an Electrospray Ion Source (ESI) for LC-MS, and optional Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization (APCI), nano-ESI, and micro-ESI sources.