Intellectual Property Law

US Patent 7521672 - Quantum dot array for mass spectroscopy

Mass spectrometry attempts to discover the chemical components of an unknown sample using mass separation via differing charge to mass ratios. However, the sample holders conventionally used in mass spectroscopy can often produce unwanted debris obscuring operation after repeated use. This patent teaches a quantum dot surface formed in the sample plate which avoids such fouling and makes cleaning easier. Claim 1 reads:

1. A sample plate for laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry, comprising a surface, on which a plurality of convex quantum dot structures contacting a sample are distributed.

Full post as published by TinytechIP on April 26, 2009 (boomark / email).