Compact static mass spectrometer for medical diagnostics

Abstract

Static mass spectrometer for detecting pathologies in the human organism from to the composition of exhaled air is described in this paper. The instrument is equipped with the capillary and membrane sample intake systems for dynamic investigations of a number of components in the exhaled mixture as well as for determining trace amounts of specific volatile biomarkers accompanying diseases of the respiratory system, blood circulation system, interstitial tract, and endocrine system. Tests of the mass spectrometer with the membrane sample inlet system have shown for one of the markers that the monitoring of acetone vapor in air during the respiratory process can be carried out at a level of ∼1 ppm. Mass spectrometric detection of a number of other markers with a higher (up to two orders of magnitude) penetrability through the membrane as compared to acetone becomes possible at the ppb level. The presented static mass spectrometer was tested for the possibility of working with a linear Ion CCD matrix designed to directly register ions in a wide energy range. The experimental results prove that the selected scheme of the mass spectrometer can be used in combination with both the IonCCD detector and the microchannel plate – IonCCD detector without significantly deteriorating the main performance characteristics of the instrument.