Detects a Variety of Compounds such as Explosive, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Forensic Compounds These designs for field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometers (FAIMS) separates ions based on their difference in mobility providing better resolution and resolving power than available electrode designs. FAIMS instruments are used to analyze the molecular composition of a sample. As terrorism remains a growing global threat, the market for devices that detect certain types of compounds is growing. The global market for biodetection alone could grow 14 percent by 2019, the firm Homeland Security Research predicted, and the "people screening" market could be worth $2 billion as more advanced devices are installed at airports and other security checkpoints. The superior design developed by University of Florida researchers improves resolution, sensitivity and consistency in the spectrometers, which can be used to detect explosives, pharmaceuticals, and biological and forensic compounds.
Ion mobility spectrometry for detection of explosive, biological, pharmaceutical and forensic compounds
FAIMS separates ions on the basis of a difference in the mobility of an ion at high fields relative to its mobility at low fields. The new spherical cell designs are superior to the flat-plate and cylindrical designs now available, because spherical cells have increased sensitivity, a stronger focusing effect and equidistant ion trajectories regardless of the flow path taken. This design also improves resolution and resolving power. This design could be coupled to a mass spectrometer or used alone to detect explosive, biological, pharmaceutical and forensic compounds.