Sample introduction method and system for atomic spectrometry

1. A sample introduction system for atomic spectrometry comprising:

a spray head including a mesh having opposite faces, a sample flow path for conducting a liquid sample to one face of the mesh and a transducer for vibrating the mesh;

a driver for driving the transducer to expel sample droplets from the other face of the mesh;

an elongated tubular adapter defining a flow passage having a proximal end aligned with and spaced from the mesh and a distal end;

a tubular wall surrounding a proximal end segment of the elongated tubular adapter to define a chamber in fluid communication with said other face of the mesh and with said proximal end of the flow passage;

a carrier gas source connected to the chamber;

a flow control device for controlling the flow of gas from the carrier gas source to the chamber so that the gas can mix with any sample droplets expelled from the mesh to form an aerosol in the flow passage, and

a controller for controlling the driver to provide in said aerosol a selected total volume of monodisperse droplets and for independently controlling said flow control device to provide a selected rate of flow of the aerosol along said flow passage thereby to optimize consumption of the liquid sample.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the proximal end of said flow passage has a funnel shape.

3. The system defined in claim 2 wherein the funnel shape extends axially beyond the chamber.

4. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier gas is argon.

5. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the driver comprises:

a DC power supply, and

a waveform generator connected between the DC power supply and the transducer, said controller controlling the waveform generator to deliver to the transducer a periodic voltage waveform having a frequency corresponding to a resonant frequency of the transducer.

6. The system defined in claim 5 wherein the controller controls a duty cycle of the voltage waveform.

7. The system defined in claim 5 wherein the periodic voltage waveform is a sine wave or a square wave.

8. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the mesh comprises a thin sheet containing a multiplicity of perforations having a selected size and a selected separation.

9. The system defined in claim 8 wherein the thin sheet is of an acid-resistant metal or plastic material.

10. The system defined in claim 1 wherein said sample flow path includes:

a housing defining a cavity facing said one face of the mesh;

an inlet into the cavity, said inlet being connected to a sample source; and

an outlet from the cavity, said inlet and outlet being spaced apart so that the liquid sample is directed across said one face of the mesh.

11. A method of introducing a sample into an atomic spectrometer, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a spray head including a vibratable mesh;

conducting a liquid sample to one face of the vibratable mesh;

vibrating the vibratable mesh to expel sample droplets from the other face of the mesh into a proximal end of a flow passage axially spaced from the vibratable mesh;

conducting a low pressure gas into the proximal end of the flow passage to mix with the sample droplets to form an aerosol in the flow passage;

controlling the vibrating to provide in the aerosol a selected total volume of monodisperse droplets; and

independently controlling the flow of the low pressure gas to provide a selected rate of flow of said aerosol along the flow passage thereby to optimize consumption of the liquid sample.

12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein

the vibrating step is carried out by a transducer contacting the vibratable mesh, and

the vibrating control step is accomplished controlling a duty cycle of a voltage waveform applied to the transducer.