Collision/reaction cell

A collision/reaction cell is a device used in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to remove interfering ions through ion/neutral reactions. A collision/reaction cell is a device used in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to remove interfering ions through ion/neutral reactions. The collision reaction cell known by the trade name dynamic reaction cell was introduced by Perkin-Elmer on their Elan DRC (followed by Elan DRC II and Elan DRC-e) instrument. The dynamic reaction cell is a chamber placed before the traditional quadrupole chamber of an ICP-MS device, for eliminating isobaric interferences. The chamber has a quadrupole and can be filled-up with reaction (or collision) gases (ammonia, methane, oxygen or hydrogen), with one gas type at a time or a mixture of two of them, which reacts with the introduced sample, eliminating some of the interference. The DRC is characterized by the following parameters, that can be modified: RPq (the corresponding q parameter from the Mathieu equation), RPa (the corresponding a parameter from the Mathieu equation), which refer to the voltage applied to the quadrupole rods and the gas flow of the reaction gas. Ammonia gas is the best solution for the majority of interferences, but it is far for being the perfect gas. Sometimes, for specific isotopes, other gas must be used for better results or even mathematical correction, if no gas offers a satisfactory advantage. The proprietary collisional reaction interface (CRI) used in the Bruker ICP-MS Aurora M90 destroying interfering ions. These ions are removed by injecting a collisional gas (He), or a reactive gas (H2), or a mixture of the two, directly into the plasma as it flows through the skimmer cone and/or the sampler cone. Supplying the reactive/collisional gas into the tip of the skimmer cone induces extra collisions and reactions that destroy polyatomic ions in the passing plasma. Fundamentally CRI is a mini- Collision/Reaction Cell installed in front of the parabolic Ion Mirror optics.