1st Detect Receives U.S. Patent For Mass Spectrometer Design - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - 1st Detect Corp., a unit of Astrotech Corp. (ASTC), said that the United States Patent Office or USPTO has allowed the issuance of a key patent for the company's unique ion trap used for chemical analysis and detection.

The company noted that the patent, entitled "A Mass Spectrometer Ion Trap Having Asymmetric End Cap Apertures", published as USPTO No. 8,610,055, represents a key technological advantage for it to improve the sensitivity and resolution of small mass spectrometers without increasing the complexity or cost of the instrument.

Thomas Pickens III, Chairman and CEO of 1st Detect said, "This patent is an important component of our intellectual property portfolio as it allows 1st Detect to enhance the performance of miniaturized mass spectrometers without an increase in size or cost. The patent clearly validates our technology, while both demonstrating and protecting the progress we have made in the development of the 1st Detect mass spectrometer."