Nu Instruments | How the Nu TIMS Filament Cover and Turret Improve Analytical Performance

This application note explains how the Nu TIMS wrap around filament cover and solid stainless steel turret design help minimise sample cross contamination, improve vacuum conditions and simplify maintenance. The design supports high-precision isotope analysis by enhancing cleanliness, reducing trapped volumes and enabling efficient multi-sample operation. The Nu TIMS source has been engineered to deliver high signal intensity while remaining easy to operate and maintain. A key feature is the wrap around filament cover system, which encloses each sample filament to minimise cross contamination between sample positions and reduce the build-up of matrix material inside the source chamber.

The filament cover acts as a protective cage around the filament, limiting the escape of neutral atoms and molecules that could otherwise contaminate neighbouring samples or internal source surfaces. Because the filament cover and filament assembly are replaced with each analysis, contaminated surfaces are removed from the source, helping maintain optimal vacuum conditions over extended operating periods.

The system is mounted on a solid stainless steel turret designed for easy cleaning and reduced trapped volumes. Up to 20 samples can be loaded simultaneously, supporting continuous analysis without breaking vacuum. The source also incorporates a side-viewing pyrometer arrangement that enables accurate filament temperature monitoring while reducing the risk of sample contamination compared with alternative turret designs.

Key Takeaways:

• Wrap around filament covers help prevent sample cross contamination and maintain cleaner source conditions.
• The solid stainless steel turret supports easy cleaning, fast pump down and reduced trapped volumes.
• Side-viewing pyrometer design enables temperature control while minimising contamination risks during analysis.