Techniques for display and processing of mass spectral data

A system comprising:

• a memory comprising code;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory that, responsive to executing the code, causes the system to:
• access raw mass spectral data representing data collected from a mass spectrometer prior to being processed by performing peak detection, mapping or translating raw scan times to corresponding retention times or drift times, performing retention time alignment, or associating precursor and fragment or product ions as originating from a same originating molecule based on common retention times of such ions, the raw mass spectral data comprising precursor ion data and fragment ion data for a plurality of scans generated during a mass analysis experiment of a sample, wherein said precursor ion data comprises raw mass spectral data acquired during a low energy mode of the mass analysis experiment and said fragment ion data comprises raw mass spectral data acquired during an elevated energy mode of the mass analysis experiment;
• specify a set of selection criteria configured to be applied to the raw mass spectral data, the selection criteria comprising a first mass value, a second mass value, and a logical operation applied to the first mass value and the second mass value;
• selectively generate a chromatogram based on applying the set of selection criteria to the raw mass spectral data by:
• presenting a non-zero signal intensity only at scan times corresponding to when said precursor ion data and said fragment ion data in the raw mass spectral data meet the set of selection criteria, and
• indicating a zero signal intensity at remaining scan times corresponding to when said precursor ion data and said fragment ion data in the raw mass spectral data do not meet the set of selection criteria.

A computer-implemented method comprising, by a processor of a computer system:

• accessing raw mass spectral data representing data collected from a mass spectrometer prior to being processed by performing peak detection, mapping or translating raw scan times to corresponding retention times or drift times, performing retention time alignment, or associating precursor and fragment or product ions as originating from a same originating molecule based on common retention times of such ions;
• specifying at least one mass difference selection criterion comprising a mass difference value;
• determine at least one data point by applying the at least one mass difference selection criterion to at least a portion of a plurality of scan times of the raw mass spectral data, the at least one data point corresponding to a scan time of the plurality of scan times where at least two ions have masses separated by the mass difference value in the raw mass spectral data;
• and
• generate a chromatogram based on applying the at least one mass difference selection criterion to the raw mass spectral data, the chromatogram displaying the data point at the scan time of the plurality of scan times, and not displaying data for remaining scan times of the plurality of scan times.