Methods for Optimizing Mass Spectrometer Parameters

A method for determining optimal values of a mass spectral operating parameter for use in analyzing each of a plurality of compounds by mass spectrometry comprising:

• acquiring a plurality of mass spectral measurements of each of at least one characteristic ion species of each respective compound as each said respective compound is introduced into a mass spectrometer and while a respective quantity of each introduced compound varies with time wherein, for each characteristic ion species, the operational parameter is caused to vary between successive mass spectral measurements of the said each characteristic ion species;
• calculating, for each characteristic ion species, a corrected intensity of at least a portion of the plurality of mass spectral measurements of said each characteristic ion species, based on a best-fit synthetic model curve that relates to the time variation of the respective corresponding compound quantity;
• and
• determining the optimal values of the mass spectral operating parameter from analyses of variation of the corrected intensities with respect to variation of the operational parameter.