Detectors

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to improved devices and techniques for improving the calibration of laboratory analytical instruments, especially those whose detector response generally exhibit a non-linear response curve. Some embodiments relate to applying a relatively high voltage at the central pin of a charged aerosol detector's (CAD's) ion trap. By applying a high voltage, relatively more small particles (which generally constitute background reagents) are driven into the ion trap's outer wall, thus improving the CAD's signal-to-noise ratio. Other embodiments, which may be used separately or together with the increased voltage, use calibration standards data and the best-fitting model from a variety of fitting models (which are not limited to a power law function) to transform the raw non-linear data points to linear data points. Consequently, a best linear fit calibration line can be obtained for each individual analyte using the transformation model most appropriate to that analyte.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.