Method for averaging and ion accumulation
AssigneeThermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH
InventorHamish Stewart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of operating an analytical instrument for analysing ions is provided. The analytical instrument comprises an ion storage device. The method comprises determining a target accumulation time and determining whether the target accumulation time is greater than or less than a threshold accumulation time. Based on the target accumulation time being greater than or less than the threshold accumulation time. ions are accumulated in the ion storage device and injected as one or more pulses for analysis. The method further comprises performing an analysis on each of the one or more injected pulses. An analytical instrument for analysing ions is also provided.
Claims20
A method of operating an analytical instrument for analysing ions, wherein the analytical instrument comprises an ion storage device, the method comprising:
- determining a target accumulation time;
- determining whether the target accumulation time is greater than a threshold accumulation time;
- when it is determined that the target accumulation time is less than the threshold accumulation time:
- accumulating ions in the ion storage device over the target accumulation time;
- and
- injecting the accumulated ions as a pulse for analysis;
- when it is determined that the target accumulation time is greater than the threshold accumulation time:
- defining a plurality of shorter accumulation times, the shorter accumulation times each being shorter than the target accumulation time, the shorter accumulation times being determined based on the target accumulation time and the threshold accumulation time;
- and
- sequentially for each of the shorter ion accumulation times:
- accumulating ions in the ion storage device over the shorter ion accumulation time and injecting the ions accumulated over the shorter ion accumulation time as a pulse for analysis;
- and
- performing analysis of the or each injected pulse.
An analytical instrument for analysing ions, the analytical instrument comprising:
- an ion storage device;
- and
- a control system;
- wherein the control system is configured to determine a target accumulation time, and to determine whether the target accumulation time is greater than a threshold accumulation time;
- wherein the control system is configured to, when it is determined that the target accumulation time is less than the threshold accumulation time:
- cause the instrument to accumulate ions in the ion storage device over the target accumulation time;
- and
- cause the instrument to inject the accumulated ions as a pulse for analysis;
- wherein the control system is configured to, when it is determined that the target accumulation time is greater than the threshold accumulation time:
- define a plurality of shorter accumulation times, the shorter accumulation times each being shorter than the target accumulation time, the shorter accumulation times being determined based on the target accumulation time and the threshold accumulation time;
- and
- cause the instrument to, sequentially for each of the shorter ion accumulation times:
- accumulate ions in the ion storage device over the shorter ion accumulation time and inject the ions accumulated over the shorter ion accumulation time as a pulse for analysis;
- and
- wherein the control system is configured to cause the instrument to perform analysis of the or each injected pulse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.