Analytical instruments using a pseudorandom array of sources, such as a micro-machined mass spectrometer or monochromator

An analytical system comprising:

• a source assembly comprising a plurality of sources, the sources spatially arrayed pseudo-randomly in at least a first dimension;
• a detector assembly spaced from the source assembly, the detector assembly comprising a number of sensors sensitive to an output of the plurality of sources;
• and
• a computer coupled to the detector assembly to receive detector signals therefrom corresponding to the output of the plurality of sources sensed by the number of sensors, the computer programmed to process the detector signals via a deconvolution algorithm,
• wherein the computer is programmed to process the detector signals via a deconvolution algorithm by:
• constructing a detector signal matrix from the detector signals;
• multiplying the detector signal matrix by a deconvolution matrix to produce a spectrum matrix;
• and
• truncating the spectrum matrix after the first L elements to produce a pseudorandom spectrum.

An analytical system comprising:

• a source assembly comprising a plurality of sources, the sources spatially arrayed pseudo-randomly in at least a first dimension;
• a detector assembly spaced from the source assembly, the detector assembly comprising a number of sensors sensitive to an output of the plurality of sources;
• and
• a computer coupled to the detector assembly to receive detector signals therefrom corresponding to the output of the plurality of sources sensed by the number of sensors, the computer programmed to process the detector signals via a deconvolution algorithm,
• wherein the number of sensors in the detector assembly is equal to N+L−1 where N is the number of sources and L is the length of a spectrum.

An analytical system comprising:

• a source assembly comprising a plurality of sources spatially arrayed in at least a first dimension;
• a detector assembly spaced from the source assembly, the detector assembly comprising a number of sensors sensitive to an output of the plurality of sources;
• and
• a computer coupled to control activation of the sources in a spatially pseudo-random order in at least a first dimension,
• wherein the computer is coupled to control activation of the sources in a spatially pseudo-random order in at least a first dimension by:
• activating successive ones of the plurality of sources with a respective pseudo-random number of unactivated sources between each respective pair of the activated sources in the array.

An analytical device, comprising

• means for activating a number of pseudo-randomly arrayed ion sources to produce output;
• a detector coupled to detect output produced by the pseudo-randomly arrayed ion sources and to produce detector signals corresponding to the detected output;
• and
• means for deconvoluting the detector signals to produce a pseudorandom spectrum.

An analytical device comprising:

• a source assembly comprising a plurality of sources, the sources spatially arrayed pseudo-randomly in at least a first dimension;
• and
• a detector assembly spaced from the source assembly, the detector assembly comprising a number of sensors sensitive to an output of the plurality of sources,
• wherein each of the plurality of sources is an ion emitter source and the detector comprises an array of particle detectors.

A mass spectrometer, comprising:

• an ion source assembly comprising a plurality of ion sources, the sources spatially arrayed pseudo-randomly in at least a first dimension;
• an ion detector assembly spaced from the source assembly, the ion detector assembly comprising a number of sensors sensitive to an output of the plurality of sources;
• and
• a computer coupled to the detector assembly to receive detector signals therefrom corresponding to the output of the plurality of ion sources sensed by the number of sensors, the computer programmed to process the detector signals via a deconvolution algorithm.

A mass spectrometer system, comprising:

• an ion source assembly comprising a plurality of ion sources spatially arrayed in at least a first dimension;
• an ion detector assembly spaced from the source assembly, the ion detector assembly comprising a number of sensors sensitive to an output of the plurality of sources;
• and
• a computer coupled to control activation of the ion sources in a spatially pseudo-random order in at least a first dimension,
• wherein the computer is coupled to control activation of the ion sources in a spatially pseudo-random order in at least a first dimension by:
• activating successive ones of the plurality of sources with a respective pseudo-random number of unactivated sources between each respective pair of the activated sources in the array.