Detection apparatus for detecting charged particles, methods for detecting charged particles and mass spectrometer
AssigneeThermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH
InventorsAnastassios Giannakopulos, Alexander A. Makarov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide a detection apparatus for detecting charged particles having a secondary particle generator for generating secondary charged particles in response to receiving incoming charged particles, a charged particle detector for receiving and detecting secondary charged particles generated by the secondary particle generator, a photon generator for generating photons in response to receiving secondary charged particles generated by the secondary particle generator, and a photon detector for detecting the photons generated by the photon generator.
Claims17
A detection apparatus for detecting charged particles comprising:
- a secondary particle generator for generating secondary charged particles in response to receiving incoming charged particles;
- a photon generator for generating photons in response to receiving the secondary charged particles generated by the secondary particle generator;
- a photon detector for detecting the photons generated by the photon generator and for generating a high gain output based on the detected photons;
- a charged particle detector for receiving and detecting the secondary charged particles generated by the secondary particle generator and for generating a low gain output based on the detected secondary charged particles, the charged particle detector comprising an electrode for receiving the secondary charged particles, and the electrode comprising a conductive material associated with the photon generator;
- and
- a computer configured to combine the outputs from the charged particle detector and the photon detector to form a high dynamic range mass spectrum, wherein combining comprises using the high gain output to form the high dynamic range mass spectrum for data points in the mass spectrum where the high gain output is not saturated and using the low gain output to form the high dynamic range mass spectrum for data points in the mass spectrum where the high gain output is saturated.
A method for detecting charged particles comprising:
- receiving incoming charged particles;
- generating secondary charged particles in response to receiving the incoming charged particles;
- receiving and detecting the generated secondary charged particles using an electrode and generating a low gain output based on the detected secondary charged particles;
- generating photons in response to receiving the generated secondary charged particles using a photon generator;
- detecting the generated photons and generating a high gain output based on the detected generate photons;
- and
- using a computer, combining the high gain output and the low gain output to form a high dynamic range mass spectrum, comprising using the high gain output to form the high dynamic range mass spectrum for data points in the mass spectrum where the high gain output is not saturated and using the low gain output to form the high dynamic rang mass spectrum for data points in the mass spectrum where the high gain output is saturated;
- wherein the electrode for receiving and detecting the secondary charged particles comprises a conductive material associated with the photon generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.