Apparatus and method for elemental analysis of particles by mass spectrometry

A mass spectrometer for elemental analysis of a particle, the mass spectrometer comprising:

• a particle introduction system;
• an inductively-coupled plasma source positioned downstream of the particle introduction system, the inductively-coupled plasma source being configured to produce ions and light emission from staining elements associated with the particle;
• an ion mass-to-charge ratio analyzer positioned downstream of the inductively-coupled plasma source, the analyzer being configured to separate ions according to their mass-to-charge ratio;
• a main ion detector for detecting the separated ions and producing data output;
• a digitizer for digitizing the output;
• a data transfer channel for transferring the digitized data output;
• at least one of a data processor and a data recorder to receive the digitized data output;
• a particle presence detector in the mass spectrometer having an activation corresponding with the detection of the light emission of a particle to be analyzed in the mass spectrometer;
• and
• a synchronizer having an activation input from the particle presence detector and that synchronizes with a command output to at least one of the main ion detector, the digitizer, the data transfer channel, the data processor and the data recorder;
• wherein the particle presence detector in the mass spectrometer triggers the synchronizer.