# US 9,437,409 B2 · High voltage power supply filter for a mass spectrometer

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- Number: US 9,437,409 B2
- Document ID: US9437409B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/367,229
- Filed: 2012-12-06
- Published: 2015-07-02
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-27
- Assignees: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
- Applicants: DH Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.
- Inventors: John Vandermey; Alexander Tsipirovich
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437409B2

## CPC

- H01J 49/022: {Circuit arrangements, e.g. for generating deviation currents or voltages (regulating electric or magnetic variables in general, e.g. current, magnetic field G05F); Components associated with high voltage supply (high voltage supply per se H02M)}
- G05F 3/16: being semiconductor devices
- H01J 49/025: {Detectors specially adapted to particle spectrometers (data acquisition H01J49/0036; detectors per se G01T, e.g. G01T1/28, G01T1/29)}
- H01J 49/067: {Ion lenses, apertures, skimmers}
- H01J 49/26: Mass spectrometers or separator tubes
- H03H 7/0138: {Electrical filters or coupling circuits}
- H03H 11/04: Frequency selective two-port networks
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- H03H: IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (waveguides, resonators, lines or other devices of the waveguide type H01P)

## Abstract

Systems, devices, circuits, and methods are provided for an improved mass spectrometry detection system that comprises at least one component that operates at a high voltage. A number of high voltage filters or circuits are provided for reducing noise from high voltage power supplies that produce positive and negative voltages. In some embodiments, the filters can comprise one or more diodes. In some embodiments, the filters can comprise one or more transistors. In some embodiments, the filters can comprise one or more transistor pairs. A variety of embodiments of systems, devices, circuits, and methods in conjunction with the disclosures are provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A circuit for use with a high voltage power supply of a mass spectrometer system, comprising:
a high voltage input;
a high voltage output;
a low pass filter coupled between the high voltage input and the high voltage output and configured to prevent frequencies higher than a threshold frequency from passing to the high voltage output; and
at least two transistors coupled between the high voltage input and the high voltage output, the at least two transistors being electrically coupled in parallel and each comprising an emitter follower transistor and wherein the at least two transistors are positioned downstream of the low pass filter and configured to filter noise from a voltage outputted by the high voltage input before the voltage arrives at the high voltage output; and wherein a collector lead of each of the at least two transistors is electrically connected to the high voltage input and a base lead of each of the at least two transistors is electrically connected to the low pass filter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1 wherein a first transistor of the at least two transistors comprises an npn transistor and a second transistor of the at least two transistors comprises a pnp transistor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the at least two transistors comprises at least two transistor pairs electrically coupled in parallel, each pair comprising a Darlington transistor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the low pass filter comprises at least one resistor and at least one capacitor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a Zener diode pair electrically coupled in parallel with the at least two transistors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a resistor disposed downstream of the at least two transistors.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the high voltage input is the only power supply associated with the circuit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the high voltage output is applied to at least one of a lens, an accelerator, an electrode, a liner, a reflector, and one or more multi-channel plate detectors.

### Claim 9 (depends on 3)

The circuit of claim 3 wherein a first transistor pair of the at least two transistor pairs comprises at least two npn transistors and a second transistor pair of the at least two transistor pairs comprises at least two pnp transistors.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The circuit of claim 4 wherein the low pass filter comprises a second order low pass filter such that the at least one resistor comprises at least two resistors and the at least one capacitor comprises at least two capacitors.