Patent · US Active

Blanking out of pulses in pulsed lasers for LDI mass spectrometers

US10037878B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
4References
14Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 30, 2016
Grant dateJul 31, 2018
Priority date—
Expiry dateAug 30, 2036

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S3/10061
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention relates to optically pumped and pulsed solid-state lasers which are used in mass spectrometers in particular for ionization by matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALDI) and which operate at pulse frequencies of up to 10 kilohertz or even higher. The invention proposes that, instead of interrupting the clocked sequence of the laser operation, individual light pulses or groups of light pulses are blanked out so that subsequent light pulses do not have a higher energy density, in accordance with the requirements for LDI processes. Methods and devices for the blanking out of light pulses are provided which are, in particular, low cost and considerably less complex than other methods.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.