Maintaining spectral quality over long measuring periods in imaging mass spectrometry
US11081328B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Grant date | Aug 3, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 5, 2040 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J49/164
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The invention relates to imaging mass spectrometry on thin sample sections, in particular using MALDI, where a high lateral image resolution means that a plethora of mass spectra has to be acquired and the image acquisition runs over many hours. The quality of the mass spectra deteriorates considerably over time in such cases. The invention is based on the finding that the decrease in spectral quality of continuous measurement series over many hours is only partially caused by a decrease in detector gain, and that another significant cause is a decrease in the number of usable ions per ion generating pulse, which is attributable to several phenomena that are difficult to regulate. The invention now proposes to instead regulate only the detector gain, and such that not only the decrease in the detector gain is compensated, but also the decrease in the number of usable ions per ion generating pulse.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.