US 6,982,415 B2
Controlling ion populations in a mass analyzer having a pulsed ion source
Viatcheslav V. Kovtoun, Santa Clara, Calif. (US)
Assigned to Thermo Finnigan LLC, San Jose, Calif. (US)
Filed on Jan. 23, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/764,269.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/442368, filed on Jan. 24, 2003.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/476473, filed on Jun. 05, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2004/0200959 A1, Oct. 14, 2004
Int. Cl. H01J 49/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 250—282 39 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a mass spectrometer, the method comprising:
a) generating a test packet of ions from a pulsed ion source;
b) detecting a population of ions derived from the test packet of ions;
c) based on the detected population, determining a number of ionization events of the pulsed ion source required to provide an analysis packet of ions expected to have a desired population of ions; and
d) providing an analysis packet of ions by accumulating ions for the determined number of ionization events.