Mass spectrometer leak detector with an accelerator section between plural analyzersand the method for using same

Claim 1

A MASS SPECTROMETER LEAK DETECTOR THAT USES A TRACER GAS HAVING A PREDETERMINED MASS TO CHARGE RATIO COMPRISING, ION PRODUCING AND ACCELERATING MEANS ADAPTED FOR SUPPLYING A BEAM OF IONS OF HETEROGENEOUS MASS TO CHARGE RATIO ALONG A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, ION DETECTING MEANS, A PLURALITY OF MAGNETIC ANALYZER MEANS SPACED ALONG THE PATH OF ION TRAVEL INTERMEDIATE SAID ION PRODUCING MEANS AND SAID ION DETECTING MEANS, SAID ANALYZER MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO SELECTIVELY SEPARATE SAID ION BEAM INTO BEAMS OF IONS OF HOMOGENEOUS MASS TO CHARGE RATIO, AND INTERSTAGE ELECTRODE BETWEEN A SPACED PAIR OF SAID MAGNETIC ANALYZERS AND HAVING AN APERTURE FOR SELECTIVELY PASSING A SUBSTANTIALLY RESOLVED BEAM OF IONS OF SAID PREDETERMINED MASS TO CHARGE RATIO THERETHROUGH AND TOWARDS THE SECOND ANALYZER OF SAID PAIR, CONDUCTING MEANS BETWEEN ONE ANALYZER OF SAID PAIR AND SAID INTERSTAGE ELECTRODE AND HAVING AN OPENING FOR PASSING THE RESOLVED ION BEAM THERETHROUGH, SAID MEANS FOR INSULATING SAID CONDUCTING MEANS FROM SAID INTERSTAGE ELECTRODE FOR OPERATION AT DIFFERENT POTENTIALS FOR SELECTIVELY ACCELERATING GROUPED IONS OF DIFFERENT MASS TO CHARGE RATIO FOR SELECTIVE RESOLUTION BY THE SECOND ANALYZER OF SAID PAIR.

Claim 3

A METHOD FOR DETECTING MINUTE LEAKS USING A PREDETERMINED TRACER GAS THROUGH THE HERMETICALLY SEALED WALLS OF VACUUM OR PRESSURE SEALED APPARATUS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: IONIZING SAID GAS FROM A MINUTE LEAK THROUGH SAID WALLS; FOCUSING SAID ACCELERATING IONS PRODUCED BY IONIZING SAID GAS TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY MONOENERGETIC ION BEAM; ANALYZING AND RESOLVING THE IONS OF SAID BEAM TO PROVIDE A FIRST FOCUS OF IONS; FURTHER ACCELERATING SAID IONS; REANALYZING AND RESOLVING THE ACCELERATED IONS TO PROVIDE A SECOND FOCUS OF IONS HAVING A PREDETERMINED MASS TO CHARGE RATIO RELATED TO SAID GAS; AND DETECTING THE IONS OF SAID PREDETERMINED MASS TO CHARGE RATIO AT SAID SECOND FOCUS TO PROVIDE AN INDICATION OF THE GAS LEAKING THROUGH SAID WALLS.

Claim 4

A METHOD FOR DETECTING MINUTE LEAKS USING A PREDETERMINED TRACER GAS THROUGH THE HERMETICALLY SEALED WALLS OF VACUUM OR PRESSURE SEALED APPARATUS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: IONIZING SAID GAS FROM A MINUTE LEAK THROUGH SAID WALLS; FOCUSING SAID ACCELERATING IONS PRODUCED BY IONIZING SAID GAS TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY MONOENERGETIC ION BEAM; ANALYZING AND RESOLVING THE IONS OF SAID BEAM TO PROVIDE A FIRST FOCUS OF IONS; FURTHER ACCELERATING SAID IONS; REANALYZING AND RESOLVING THE ACCELERATED IONS TO PROVIDE A SECOND FOCUS OF IONS HAVING A PREDETERMINED MASS TO CHARGE RATIO RELATED TO SAID GAS; AND DETECTING THE IONS OF SAID PREDETERMINED MASS TO CHARGE RATIO AT SAID SECOND FOCUS TO PROVIDE AN INDICATION OF THE GAS LEAKING THROUGH SAID WALLS.