Leak detection system which utilizes a sorption pump and a specific mass spectrometer detector

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR DETECTING LEAKS IN AN EVACUATED VESSEL HAVING ITS EXTERIOR SURFACE EXPOSED TO ATMOSPHERIC AIR AND A SCANNING PROBE GAS OF LOW MASS RELATIVE TO AIR, SAID VESSEL BEING CONNECTED TO A SORPTION PUMP HAVING SORBENT MATERIAL FOR SELECTIVELY BLOCKING THE PASSAGE OF AIR AND PERMITTING THE PASSAGE OF SAID PROBE GAS, THE COMBINATION OF A MASS SPECTROMETER CONNECTED TO SAID SORPTION PUMP, SAID MASS SPECTROMETER COMPRISING AN ANODE, A CATHODE SURROUNDING SAID ANODE BUT HAVING AT LEAST AN APERTURE FORMED THERIN AT A POINT RADIALLY DISPLACED FROM SAID ANODE, A HOUSING EXTENDING GENERALLY RADIALLY FROM SAID CATHODE AND SURROUNDING SAID APERTURE, MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE OUTPUT OF AID SORPTION PUMP INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID CATHODE, MEANS FOR PRODUCING AN ELECTRIC FIELD BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID CATHODE TO RENDER SAID ANODE POSITIVE WITH RESPECT TO SAID CATHODE, MEANS FOR PRODUCING A MAGNETIC FIELD SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRATED BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID CATHODE AND AT RIGHT ANGLE TO SAID ELECTRIC FIELD, WHEREBY ELECTRONS EMITTED FROM SAID CATHODE FORM A CLOUD BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID CATHODE, GAS MOLECULES BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID CATHODE BEING FORMED INTO IONS, IONS OF SAID PROBE GAS BEING ACCELERATED THROUGH SAID APERTURE BY SAID ELECTRIC FIELD AND DEFLECTED BY SAID MAGNETIC FIELD TO CONVERGE AT A DISCRETE ZONE WITHIN SAID HOUSING, AN ION COLLECTOR ELECTRODE DISPOSED AT SAID DISCRETE ZONE WHEREBY SAID IONS OF SAID PROBE GAS IMPINGE UPON SAID ION COLLECTOR ELECTRODE TO PRODUCE AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL PROPORTIONAL IN MAGNITUDE TO THE QUANTITY OF CONVERGED IONS, AND INDICATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID COLLECTOR ELECTRODE FOR DISPLAYING THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID SIGNAL.