US3831026A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Plural beam mass spectrometer and method of conducting plural beam studies
Assignee: Kratos Ltd
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Filing: 1972-06-01
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Granted: 1974-08-20
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Expires: 1992-06-01
Abstract
Abstract Plural ion beams emanating from one or more ion sources are conducted in multiplexed fashion through the magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer toward one or more collectors. In one embodiment, the beams traverse spaced paths and are received by separate collectors. In another embodiment, the beams are time division multiplexed along a common path and received by a single collector. The magnetic analyzer may be scanned during operation to simultaneously provide spectra for each of the beams and the mass spectral range of the beams compared.
Inventors
- 👤 P Powers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 17:33
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J49/00; H01J49/02; H01J49/10; H01J49/107; H01J49/06; H01J49/26; H01J49/28; H01J49/30; H01J49/32; H01J49/326; H10; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/01; H10D1/041; H10D1/043; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10D1/692; H10D1/711; H10D1/716
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of operating a mass spectrometer comprising the steps of: a. time division multiplexing samples from a plurality of individual ion beams along a common path to form a multiplexed beam having alternate samples of each of said beams; b. passing the multiplexed beam through the magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer to analyze said multiplexed beam thereby effecting a substantially concurrent analysis of said ion beams; c. processing the output of the mass spectrometer to separate output portions relating to each of the individual ion beams to obtain separate information derived from each of the individual ion beams.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of operating a mass spectrometer comprising the steps of: a. time division multiplexing samples from a plurality of individual ion beams along a common path to form a multiplexed beam having alternate samples of each of said beams; b. passing the multiplexed beam through the magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer to analyze said multiplexed beam thereby effecting a substantially concurrent analysis of said ion beams; c. processing the output of the mass spectrometer to separate output portions relating to each of the individual ion beams to obtain separate information derived from each of the individual ion beams.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of operating a mass spectrometer of claim 1 including the additional step of scanning the mass spectrometer to provide separate mass spectra analysis date for each of the individual ion beams.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of operating a mass spectrometer of claim 2 including the further step of performing the multiplexing at a sufficiently rapid rate to effect sampling of individual peaks of the output signal a plurality of times.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of operating a mass spectrometer of claim 3 wherein the individual beams are sampled for equal intervals of time to provide analysis data of equal sensitivity for each of the individual ion beams.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of operating a mass spectrometer of claim 3 wherein the individual beams are sampled at an unequal time interval ratio to provide analysis data for the individual beams of a corresponding ratio of sensitivities.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of operating a mass spectrometer comprising the steps of: a. time division multiplexing samples from a plurality of individual ion beams along a common path to form a multiplexed beam having alternate samples of each of the individual ion beams; b. passing the multiplexed beam through the magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer to analyze the multiplexed beam; c. receiving the analyzed multiplexed beam in a collector which generates a representative electrical signal; and, d. processing the signal to separate portions relating to each of the ion beams to provide separate mass spectral analysis data for each of the individual ion beams.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
104 words
A method of operating a mass spectrometer comprising the steps of: a. time division multiplexing samples from a plurality of individual ion beams along a common path to form a multiplexed beam having alternate samples of each of the individual ion beams; b. passing the multiplexed beam through the magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer to analyze the multiplexed beam; c. receiving the analyzed multiplexed beam in a collector which generates a representative electrical signal; and, d. processing the signal to separate portions relating to each of the ion beams to provide separate mass spectral analysis data for each of the individual ion beams.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 6 wherein mass marking is performed by forming at least one of the individual ion beams from a reference substance capable of producing ions of known mass-to-charge ratios.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
182 words
A method of operating a mass spectrometer comprising the steps of: a. orienting a plurality of ion sources to produce separate ion beams directed along separate paths to a common intersection; b. providing electrode means near said intersection of the beam paths to selectively divert each of said separate beams from reaching said intersection; c. applyinG requisite voltage potentials to said electrode means to time division multiplex samples of said separate beams through said intersection so that only one of said separate beams is permitted at any one time to pass said electrode means and enter the region of said intersection, and rapidly changing said potentials to rapidly switch among the separate beams so passed thereby forming a multiplexed beam containing samples of all of said separate ion beams; d. passing the multiplexed beam through the magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer to analyze said multiplexed beam e. receiving the analyzed multiplexed beam and generating a signal representative thereof; and, f. processing the signal by sampling and digitizing the resulting samples to provide mass spectral analysis data for the separate ion beams.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
182 words
A method of operating a mass spectrometer comprising the steps of: a. orienting a plurality of ion sources to produce separate ion beams directed along separate paths to a common intersection; b. providing electrode means near said intersection of the beam paths to selectively divert each of said separate beams from reaching said intersection; c. applyinG requisite voltage potentials to said electrode means to time division multiplex samples of said separate beams through said intersection so that only one of said separate beams is permitted at any one time to pass said electrode means and enter the region of said intersection, and rapidly changing said potentials to rapidly switch among the separate beams so passed thereby forming a multiplexed beam containing samples of all of said separate ion beams; d. passing the multiplexed beam through the magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer to analyze said multiplexed beam e. receiving the analyzed multiplexed beam and generating a signal representative thereof; and, f. processing the signal by sampling and digitizing the resulting samples to provide mass spectral analysis data for the separate ion beams.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
A mass spectral analysis method comprising the steps of time division multiplexing samples from a plurality of individual ion beams through the magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer to analyze the multiplexed samples collecting the analyzed output of the spectrometer, and processing this output to provide separate analysis data for each of said individual ion beams.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
A mass spectral analysis method comprising the steps of time division multiplexing samples from a plurality of individual ion beams through the magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer to analyze the multiplexed samples collecting the analyzed output of the spectrometer, and processing this output to provide separate analysis data for each of said individual ion beams.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
The mass spectral analysis method of claim 9 wherein the multiplexing time intervals for each of the individual ion beams is selectively adjusted to provide a desired sensitivity relationship between the analysis data of said individual ion beams.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
The mass spectral analysis method of claim 10 wherein said time intervals are adjusted to provide analyses of equal sensitivity for each of said individual ion beams.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
99 words
A mass spectrometer apparatus comprising: a. ion beam deflecting means for time division multiplexing samples from a plurality of separate ion beams along a common path to form a multiplexed beam having alternate samples of each of said ion beams; b. a magnetic analyzer disposed along said common path to analyze the multiplexed beam; c. collector means adapted to receive the analyzed beam and provide a representative electric signal; and, d. processing means adapted to de-multiplex said signal by performing the inverse of the multiplexing process to provide separate mass spectral analysis data for each of said separate beams.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
99 words
A mass spectrometer apparatus comprising: a. ion beam deflecting means for time division multiplexing samples from a plurality of separate ion beams along a common path to form a multiplexed beam having alternate samples of each of said ion beams; b. a magnetic analyzer disposed along said common path to analyze the multiplexed beam; c. collector means adapted to receive the analyzed beam and provide a representative electric signal; and, d. processing means adapted to de-multiplex said signal by performing the inverse of the multiplexing process to provide separate mass spectral analysis data for each of said separate beams.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said processing means comprises a digital computer adapted to sample and digitize said signal in coordination with the operation of said ion beam deflecting means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said processing means comprises a data processing unit, and a synchronizing means coordinates the operation of said data processing unit with the operation of said ion beam deflecting means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
54 words
Mass spectral analysis apparatus comprising ion beam deflecting means for time division multiplexing samples from a plurality of separate ion beams through the variable field magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer at a multiplexing rate which is more rapid than the rate at which the magnetic field is varied to analyze the multiplexed samples.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
54 words
Mass spectral analysis apparatus comprising ion beam deflecting means for time division multiplexing samples from a plurality of separate ion beams through the variable field magnetic analyzer of a mass spectrometer at a multiplexing rate which is more rapid than the rate at which the magnetic field is varied to analyze the multiplexed samples.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 15 additionally including means connected to said ion beam deflecting means for de-multiplexing the output signal of a collector positioned to receive the analyzed beam to provide analysis data representative of each of said separate ion beams, de-multiplexing being synchronously correlated with the multiplexing.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
70 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said ion beam deflection means comprises: a. gate means adapted to receive and selectively pass or block each of a plurality of separate ion beams; b. control means for controlling the operation of said gate means to selectively pass only one of said separation ion beams at a time; and, c. beam direction means for directing the resulting multiplexed beam into a mass spectrometer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said gate means comprises separate electrode means positioned along the normal paths of travel of each of said separation ion beams for Selectively diverting each of said separation beams from their normal paths of travel.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said control means comprises a switching system for connecting selected ones of said electrode means either to ground or to a selected potential such that said separation ion beams are either passed undisturbed along their normal paths of travel or are diverted from their normal paths of travel.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
116 words
In mass spectral analysis apparatus including a mass spectrometer having an analyzer of the type which separates ions according to their mass to charge ratios and deflects ions so separated into an ion collector to produce an output representative of collected ions, the improvements comprising: a. first and second ion sources arranged to simultaneously produce separate ion beams traveling along first and second intersecting paths to an intersection; b. time division multiplexing means interposed between said sources and said intersection for selectively passing samples of said separate beams one at a time to said intersection; and, c. beam deflection means positioned in the region of said intersection for directing said samples into a mass spectrometer analyzer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
116 words
In mass spectral analysis apparatus including a mass spectrometer having an analyzer of the type which separates ions according to their mass to charge ratios and deflects ions so separated into an ion collector to produce an output representative of collected ions, the improvements comprising: a. first and second ion sources arranged to simultaneously produce separate ion beams traveling along first and second intersecting paths to an intersection; b. time division multiplexing means interposed between said sources and said intersection for selectively passing samples of said separate beams one at a time to said intersection; and, c. beam deflection means positioned in the region of said intersection for directing said samples into a mass spectrometer analyzer.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said time division multiplexing means is positioned near said intersection and said second path is aligned with the entrance to said analyzer.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
73 words
The apparatus of claim 21 additionally including control means coordinating the operation of said multiplexing means and said beam deflection means such that said beam deflection means is operative only during such times as said multiplexing means passes ions from said first source into the region of said intersection, whereby ions from said second source which are passed by said multiplexing means travel undisturbed through said beam deflection means and into said analyzer.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of operating a mass spectrometer having a plurality of ion sources, a magnetic analyzer, and an ion detector responsive to ions passing through said analyzer to produce an ion representative output signal comprising the steps of: a. simultaneously operating each of the ion sources to produce respective ion beams; b. making a scanning variation of the magnetic field in the magnetic analyzer; c. performing an ion beam switching operation on all the ion beams at a more rapid rate than the rate of variation of the magnetic field, to direct samples from each of the ion beams singly and in rapidly repeated succession into the magnetic analyzer whereby to time division multiplex samples from the ion beams through said analyzer; and, d. processing the output of the mass spectrometer by passing the ion representative output signal through a data processing unit to provide mass spectral analysis data for the ion beams.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of operating a mass spectrometer having a plurality of ion sources, a magnetic analyzer, and an ion detector responsive to ions passing through said analyzer to produce an ion representative output signal comprising the steps of: a. simultaneously operating each of the ion sources to produce respective ion beams; b. making a scanning variation of the magnetic field in the magnetic analyzer; c. performing an ion beam switching operation on all the ion beams at a more rapid rate than the rate of variation of the magnetic field, to direct samples from each of the ion beams singly and in rapidly repeated succession into the magnetic analyzer whereby to time division multiplex samples from the ion beams through said analyzer; and, d. processing the output of the mass spectrometer by passing the ion representative output signal through a data processing unit to provide mass spectral analysis data for the ion beams.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
186 words
A method of operating a mass spectrometer having first and second ion sources, an ion beam deflector, a magnetic analyzer, and an ion collector, comprising the steps of: a. simultaneously operating the first and second ion sources to produce respective first and second ion beams; b. simultaneously directing the first and second ion beams into the ion beam deflector; c. making a scanning variation of the magnetic field in the magnetic analyzer; d. operating the ion beam deflector to pass samples from the first and second ion beams alternately into the magnetic analyzer, the alternation occurring at a rapid rate relative to the rate of variation of the magnetic field whereby to time division multiplex samples from the first and second ion beams into said analyzer; e. collecting on said ion collector mass analyzed ions which have passed through said magnetic analyzer; and f. processing the output signal from said ion collector by sampling and digitizing said signal and passing said digitized samples through a data processing unit to provide mass spectral analysis data representing respective mass spectral analyses of said first and second ion beamS.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
186 words
A method of operating a mass spectrometer having first and second ion sources, an ion beam deflector, a magnetic analyzer, and an ion collector, comprising the steps of: a. simultaneously operating the first and second ion sources to produce respective first and second ion beams; b. simultaneously directing the first and second ion beams into the ion beam deflector; c. making a scanning variation of the magnetic field in the magnetic analyzer; d. operating the ion beam deflector to pass samples from the first and second ion beams alternately into the magnetic analyzer, the alternation occurring at a rapid rate relative to the rate of variation of the magnetic field whereby to time division multiplex samples from the first and second ion beams into said analyzer; e. collecting on said ion collector mass analyzed ions which have passed through said magnetic analyzer; and f. processing the output signal from said ion collector by sampling and digitizing said signal and passing said digitized samples through a data processing unit to provide mass spectral analysis data representing respective mass spectral analyses of said first and second ion beamS.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-08-19 | 1978-02-18 | 1978-08-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-08-19 | 1982-02-18 | 1982-08-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-08-19 | 1986-02-18 | 1986-08-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |