Patent ID: 9443710
Filing Date: 2016-09-13
CPC Classification: H01J

Claim Text:
1. A method of performing performance maintenance on a mass spectrometer, the method comprising: displaying a user interface that controls a performance maintenance process for completing the performance maintenance of the mass spectrometer, the performance maintenance process including a predefined order of processing steps, wherein, at a current point in the performance maintenance process, different user interface options performing associated processing steps of the performance maintenance process are disabled to enforce performing processing steps of the performance maintenance process in the predefined order; performing pre-maintenance testing, wherein said pre-maintenance testing includes automating execution of a test sequence in response to a first user interface selection of a first option of the user interface controlling the performance maintenance process; performing a maintenance activity upon completion of said pre-maintenance testing; performing post-maintenance testing upon completion of said maintenance activity, wherein said post-maintenance testing includes automating execution of the test sequence in response to a second user interface selection of a second option of the user interface controlling the performance maintenance process, and wherein, when performing said post-maintenance testing, said second option is enabled and said first option is disabled in accordance with enforcing the predefined order; and performing a benchmark comparison to determine whether performance of the mass spectrometer has degraded as a result of performing the maintenance activity, wherein said benchmark comparison is performed automatically in response to completing said post-maintenance testing.