Patent ID: 8481925
Filing Date: 2013-07-09
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
1. A method of elemental analysis of particles by mass spectrometry using a plurality of a mass spectra produced by a mass spectrometer, comprising: operating the mass spectrometer for at least one sampling cycle to acquire data from an atomized sample, including at least first data in a primary detection group defined to comprise one or more mass to charge ratio channels of the mass spectrometer, determining whether or not ions detected during the at least one sampling cycle meet at least one selection criterion indicating a presence of a particle in the mass spectrometer using a function defined to have as arguments the data collected in the primary detection group during the at least one sampling cycle, and determining whether or not to use data in a secondary detection group collected during the at least one sampling cycle of the mass spectrometer to analyze a particle based on whether or not the value of the function satisfies the at least one selection criterion, wherein the secondary detection group is defined to comprise one or more mass to charge ratio channels different from the one or more channels in the primary detection group.