Patent ID: 6781121
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: H01J

Abstract:
A time of flight mass spectrometer for measuring the m/z of ionized particles, the spectrometer comprising:an ion source for generation of said ionized particles, acceleration means for acceleration of said ionized particles so as to form an ion beam, means for sampling from the ion beam such that a share of the beam is detected on each of two detectors such that the time of flights for any or all ions of a given m/z to each of the two detectors is used for the purpose of improving the accuracy of measurement of the m/z values of ions, wherein one of the two detectors is positioned so as to intercept at least a first portion of the ionized particles and to permit a second portion of the ionized particles to continue past the detector, and a data processor adapted for calculating differences or average differences in arrival times of corresponding particles at each of said two detectors to enable said m/z characteristics to be determined.