Patent ID: 8067731
Filing Date: 2011-11-29
Classification: G01N,H01J

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting an analyte of interest in a sample, the method comprising: passing a set of ions obtained from the sample through an ion mobility spectrometer to filter out ions that are not ions of interest and to generate an ion mobility spectrum; generating a mass spectrum of at least some of the ions using a mass spectrometer; determining that the analyte of interest is in the sample when peaks of interest are found in one or more of the ion mobility spectrum and the mass spectrum, and the peaks of interest follow a predetermined pattern of peaks associated with the analyte of interest; and confirming a presence of at least one of the peaks of interest by obtaining an initial portion of the at least one of the peaks of interest using a first dispersion voltage and a first compensation voltage in the ion mobility spectrometer and obtaining an additional portion of the at least one of the peaks of interest using at least one of a different, second dispersion voltage or a different, second compensation voltage in the ion mobility spectrometer.