Patent ID: 8455818

Claim:
A method of analyzing an analyte using mass spectrometry, the method comprising: (a) providing an analyte; (b) generating a distribution of precursor ions from the analyte; (c) analyzing the mass-to-charge ratios of at least a portion of the distribution of precursor ions, thereby generating precursor ion mass spectrometry data corresponding to the distribution of precursor ions; (d) identifying a precursor peak in the precursor ion mass spectrometry data corresponding to a precursor ion; (e) fragmenting ions corresponding to a preselected range of m/z units about the precursor peak, wherein the preselected range is within 0.01 to 10 m/z units of the precursor peak, thereby generating fragment ions; (f) measuring the mass-to-charge ratios of the fragment ions, thereby generating product ion mass spectrometry data; (g) determining the amount of interference within the preselected range of m/z units about the precursor peak; and (h) analyzing the precursor ion mass spectrometry data and the product ion mass spectrometry data for which the amount of interference is less than a selected value, and not analyzing the precursor ion mass spectrometry data and the product ion mass spectrometry data for which the amount of interference is greater than or equal to the selected value; thereby analyzing the analyte using mass spectrometry.