Patent ID: 6844546

Claim:
An explosive detection system comprising: a sample injection region; an ion source region for generating ions of a sample injected by said sample injection region; a mass analysis region for analyzing mass of the ions; a heater for heating said sample injection region and said ion source region; a plurality of pumps for exhausting a chamber in which said mass analysis region is disposed; and a controller for controlling the regions and said plurality of pumps; wherein said controller conducts control so as to heat said sample injection region and said ion source region with said heater, then reduce heating electric power supplied to said heater in order to prevent a predetermined electric power value from being exceeded, and then drive said plurality of pumps successively to exhaust said chamber; and wherein, after the exhaust conducted by said pumps has reached a stationary state, said controller conducts control so as to heat said sample injection region and said ion source region with said heater.