	US 11,875,981 B2
	Methods and apparatus for high speed mass spectrometry
Michael W. Senko, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Philip M. Remes, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to THERMO FINNIGAN LLC, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Thermo Finnigan LLC, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/810,305.
Application 17/810,305 is a division of application No. 16/678,879, filed on Nov. 8, 2019, granted, now 11,380,531.
Prior Publication US 2022/0336198 A1, Oct. 20, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01J 49/00 (2006.01); H01J 49/42 (2006.01); G01N 27/622 (2021.01)

CPC H01J 49/0031 (2013.01) [G01N 27/622 (2013.01); H01J 49/0072 (2013.01); H01J 49/421 (2013.01); H01J 49/4225 (2013.01)]

3 Claims

1. A mass spectrometer system, comprising:

(a) an ion source;

(b) a mass filtering device configured to receive ions from the ion source;

(d) a mass analyzer; and

(f) a computer or electronic controller electrically coupled to the mass filtering device, the ion storage device and the mass analyzer, the computer or electronic controller comprising computer-readable program instructions operable to:

(1) cause the mass analyzer to mass analyze a first discrete batch of ions generated by the ion source, the first discrete batch of ions comprising a first mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) range;

(2) cause the ion storage device to store a second discrete batch of ions therein, wherein said storing of the second discrete batch of ions is concurrent with at least a portion of the mass analyzing of the first discrete batch of ions; and

(3) cause a transmission range of the mass filtering device to slew to a second m/z range from a prior m/z range that is different than the second m/z range in preparation to receive a third batch of ions from the ion source, wherein the clewing of the mass filtering device is concurrent with at least a portion of the mass analysis of the first discrete batch of ions and wherein m/z values of the third batch of ions are within the second m/z range.