US 11,990,326 B2
Mass spectrometer with charge up determiner using ion intensity signal
Kazuma Maeda, Kyoto (JP)
Assigned to SHIMADZU CORPORATION, Kyoto (JP)
Filed by SHIMADZU CORPORATION, Kyoto (JP)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/028,363.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-200640 (JP), filed on Nov. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0134577 A1, May 6, 2021
Int. Cl. H01J 49/06 (2006.01); H01J 49/00 (2006.01); H01J 49/16 (2006.01); H01J 49/24 (2006.01); H01J 49/42 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 49/067 (2013.01) [H01J 49/0031 (2013.01); H01J 49/165 (2013.01); H01J 49/24 (2013.01); H01J 49/4215 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mass spectrometer including a plurality of ion optical elements each of which is used for transporting ions or controlling the behavior of ions by an effect of an electric field, the mass spectrometer further comprising:
a device state determiner configured to perform, in response to a user instruction, or at a regular or irregular predetermined timing, an analysis on a predetermined sample, and to determine whether the mass spectrometer is in a normal state or abnormal state based on an ion intensity signal which is a result of the analysis;
a charge-up determiner configured to perform a charge-up check if it is determined by the device state determiner that the mass spectrometer is in an abnormal state, wherein the charge-up check includes determining whether or not charge-up is likely to be present in the plurality of ion optical elements and locating the charge-up if charge-up is likely to be present, based on a change in the ion intensity signal observed in the analysis performed on the predetermined sample while a process that an application voltage to one of the plurality of ion optical elements is changed to have a temporarily reversed polarity for a predetermined period of time is sequentially performed for each of the plurality of ion optical elements; and
a notifier configured to notify a user of results of determination by the device state determiner and the charge-up determiner;
wherein the charge-up check comprises, as a judgment criterion, a change in the ion intensity signal between a first intensity obtained before the application voltage has the temporarily reversed polarity and a second intensity obtained after the application voltage has the temporarily reversed polarity.