US 12,441,611 B2
Method and apparatus for operating a vacuum interface of a mass spectrometer
Christoph Wehe, Bremen (DE); Marcus Manecki, Bremen (DE); Georgina Thyssen, Bremen (DE); Sven Wohlgethan, Bremen (DE); and Daniel Precht, Bremen (DE)
Assigned to Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Bremen (DE)
Filed by Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Bremen (DE)
Filed on Mar. 26, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/617,503.
Application 18/617,503 is a continuation of application No. 17/046,890, abandoned, previously published as PCT/EP2019/058457, filed on Apr. 4, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 1806080 (GB), filed on Apr. 13, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0239653 A1, Jul. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. H01J 49/06 (2006.01); B01J 23/755 (2006.01); C01B 3/30 (2006.01); C01B 3/56 (2006.01); C01B 32/162 (2017.01); H01J 49/10 (2006.01); H01J 49/24 (2006.01)
CPC C01B 3/30 (2013.01) [B01J 23/755 (2013.01); C01B 3/56 (2013.01); C01B 32/162 (2017.08); H01J 49/067 (2013.01); H01J 49/105 (2013.01); H01J 49/24 (2013.01); C01B 2203/0277 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a mass spectrometer vacuum interface:
wherein the vacuum interface comprises an evacuated expansion chamber situated downstream of a plasma ion source and upstream of a mass analyzer, the expansion chamber having a first aperture that interfaces with the plasma ion source to form an expanding plasma downstream of the first aperture and a second aperture, downstream of the first aperture from the plasma ion source and upstream of the mass analyzer, for skimming the expanding plasma to form a skimmed expanding plasma;
wherein the expansion chamber is pumped by an interface vacuum pump to provide an interface pressure in the expansion chamber, the interface vacuum pump is coupled to a controller, and the controller is coupled to a Visual Display Unit (VDU) upon which a graphical user interface (GUI), supporting a plurality of GUI modes, is displayed; and
the method comprises, by the controller:
receiving, via the GUI and a first input device, a selection of one or more operating conditions of the plasma ion source, wherein the selected one or more operating conditions of the plasma ion source comprise: electrical power supplied to the plasma ion source, a temperature of the plasma, or a plasma torch position;
dependent on the selected one or more operating conditions of the plasma ion source, automatically controlling a rotation speed of the interface vacuum pump to automatically maintain a predetermined value of the interface pressure between the first and second apertures of the expansion chamber;
initially displaying the automatically controlled rotation speed of the interface vacuum pump and/or the automatically maintained interface pressure on the GUI in a first GUI mode;
receiving input, via the GUI, to enter an override mode and set a particular rotation speed of the interface vacuum pump, provided via the GUI, and/or a particular interface pressure, provided via the GUI; and
in the override mode, displaying on the GUI the particular rotation speed of the interface vacuum pump as set and/or the particular interface pressure as set.