SATURATION CORRECTION FOR ION SIGNALS IN TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETERS

1 . A method for increasing a dynamic measurement range of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, comprising:

replacing measured values in saturation with correction values; and

summing the correction values to provide a sum time-of-flight spectrum.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the correction values from a width of the ion signal in saturation.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the correction values from a number of the measured values of an ion signal in saturation.

4 . The method of claim 3 , where the correction values are stored in a memory device, and are arranged according to the number of the measured values.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the correction values from a number of the measured values of an ion signal in saturation and a time-of-flight of ions in the ion signal.

6 . The method of claim 5 , where the correction values are stored in a memory device, and are arranged according to the number of the measured values and ranges of the time-of-flight.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the correction values using measurements of isotope patterns of substance ions in individual time-of-flight spectra.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the correction values from one of a measured signal shape and an assumed signal shape.

9 . The method of claim 1 , where the summing of the correction values comprises adding each of the correction values at a respective time-of-flight to the sum time-of-flight spectrum for a plurality of the measured values.

10 . The method of claim 9 , where the adding of the correction values comprises adding the correction value at a time-of-flight of the sum time-of-flight spectrum that is approximately in a center of a saturation region.

11 . The method of claim 1 , where each correction value is divided between a plurality of time-of-flight values of the sum time-of-flight spectrum.

12 . The method of claim 11 , where the replacing the measured values comprises replacing each measurement value in saturation with a corresponding one of the correction values.

13 . A method for increasing a measurement range of a mass spectrometer, comprising:

determining a measured value of an ion signal in saturation;

replacing the measured value with a correction value; and

adding the correction value to a sum spectrum, where the sum spectrum comprises a summation of correction values.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining the correction value from a width of the ion signal in saturation.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining the correction value from a number of measured values of an ion signal in saturation.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining the correction value from a number of measured values of an ion signal in saturation and a time-of-flight of ions in the ion signal.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining the correction value using measurements of isotope patterns of substance ions in individual time-of-flight spectra.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining the correction value from one of a measured signal shape and an assumed signal shape.