Method of mass spectrometry and mass spectrometer using peak deconvolution

1. A method of mass spectrometry comprising:

providing a Time of Flight mass analyser comprising an electrode for accelerating ions into a time of flight region and an ion detector arranged to detect ions after said ions have passed through said time of flight region;

digitising a first signal output from said ion detector to produce a first digitised signal;

de-convoluting said first digitised signal and determining one or more first ion arrival times and one or more first ion arrival intensities associated with said first digitised signal;

digitising a second signal output from said ion detector to produce a second digitised signal;

de-convoluting said second digitised signal and determining one or more second ion arrival times and one or more second ion arrival intensities associated with said second digitised signal;

digitising third and further signals output from said ion detector to produce third and further digitised signals;

de-convoluting said third and further digitised signals and determining one or more third and further ion arrival times and one or more third and further ion arrival intensities associated with said third and further digitised signals; and

combining said one or more first ion arrival times, said one or more second ion arrival times and said one or more third and further ion arrival times and combining said one or more first ion arrival intensities, said one or more second ion arrival intensities and said one or more third and further ion arrival intensities to produce a combined ion arrival time-intensity spectrum,

wherein said step of digitising said first signal output from said ion detector, said step of digitising said second signal output from said ion detector and said step of digitising said third and further signals output from said ion detector comprise using an Analogue to Digital Converter to digitise said first signal, said second signal and said third and further signals, and

wherein said step of de-convoluting said first digitised signal, said step of de-convoluting said second digitised signal and said step of de-convoluting said third and further digitised signals comprise either: (i) determining a point spread function characteristic of a single ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector; or (ii) using a pre-determined point spread function characteristic of a single ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

(i) said step of de-convoluting said first digitised signal comprises convolving said first digitised signal with an inverse of a point spread function characteristic of an ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector; and

(ii) said step of de-convoluting said second digitised signal comprises convolving said second digitised signal with the inverse of a point spread function characteristic of an ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector; and

(iii) said step of de-convoluting said third and further digitised signals comprises convolving said third and further digitised signals with the inverse of a point spread function characteristic of an ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector.

3. A method of mass spectrometry as claimed claim 1 , wherein:

(i) said step of de-convoluting said first digitised signal comprises determining a distribution of ion arrival times which produces a best fit to said first digitised signal given that each ion arrival produces a response represented by a known point spread function; and

(ii) said step of de-convoluting said second digitised signal comprises determining a distribution of ion arrival times which produces a best fit to said second digitised signal given that each ion arrival produces a response represented by a known point spread function; and

(iii) said step of de-convoluting said third and further digitised signals comprises determining a distribution of ion arrival times which produces a best fit to said third and further digitised signals given that each ion arrival produces a response represented by a known point spread function.

4. A method of mass spectrometry as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said step of determining the ion arrival time or times and ion arrival intensity or intensities associated with said first digitised signal, said second digitised signal and said third and further digitised signals comprises using a de-convolution algorithm selected from a group consisting of: (i) a modified CLEAN algorithm; (ii) a Maximum Entropy method; (iii) a Fast Fourier transformation; and (iv) a non-negative least squares method.

5. A method of mass spectrometry as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said de-convolution algorithm employs a known line width and shape characteristic of the signal produced by said ion detector and subsequently digitised in response to an individual ion arrival.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising converting a determined arrival time T 0 of an ion into a first arrival time T n and a second arrival time T n+1 wherein n is a digitised time bin closest to T 0 and representing a determined intensity S o of the ion by a first intensity S n and a second intensity S n+1 wherein:

T

0

=

T

n

⁢

S

n

+

T

n

+

1

⁢

S

n

+

1

S

n

+

S

n

+

1

.

7. A method of mass spectrometry as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said step of de-convoluting said first digitised signal, said second digitised signal and said third and further digitised signals is performed by post-processing said first digitised signal, said second digitised signal and said third and further digitised signals.

8. A method of mass spectrometry as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said step of de-convoluting said first digitised signal, said second digitised signal and said third and further digitised signals is performed in real time using a Field Programmable Gate Array (“FPGA”) or a Graphical Processor Unit (“GPA”).

9. A method of mass spectrometry as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

(i) accelerating a first group of ions into said time of flight region prior to the step of digitising said first signal and de-convoluting said first digitised signal;

(ii) accelerating a second group of ions into said time of flight region prior to the step of digitising said second signal and de-convoluting said second digitised signal; and

(iii) accelerating a third group of ions into said time of flight region prior to the step of digitising said third signal and de-convoluting said third digitised signal.

10. A mass spectrometer comprising:

a Time of Flight mass analyser comprising an electrode for accelerating ions into a time of flight region and an ion detector arranged to detect ions after said ions have passed through said time of flight region; and

a control system arranged and adapted:

(i) to digitise a first signal output from said ion detector to produce a first digitised signal;

(ii) to de-convolute said first digitised signal and to determine one or more first ion arrival times and one or more first ion arrival intensities associated with said first digitised signal;

(iii) to digitise a second signal output from said ion detector to produce a second digitised signal;

(iv) to de-convolute said second digitised signal and to determine one or more second ion arrival times and one or more second ion arrival intensities associated with said second digitised signal;

(v) to digitise third and further signals output from said ion detector to produce third and further digitised signals;

(vi) to de-convolute said third and further digitised signals and to determine one or more third and further ion arrival times and one or more third and further ion arrival intensities associated with said third and further digitised signals; and

(vii) to combine said one or more first ion arrival times, said one or more second ion arrival times and said one or more third and further ion arrival times and to combine said one or more first ion arrival intensities, said one or more second ion arrival intensities and said one or more third and further ion arrival intensities to produce a combined ion arrival time-intensity spectrum,

wherein said control system is arranged and adapted to digitise said first signal output from said ion detector, to digitise said second signal output from said ion detector and to digitise said third and further signals output from said ion detector using an Analogue to Digital Converter to digitise said first signal, said second signal and said third and further signals, and

wherein said de-convoluting said first digitised signal, said de-convoluting said second digitised signal and said de-convoluting said third and further digitised signals comprise either: (i) determining a point spread function characteristic of a single ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector; or (ii) using a pre-determined point spread function characteristic of a single ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector.

11. A mass spectrometer as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said control system is arranged and adapted:

(i) to accelerate a first group of ions into said time of flight region prior to digitising said first signal and de-convoluting said first digitised signal;

(ii) to accelerate a second group of ions into said time of flight region prior to digitising said second signal and de-convoluting said second digitised signal; and

(iii) to accelerate a third group of ions into said time of flight region prior to digitising said third signal and de-convoluting said third digitised signal.

12. A method of mass spectrometry comprising:

providing a Time of Flight mass analyser comprising an electrode for accelerating ions into a time of flight region and an ion detector arranged to detect ions after said ions have passed through said time of flight region;

(i) accelerating a group of ions into said time of flight region;

(ii) digitising a signal output from said ion detector using an Analogue to Digital Converter to produce a digitised signal;

repeating steps (i) and (ii) one or more times;

combining the digitised signals to form a first composite digitised signal;

de-convoluting said first composite digitised signal and determining one or more first ion arrival times and one or more first ion arrival intensities associated with said first composite digitised signal;

(iii) accelerating a group of ions into said time of flight region;

(iv) digitising a signal output from said ion detector using an Analogue to Digital Converter to produce a digitised signal;

repeating steps (iii) and (iv) one or more times;

combining the digitised signals to form a second composite digitised signal;

de-convoluting said second composite digitised signal and determining one or more second ion arrival times and one or more second ion arrival intensities associated with said second composite digitised signal; and

combining said one or more first ion arrival times and said one or more second ion arrival times and combining said one or more first ion arrival intensities and said one or more second ion arrival intensities to produce a combined ion arrival time-intensity spectrum,

wherein said step of de-convoluting said first composite digitised signal and said step of de-convoluting said second composite digitised signal comprise either: (i) determining a point spread function characteristic of a single ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector; or (ii) using a pre-determined point spread function characteristic of a single ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector.

13. A mass spectrometer comprising:

a Time of Flight mass analyser comprising an electrode for accelerating ions into a time of flight region and an ion detector arranged to detect ions after said ions have passed through said time of flight region; and

a control system arranged and adapted:

(i) to accelerate a group of ions into said time of flight region;

(ii) to digitise a signal output from said ion detector using an Analogue to Digital Converter to produce a digitised signal;

to repeat steps (i) and (ii) one or more times;

to combine the digitised signals to form a first composite digitised signal;

to de-convolute said first composite digitised signal and to determine one or more first ion arrival times and one or more first ion arrival intensities associated with said first composite digitised signal;

(iii) to accelerate a group of ions into said time of flight region;

(iv) to digitise a signal output from said ion detector using an Analogue to Digital Converter to produce a digitised signal;

to repeat steps (iii) and (iv) one or more times;

to combine the digitised signals to form a second composite digitised signal;

to de-convolute said second composite digitised signal and to determine one or more second ion arrival times and one or more second ion arrival intensities associated with said second composite digitised signal; and

to combine said one or more first ion arrival times and said one or more second ion arrival times and to combine said one or more first ion arrival intensities and said one or more second ion arrival intensities to produce a combined ion arrival time-intensity spectrum,

wherein said de-convoluting said first digitised signal and said de-convoluting said second digitised signal comprise either: (i) determining a point spread function characteristic of a single ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector; or (ii) using a pre-determined point spread function characteristic of a single ion arriving at and being detected by said ion detector.