(19)
(11) EP 2 315 233 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
04.01.2012 Bulletin 2012/01

(43) Date of publication A2:
27.04.2011 Bulletin 2011/17

(21) Application number: 10195573.0

(22) Date of filing: 26.05.2008
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
H01J 49/42(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL BA MK RS

(62) Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
08763907.6 / 2299471

(71) Applicant: Shimadzu Corporation
Kyoto-shi Kyoto 604-8511 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Mukaibatake, Kazuo
    Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 604-8511 (JP)
  • Nakano, Shigenobu
    Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 604-8511 (JP)
  • Fujimoto, Minoru
    Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 604-8511 (JP)

(74) Representative: Wilhelms · Kilian & Partner Patentanwälte 
Eduard-Schmid-Straße 2
81541 München
81541 München (DE)

   


(54) Quadrupole mass spectrometer


(57) In a scan measurement in which a mass scan is repeated across a predetermined mass range, when a voltage is returned from a termination voltage of one scan to an initiation voltage for the next scan, an undershoot or other drawbacks occur to destabilize the voltage value. Therefore, an appropriate waiting time is required. Conventionally, this waiting time has been set to be constant regardless of the analysis conditions. On the other hand, in the quadrupole mass spectrometer according to the present invention, the mass difference ΔM between the scan termination mass and the scan initiation mass is computed based on the specified mass range, and a different settling time is set in accordance with this mass difference. When the mass difference ΔM is small and hence requires only a short voltage stabilization time, a relatively short settling time is set. This shortens the cycle period of the mass scan, which increases the temporal resolution.







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