摘要 |
A mass spectrometer system comprises a flight tube having an operational length, a measurement device for measuring a variation in the longitudinal length of the flight tube, means for compensating for the measured variation in the longitudinal flight tube length, and a detector positioned near a downstream end of the flight tube. The measurement device comprises an optical interferometer, and may specifically comprise a Michelson interferometer. In a first embodiment, the mass spectrometer system includes an actuator coupled to the measurement device and the detector for moving the detector in a longitudinal direction to compensate for the measured variation in the operational flight tube length. In a second embodiment, the mass spectrometer system includes a processor coupled to the measurement device configured to calculate analyte ion mass to charge ratio. The processor is configured to modify a calculation of analyte ion mass to charge ratio using the measured variation in operational flight tube length.
|