Micromass UK Limited

Peter Gerard Spreadbury

Paul Doorbar

Richard Barrington Moulds

Anthony James Gilbert

Ruth Wamsley

Michael Wilson

Jason Lee Wildgoose

Martin Raymond Green

Keith George Richardson

William N Johnson

Richard Chapman

Garry Michael Scott

Paul McIver

Stephen John Platt

David Darrell Williams

William Johnson

Andrew Packwood

Phillip Edward Young

Richard Newton

Alan McKinnon

A start-up routine for a mass spectrometer is performed automatically upon switching ON the mass spectrometer. The mass spectrometer comprises a plurality of functional modules connected thereto, each module operable to perform a predetermined function of the mass spectrometer in use. The start-up routine comprises detecting which functional modules are present in the set of a plurality of functional modules connected to the mass spectrometer, and performing one or more steps of the start-up routine based upon the results of the detection. The mass spectrometer automatically determines whether configuration information is stored locally in respect of each one of the detected functional modules, and, for the or each one of the detected functional modules for which such information is found to be stored locally, automatically uses the information in configuring the mass spectrometer, and, for any detected functional module(s) for which such information is not found to be stored locally, automatically obtains configuration information for the detected functional module(s) from a remote server, and uses the information in configuring the mass spectrometer.

Bench-top time of flight mass spectrometer

Bench-top Time of Flight mass spectrometer

A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a system control module () for controlling the operation of the mass spectrometer. The system control module () comprises one or more functional modules, each functional module being operable to perform a predetermined function of the mass spectrometer. The system control module () and/or one or more functional modules are operable to communicate non-time information with each other using a time code of a communications protocol.

Mass spectrometer

A data acquisition system for a TOF mass spectrometer comprises a processing module and a data collection module. The processing module generates a stream of data comprising, for each respective transient of a first scan, a set of time-intensity related parameter pairs. For each new set of data, the data collection module reads out a previous set of data from a previous memory bank, merges that previous set of data with the new set of data, and writes that latest merged set of data into a memory bank other than the previous memory bank. The data acquisition system provides a convenient way to merge sequential sets of time-intensity related parameter pairs for respective transients as a stream of data for a first scan is generated.

Mass spectrometer data acquisition

A mass spectrometer and methods for controlling a mass spectrometer are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the mass spectrometer includes a plurality of discrete functional modules, each operable to perform a predetermined function of the mass spectrometer, wherein the modules are individually addressable and connected in a network. The mass spectrometer can also include a scheduler operable to introduce discrete packets of instructions to the network at predetermined times to instruct at least one module to perform a predetermined operation.

Mass spectrometer, control system and methods of operating and assembling a mass spectrometer

A method and apparatus for acquiring data from a mass spectrometer and its transmission to a computer system including a data acquisition engine, a network interface and a throughput optimization module which includes a ring buffer and a protocol stack. A compression engine may be provided between the acquisition engine and the ring buffer. The ring buffer is configured as a number of segments containing portions of memory matching the size of data words from the acquisition engine. When a segment is full of data corresponding to the words, or is partially full and has received data containing an end of scan marker, the number of words in the segment is written into a header word in the segment and the data in that segment are moved to the protocol stack. Subsequent data is received by the next segment in the buffer.

Acquisition method and apparatus for mass spectrometer data

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Liverpool, United Kingdom

Peter Gerard Spreadbury