Abstract: Described here is a detector for measuring heavy mass ions with high sensitivity and low saturation for time-of-flight mass spectrometry and a detector housing for selecting between multiple detectors.

Abstract: Described here is a detector for measuring heavy mass ions with high sensitivity and low saturation for time-of-flight mass spectrometry and a detector housing for selecting between multiple detectors. It relates to sensitive measuring methods of large masses in the range of about ten thousand to a few million atomic mass units. Specifically it relates to a conversion dynode in a specifically insolated geometry followed by a discrete dynode secondary electron multiplier specifically modified to decrease electron saturation and electronic ringing. Conversion dynode detectors have been used before for time-of-flight mass spectrometry and compared to direct detection with electron multipliers they exhibit superior sensitivity for high-mass, slow-moving macromolecular ions.