Recent advances in detector-array technology for mass spectrometry

Array detectors capable of determining the spatial distribution of particles, whether photons, neutrons, atoms, or others, have long existed. More recently, this technology has been applied to mass spectrometry for the simultaneous detection of multiple ions of differing mass-to-charge (m/z) values. When simultaneous detection is utilized in mass spectrometry, benefits such as improved detection limits and precision, reduced sample consumption and analysis time, and the elimination of correlated noise sources are realized. Presented here is a review of some of the relevant technologies that have been or could be applied to mass spectrometric ion detection. The array detector technologies are classified according to detection method; the figures of merit of each type of array are discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.