A particle detection
system is configured and operated as two or more separate and completely independent detection systems. The detection systems may be of the same or different design, may be operated in the same or different
modes, and may be operated with the same or different operating parameters. Each detection
system may
record signals simultaneously, or alternately; the measurements obtained from each of the detection systems may either be combined into a single unified
data set, or recorded separately. Means are provided to direct particles to impinge on one of the detectors or any of the other detectors. Alternatively, a
population of particles can be dispersed in a manner that allows a
population of particles to be distributed among two or more detectors simultaneously. The implementation of completely independent detection systems, for example, in a Time-of-Flight
mass spectrometer, allows the design and operation of each detection
system to be optimized independently, while being employed simultaneously. The flexibility afforded by the apparatus and methods in the invention allows signals to be recorded with enhanced
signal dynamic range,
signal-to-
noise, and / or
temporal resolution, relative to other presently available detection systems.