As discussed above, the pre-processing method 400 of 
The background noise profile for a sample spectrum may be derived from the sample spectrum itself. However, it can be difficult to derive adequate background noise profiles for sample spectra themselves, particularly where relatively little sample or poor quality sample is available such that the sample spectrum for the sample comprises relatively weak peaks and/or comprises poorly defined noise.
To address this issue, background noise profiles can instead be derived from reference sample spectra and stored in electronic storage for later use. The reference sample spectra for each class of sample will often have a characteristic (e.g., periodic) background noise profile due to particular ions that tend to be generated when generating ions for the samples of that class. A background noise profile can therefore be derived for each class of sample. A well-defined background noise profile can accordingly be derived in advance for each class using reference sample spectra that are obtained for a relatively higher quality or larger amount of sample. The background noise profiles can then be retrieved for use in a background subtraction process prior to classifying a sample.
By way of example, methods of deriving and using background noise profiles will now be described in more detail.