324results about "Imaging particle spectrometry" patented technology

The present invention relates generally to a multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR TOF MS). To improve mass resolving power of a planar MR TOF MS, a spatially isochronous and curved interface may be used for ion transfer in and out of the MR TOF analyzer. One embodiment comprises a planar grid-free MR TOF MS with periodic lenses in the field-free space, a linear ion trap for converting ion flow into pulses and a C-shaped isochronous interface made of electrostatic sectors. The interface allows transferring ions around the edges and fringing fields of the ion mirrors without introducing significant time spread. The interface may also provide energy filtering of ion packets. The non-correlated turn-around time of ion trap converter may be reduced by using a delayed ion extraction from the ion trap and excessive ion energy is filtered in the curved interface.

Disclosed is an apparatus for performing mass spectrometry and a method of analyzing a sample through mass spectrometry. In particular, the disclosure relates to an apparatus capable of ambient mass spectrometry and mass spectral imaging and a method for the same. The apparatus couples laser ablation, flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow ionization, and a mass spectrometer.

The present invention relates to a method for the histologic classification of a tissue section. The method includes acquiring a mass spectrometric image and a light-optical image of the same tissue section (the optical image having a higher spatial resolution than the mass spectrometric image) and combining optical information on the structures of a subarea of the tissue section with mass spectrometric information on the subarea (the structures not being spatially resolved in the mass spectrometric image).

Techniques are disclosed for reducing scan times in mass spectral tissue imaging studies. According to a first technique, a tissue imaging boundary is defined that closely approximates the edges of a tissue sample. According to a second technique, a low-resolution scan is performed to identify one or more areas of interest within the tissue sample, and the identified areas of interest are subsequently scanned at higher resolution.

The present invention is directed to ion source and vacuum housings for use in MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry which operates with any type of mass analyzer including linear, reflector, or tandem TOF-TOF instruments. By removing the requirement for the vacuum lock, the present invention allows operation of the ion source vacuum chamber at a pressure at least two orders of magnitude higher than conventional instruments. The present invention also requires only a single valve that isolates the ion source vacuum housing from the TOF analyzer vacuum housing. This is a significant improvement over vacuum locks in the art where the valve opening must be sufficiently large to allow the sample plate to pass through.

A biological sample can be subjected to measurement, description and ionization of ions is possible under atmospheric pressure without undergoing pretreatment. Imaging having a resolution on the nanometer order can be performed. An STM needle (probe) of an XYZ-axis-drive piezoelectric element is oscillated along the Z axis to contact the sample to a depth on the nanometer order and capture molecules at the needle tip. A pulsed high voltage is applied to the needle, achieving needle electrospray. The sample molecules are then desorbed and ionized, and mass spectrometry is carried out. The needle is swept in the XY directions, oscillation is repeated and an image obtained by molecular imaging of a nanometer area of the biological sample is measured. The probe may be brought into contact with a droplet produced at the tip of a capillary connected to the outlet port of a liquid chromatograph to capture a sample.

Systems and methods of generating ions at atmospheric pressure are presented. These systems and methods include spatially dependent analysis of a sample using an effusive ionization source. Systems and methods of isolating samples at atmospheric pressure are presented. These systems and methods include using a barrier to prevent metastables or electrons from an effusive ion source from reaching a sample unless the sample is in an analysis position. Systems and methods of using metastables in collisionally induced dissociation are presented.

A sample S is irradiated with a two-dimensionally spread ray of laser light to simultaneously ionize substances within a two-dimensional area on the sample. The resultant ions are mass-separated by a TOF mass separator 4 without changing the interrelationship of the emission points of the ions. The separated ions are then directed to a two-dimensional detector section 7 through a deflection electric field created by deflection electrodes 61 and 62. The two-dimensional detector section 7 consists of a plurality of detection units 7a arranged in parallel, each unit including an MCP8a, fluorescent plate 9a and two-dimensional array detector 10a. The magnitude of deflecting the flight path of the ions by the deflection electric field is changed in a stepwise manner with the lapse of time from the generation of the ions so that a plurality of mass analysis images are sequentially projected on each detection unit 7. When the mass analysis image shifts from one detection unit to another, the data acquisition operation by the two-dimensional array detector in the previous detection unit is discontinued. As a result, a predetermined number of the latest images are held inside the detector. Thus, the measurement time can be extended to widen the measurable mass-to-charge ratio range, while ensuring a high mass resolution.

A laser ablation cell (1) comprises a flow channel (11) having an essentially constant cross-sectional area so as to ensure a strictly laminar flow in the flow channel. A sample chamber (21) is provided adjacent to a lateral opening (14) of the flow channel. A laser beam (41) enters the sample chamber (21) through a lateral window (16) and impinges on a surface (24) of a sample (23) to ablate material from the sample. The sample may be positioned in such a distance from the flow channel that the laser-generated aerosol mass distribution has its center within the flow channel. This leads to short aerosol washout times. The laser ablation cell is particularly well suited for aerosol generation in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS), including imaging applications.

Provided is a method for preparing a sample surface for analysis that involves placing a sample surface in droplet-receiving relationship to a reservoir containing an analysis-enhancing fluid. Typically, the analysis-enhancing fluid is comprised of a mass spectrometry matrix material and a carrier fluid, and the carrier fluid is comprised of a low volatility solvent. A droplet of the analysis-enhancing fluid from the reservoir such that the droplet is deposited on the sample surface at a designated site. Such ejection is typically, but not necessarily carried out through the application of focused acoustic energy. Then, the sample is subjected to conditions sufficient to allow the analysis-enhancing fluid to interact with the sample surface to render the sample surface suitable for analysis. Optionally, the sample is analyzed at the selected site. Also provided are systems and devices for preparing a sample surface for analysis.

A method of imaging mass spectroscopy and a corresponding apparatus are provided, wherein the m/z-ratio of ions as well as the location of said ions on a sample surface are detected simultaneously in a time of flight mass spectrometer. The detector is a semiconductor array detector comprising pixels, that each can be arranged to measure a signal intensity of a signal induced by the ions or their time of arrival. A four-dimensional image consisting of the two lateral dimensions on the sample surface, the m/z-ratio representing the ion type and the abundance of an ion type on the surface can be reconstructed from repeated measurements for which a correspondingly adapted computer program product can be involved.

Disclosed are systems and software that provide a high-performance, extensible file format and web API for remote data access and a visual interface for data viewing, query, and analysis. The described system supports can support storage of raw spectroscopic data such as neural recording data, MSI data, metadata, and derived analyses in a single, self-describing format that may be compatible by a large range of analysis software.

The field of the invention is atmospheric pressure mass spectrometry (MS), and more specifically a process and apparatus which combine infrared laser ablation with electrospray ionization (ESI).

An ion source for a mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a lens and mirror arrangement which focuses a laser beam onto the upper surface of a target substrate. The lens has an effective focal length ≦300 mm. The laser beam is directed onto the target substrate at an angle θ with respect to the perpendicular to the target substrate, wherein θ≦3°. One or more ion guides receive ions released from the target substrate and onwardly transmit the ions along an ion path which substantially bypasses the lens and mirror.

In-plane distribution of a target objectcontained in a sample is measured. The sample dispersedly placed on a substrate is treated to promote ionization of the target object, then the mass and flying amount of an ion containing the target object or a component of the target object is determined by irradiating an ion beam to the sample and performing time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry of the ion that flies from a portion in the sample where the ion beam is irradiated, and the in-plane distribution of the target object is determined from the mass and flying amount data obtained at plural portions by scanning the beam on the sample plane. The step of treating the sample to promote ionization of the target object includes contacting an aqueous solution of an acid that does not crystallize at ordinary temperature with the sample. A high spatial resolution two-dimensional image can be obtained.

The present invention aims to provide a time-of-flight based mass microscope system for an ultra-high speed multi-mode mass analysis, for using a laser beam or an ion beam simultaneously to enable both a low molecular weight analysis such as for drugs/metabolome/lipids/peptides and a high molecular weight analysis such as for genes/proteins, without being limited by the molecular weight of the object being analyzed, and for significantly increasing the measuring speed by using a microscope method instead of a microprobe method.

The invention relates to mass spectrometers with an ion source, comprising a UV laser system for mass spectrometric analyses with ionization of analyte molecules in a sample by matrix-assisted laser desorption, which, with very low energy losses, can produce a spatially distributed spot pattern with several intensity peaks of equal height, thus making it possible to achieve an optimum degree of ionization of analyte ions for any task. Such a spot pattern can be generated from the UV beam with high transverse coherence, using a combination of a lens array and a lens, provided that the lens array satisfies a mathematical condition for separation of the micro-lenses from each other (pitch) and their focal length. For example, a lens array with square or round lenses produces a pattern of nine and five spots, respectively. The lens arrays are inexpensive and do not require any lateral adjustment in this arrangement.

The invention relates to the determination and visualization of the spatial distribution of tissue states in histologic tissue sections on the basis of mass spectrometric signals acquired so as to be spatially resolved. The invention provides a method which determines the tissue state for the tissue spots as a state characteristic, which is calculated as a mathematical or logical expression from at least two mass signals of this tissue spot, and which indicates the tissue state as a gray-level or false-color image in one or two dimensions.

The invention relates to a spectral pupil laser differential confocal LIBS, a Raman spectrum-mass spectrum microscopic imaging method and a Raman spectrum-mass spectrum microscopic imaging device and belongs to the technical fields of confocal microscopic imaging, optical-spectrum imaging and mass spectrum imaging. In the invention, spectral pupil laser differential confocal imaging is combined with optical-spectrum and mass spectrum detection technologies, so that high-spatial-discrimination form imaging to a sample is carried out by means of a micro focus light spot of a spectral pupil laser differential confocal microscope which is subjected to ultra-discrimination technology treatment; mass spectrum detection to charged molecules and atoms in a micro zone of a sample is carried out by means of the mass spectrum detection system; micro zone optical spectrum detection is carried out to a focused light spot excitation spectrum (Raman spectrum, induced breakdown spectrum) of the spectral pupil laser differential confocal microscopic system through the optical-spectrum detection system; and high-spatial discrimination, high-sensitive imaging and high-sensitive detection to complete component information and form parameters of the sample micro zone is carried out through advantage complement and structural fusion of laser multi-spectrum detection. The invention provides a novel technical approach for imaging detection of substance components and formations in the field of biology, material and the like.