Subspace FT-MS Imaging for High-Resolution Shorter Acquisitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mass spectrometry imaging using Fourier transform (FT) instruments faces challenges in achieving high mass resolution, mass accuracy, and spatial resolution within reasonable acquisition times, leading to inefficiencies and limited throughput.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a subspace approach for FT mass spectrometry imaging, which involves decomposing transient signals into basis elements and reconstructing data to achieve high mass resolution and spatial resolution while reducing acquisition time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the acquisition time is increased to improve mass resolution and mass accuracy, then the precision of frequency determination improves, but the productivity and throughput decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a preliminary decomposition of the transient signal into basis elements and their corresponding coefficients. This preliminary action allows the system to reconstruct high-resolution spectra from shorter acquisition data, effectively preparing the data structure in advance to enable faster subsequent processing without sacrificing mass resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the transient signal into multiple basis elements (sinusoidal components) with different frequencies, amplitudes, and damping factors. By decomposing the complex signal into these fundamental components, the system can process and reconstruct the spectrum more efficiently, achieving high mass resolution without requiring proportionally long acquisition times.
2Manufacturing precision
If the acquisition time is increased to improve spatial resolution and mass accuracy, then the quality of chemical maps improves, but the acquisition time becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary signal decomposition into basis elements before reconstruction. This preliminary processing step enables the system to achieve high spatial and mass resolution from shorter transient data, reducing the acquisition time required to capture sufficient signal information at each spatial location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of transient duration from uniformly long acquisitions to variable-length acquisitions. By using shorter transients with preliminary decomposition and reconstruction, the system achieves comparable or better spatial and mass resolution while significantly reducing the time spent at each pixel location during scanning.
3Measurement precision
If high mass resolution and spatial resolution are achieved simultaneously, then the quality of FT-MS images improves, but the acquisition time becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary decomposition of transient signals into basis elements before reconstruction. This preliminary action creates a compact representation of the signal that enables high-resolution spectral reconstruction from shorter acquisition times, allowing simultaneous achievement of high mass and spatial resolution without prohibitively long total acquisition times.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical approach of acquiring long transients for every pixel with a computational approach using basis element decomposition and reconstruction. This substitution of computational methods for direct physical measurement enables high resolution in both mass and space dimensions while dramatically reducing the physical acquisition time required.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly shortens imaging acquisition time, increases efficiency, and improves the quality of mass spectral and ion images, allowing for either higher sample throughput or higher resolution images at similar acquisition lengths.
Implementation Method 1
the longer the acquisition time, the more precisely one can determine the frequency of the ion cyclotron motion
Implementation Method 2
performing a first Fourier transform on the first set of image data to obtain a first set of mass spectra
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, and storage medium for obtaining high-resolution mass spectra and chemical maps from a sample using a subspace Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FT-MS) approach are described. The method includes conducting a first set of image data corresponding to a first group of spatial positions on the sample and a second set of image data corresponding to a second group of spatial positions on the sample; conducting a decomposition process on the first set of image data to obtain a set of basis elements; performing a reconstruction process on a second set of image data to obtain a set of reconstructed image data; performing a Fourier transform on the first and second sets of image data to obtain a first and second sets of mass spectra, respectively; and obtaining a FT-MS image for the sample based on the first set of mass spectra and the second set of mass spectra.