Utilisation of mid-infrared lasers for rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry imaging and high throughput sampling

摘要

Pulses of laser radiation having a wavelength in the range 2700-3100 nm obtained from an optical parametric oscillator laser 1 on to a fixed and embedded tissue sample 2 and generating aerosol, smoke or vapour 4 from the tissue sample 2. The tissue sample is formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) prior to analysis. Analyte ions are generated from the aerosol, smoke or vapour 4 and the analyte ions are then mass analysed. An ion imaging map may be obtained by translating the tissue specimen with respect to the laser beam during analysis.